The Importance of your Silverado’s Cooling System

To understand how and why a cooling system works, we need to discuss the common parts of a cooling system. Not all Silverados feature the parts discussed below, but they are still worth discussing. This is because we can paint a picture of where you can make additions or upgrades to the factory cooling system.

Water Pump: The water pump is the heart of the cooling system. This unit is used to cycle coolant through the system. It does so with an internal turbine. On one end, coolant is drawn in from the radiator. As the turbine pulls water in on one end of the pump, it pushes water out of the other into the engine in which it will be drawn back through the radiator.

Radiator: The radiator is the most recognizable part of the cooling system. The radiator in a Silverado is constructed of an aluminum body with fins running top to bottom of the main body. Between those fins, tubes contain the coolant cycled by the water pump. The fins work to disperse the heat of the coolant transferred by the engine. As hot water enters the radiator it gradually cools as it passes through the radiator until it is sent back to the water pump and back into the engine’s coolant passages.

Thermostat: Thermostats are used to help regulate the engine’s operating temperature. The thermostat is mounted in the vehicle’s cooling passage and until the engine reaches a specific operating temperature it will remain closed. Once the engine reaches a specific temperature, the thermostat will open and allow coolant to flow. 

Transmission Coolers: Automatic transmissions are subjected to overheating and the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) must be cool enough to prevent this from happening. They aren’t present on all vehicles but look much like a small radiator. They mount near the engine's radiator and work on the same principle to allow ATF to flow through and be cooled. 

Hoses and Lines: If the water pump is the heart of the cooling system, the hoses and lines are the veins and arteries. These are simple tubes used to connect the engine, water pump, and transmission to the radiator and the transmission cooler.

Upgrading the factory cooling system for optimal performance is something many can do to help preserve the life of their trucks. Though, to understand why you would need to upgrade the stock system, we need to look at the factory components and what their shortcomings are. 

Radiator: Since 1999 the factory radiator on Silverados haven’t varied much in genetic makeup. The only major changes we see are in the dimensions in terms of how it is fitted to the vehicle. For stock to mildly modified applications, the factory radiator has ample volume to perform well. For extreme builds and uses, the size of the stock radiator in terms of thickness, along with the diameter and number of tubes that carry the coolant can be quite limiting. 

Thermostat: Factory thermostats in these trucks usually run at the 180-degree operation mark. Aftermarket thermostats can be swapped in for cooler climates to help get the engine up to operating temperature more quickly, though, this is rarely pursued. In hotter climates or on extreme applications, it is not uncommon to see the thermostat swapped with a lower operating temperature unit or removed entirely.

Transmission Coolers: Transmission coolers have been part of the original equipment for the Silverado since the beginning. For stock and some mild builds, the factory unit will do the trick. However, with more extreme builds it may be limiting. 

Hoses and Lines: From the factory rubber hoses will attach the radiator to the water pump and engine. Hard lines will be used to attach the transmission cooler. For most builds, these lines can be used but some will opt for braided lines for more secure mounting and aesthetic appeal.

When building up a truck for more spirited driving and performance characteristics, the factory radiator will cut it. Once you’re installing big engine mods, towing weights, and driving styles become more radical in terms of harshness. It’s wise to swap the radiator out for a larger unit or a unit with more rows or wider tubes. 

It’s important to understand keeping the vehicle at the appropriate operating temperature is just as important as keeping it cool. This is why thermostats exist in the first place. It’s very easy to pair too big of a radiator with too mild of an application and when this happens it can cool the engine too much. Unless the engine is under extreme stress frequently, like in off-roading or heavy towing situations, or there are extreme power gains you will want to look at keeping the factory radiator where it is. 

Swap Talk: Swapping a radiator is a fairly easy job. The real difficulties lie in removing everything in the way of the radiator itself. The shroud and cooling fans will need to be removed and tight working spaces in the Silverado engine bay can prove this to be a tedious task. You will also need to drain coolant from the system and containing the drainage can be tricky too. Once the radiator is drained and the components blocking the radiator are removed, you can easily disconnect the radiator from the hoses and mounting points. Installation of the new units follows the same procedure in reverse order. Before working on the radiator be sure the unit is cool enough to work on to the avoid injury. Ideally, you should do this with a completely cooled engine as coolant pressure can result in extreme burns and a big mess. 

The same principles that feed the thought process of swapping the radiator feed the idea of swapping an aftermarket transmission cooler. The process follows a very similar pattern but on a much smaller scale. 

Installation: swapping a transmission cooler is not a difficult task at all. It should take well under an hour to perform, and spills are much more manageable. You will want to work on this unit with a completely cool system to prevent injury and a mess.