power steering cooler for 86 c4 ? man. trans. Anybody have any recommendations for an aftermarket model that they have used... Thx in advance...

 

If you're familiar with how the later C4 ('87 - '91) L98 car was configured there's many tube & fin coolers that could be used for similar mounting. Mounting is the key - most that don't have a cooler don't often add them so you might poke around on your own.

Derale likely has the most versatile offerings but you could certainly get very creative. Correct plumbing can certainly be a task in itself.

 

I have a DeRale cooler for my 1968 C3 Corvette. It was not hard to install because of the openings near the gills of the car. The cooler I chose had A/N fittings like the rest of my rack and pinion retrofit. The length and routing of the lines is critical to keeping a functional power steering rack. I have seen C4 P.S. coolers attached the front of the AC condenser, you should not have a hard time mounting it as long as your system handles the volume without any back pressure from hoses crimping or bending. I solved that by using #6 -AN hose with a heat protective sheath (DEI) over it to keep the fluid as cool as possible. I am running a 427 big block with long tube headers and the proximity to the #1 cylinder requires heat protection for the hose as well as the power steering pump itself.

There is a company called KRCPower and all they do is power steering. These guys eat, sleep and dream about Power Steering solutions. You might give them a call or at least check out their site as it has a lot of information on it.

https://www.krcpower.com/ or by phone at: (770)422-5135

These gentlemen helped save my but when I retrofitted to the rack and pinion setup. It turned out that my pump made too much pressure and
the -10 AN return line had too much of a bend to maintain a sure return flow to the pump from the reservoir. These guys are good at what they do!

On ROCKAUTO.com they list a "P.S. Cooler Installation Kit" and it is just the plastic parts to hold the cooler in place.

Good luck and let us know how it goes for you.

 

We can rebuild and upgrade your power steering pump to consume less horsepower, therefore reducing fluid temperatures. In most cases once we upgrade a pump, a cooler is not required. You can contact us by any of the methods below for more information.

Thanks,
Junior

 

Thanks everybody for the info...DeRale has a number of coolers in different sizes.... my application is 'spirited' street use... curious what physical size is recommended ?

 

This is what I ended up with...DERALE 13223 Frame Rail Cooler 12in Long AN-6 Inlets for about $33 shipped.... rail mount and 6an fittings

 

Run AMSOIL syn and forget the cooler !