Does an 09 4LT 6 speed have an oil cooler from the factory? If so, are they enough for track days? thanks

 

It does if you have the Z51 option.

 

For 2009, only the Z51 suspension with manual transmission got the oil cooler, it's a small unit in front of the radiator. Visible through the front.

Adequate? Seems to depend on how hot the weather is, how hard (high rpm) you drive the car, and how high you are willing to let your oil temp get.

Some people use the bigger oil cooler from a Z06, that usually keeps the oil temps reasonable on track but street driving may have oil temps that are too low. Optimum is said to be 190'-250', but the engines seem to survive being outside that range somewhat.

 

OK thanks- I think i have the Z51 option- has the cross drilled rotors and selective ride control. I really didn't want to take it out on the track without an oil cooler. i routinely run my 87 IROC on a track with an oil cooler and the temps get right up there after 20 mins....I will take a look up in there and see what it looks like.

 

If you have Mag Select Ride, you don't have Z51. They were not available together.

 

It has the ride control, and the bigger brakes...so...?

 

No Z51.

You can confirm for yourself by looking at the RPO code sticker in the glove box, left side of the lid (inside). If the car has Z51 it will be listed there, alphabetically, usually on the next to last line of codes.

You will see the J55 code for the Z51 brakes though, but not the Z51 pkg.

 

OK i'll take a look.

 

The suspension option you have included the Z51 brakes starting in 08, I think, but not the gear ratio change or cooler.

 

I have the original window sticker- it says it has the 3.42 rear axle. it was listed under the magnetic selective ride control option for $1995. I can't seem to find the option sticker on the car ( yet).....not in the glove box or the center console.....

 

The sticker looks like this on the inside of the glove box door. It should be there.

 

If you have the original window sticker and it doesn't show Z51 then you DON'T have the Z51 option and do not have an oil cooler.

All manual 6 speeds have the 3.42 axle ratio.

 

OK found the sticker. no Z51. Next up will be looking into getting one to put on there. does GM sell a kit to install a Z06 oil cooler? Or should i just back to Summit? thanks for all the help> pat

 

AFAIK, there is no official kit for the oil cooler. But several people here have ordered the parts from one of the Forum parts houses, and had the installation done locally. No complaints. Just be sure you have EVERY single part, before tearing your car apart.

I'll probably do it some day.

 

For future reference, the J55 brakes were only a portion of a Z51 option. They also became a portion of a F55 option in '07. The J55 brakes were even an available stand-alone option, although there were only 27 takers in '07. There never were brakes called Z51 brakes by the factory.

 

Thanks! I did not know that J55 is the correct term. The reason I ordered the Z51 was for the brakes and suspension, so what do I do, I put on Pfadt suspension and Wilwood brakes.......

 

It is the manual transmission gear ratios that are different not the differential gear ratio.

 

Oops! Well at least you still got the oil cooler and closer ratio trans if you ordered a M6.

 

I've been down this path somewhat, I have a '12 GS with the A-6 so no EOC or diff cooler. It was okay for the start of this years hpde season but as the season progressed and my skills increased I quickly found I needed an EOC.

I tried a DeWitts radiator with EOC/TOC (engine oil cooler/transmission oil cooler) and found the EOC/TOC barely adequate at my skill level so now I'm looking at external EOC/TOC options. I would like to get a Differential oil cooler too but the packages I see in the aftermarket are either too expensive or not palatable (don't want to add an electrical pump) or very difficult to find parts for (European version of the C-6's come with a differential cooler).

Gearhead is correct about oil temps being too low with the Z-06 oil cooler for daily driving.

With Mobile 1 synthetic oils, 260 is about max you want to see.

I've heard comments the A-6 can run pretty hot without self destructing, though it probably shortens the life of the transmission. The issue is the differential temperatures. Comments heard third (or fourth party) was the A-6 for track duty will fail before the un-cooled differential will -from GM.

I contacted GM through the forum, they said the A-6 should run +/- 20 degress of Coolant temps and be okay. The DeWitts radiator does a great job keeping engine coolant temps down but not so great with EOC/TOC.

Don't get me wrong, I love the DeWitts radiator, very high quality build.

My next plan is to add external EOC/TOC cooling via heat exchangers. I want to add an EOC before the oil hits the radiator EOC. This will serve to modulate EOC temps such that the oil will warm up to good operating temps for DD use and still have capacity for added heat input during track days plus remove some of the heat load seen by the radiator during track days (not that its really needed so far). For the TOC, since the transmission seems to be a heat sink for the differential, I want to add an external TOC after the radiator TOC supplying cooler oil to the transmission. Ideally, a DOC should be installed too, just haven't figured out an economical way to do it yet. What I would like to use is a Z-06 diff cooler setup with the A-6 ratio's. There is a kit for adding a mechanical external pump to the diff but it costs somewhere in the neighborhood of 1200 to have someone do the install bringing the total package to 3k - the approximate cost of a replacement differential.

Would love to hear any additional thoughts...

 

I upgraded to a Z06 oil cooler when I installed the Z07 radiator......