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  1. LEGENDARY COOLING - PERFORMANCE RADIATOR R&D, PART 4 - Dyno Results

    LEGENDARY COOLING - PERFORMANCE RADIATOR R&D, PART 4 - Dyno Results

    It's been three months since our loaner Z06 last bellowed throughout the shop, but our ears are still ringing. The C6 is the very definition (more like DEAFinition) of the American sports coupe. Boisterous doesn't even begin to describe our loaner Corvette. By now, though, we all know how hot these cars are, both figuratively and literally. We're finally at the point where we can test and see just how much of that actual heat we can remove with our new aluminum radiator.

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    Ice Packs

    Before we could berate your senses with the full-frontal assault that is the Z06, we had some shop upgrades to fit in. Specifically, we had to make sure that our Dynapack system was up to the task of challenging the ferocious LS7.

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  2. Legendary Cooling - Performance Radiator R&D, Part 3 - Production Sample

    Legendary Cooling - Performance Radiator R&D, Part 3 - Production Sample

    We all have that one friend that just can't seem to make up their mind. Indecision isn't just a bad habit for them, it's a way of life. At any minute you're a shrug or an "I don't care" away from utter frustration. I have to level with you folks, I am that person. Which makes it less weird to say that I can identify with the C6. Not so much to sleek body lines and unbridled athleticism, definitely neither of those. It's more so the fact that Chevy nor I can seem to make a lasting decision on anything.

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    Where deciding on a place to eat might be an example of my struggle with indecision, Chevy's dilemma comes more in the cooling department for their flagship sports car. If you take a look back at our last

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  3. Cooling to the Duramax - Transmission Cooler, Part 3: Adapt and Overcome

    Cooling to the Duramax - Transmission Cooler, Part 3: Adapt and Overcome

    This 2001-2014 Chevy / GMC 6.6L Duramax Transmission Cooler is now available! Click here to check it out!

    With so many model years to cover, our biggest challenge would be making one cooler fit them all. But we had a plan.

    Our 2001-2014 Chevy / GMC Duramax transmission cooler blog so far has focused on the two stock coolers. We looked at the early, comically small, transmission cooler. We looked at the later, and larger but poorly placed, transmission cooler. Finally, after almost a year of R&D, we get to look at Mishimoto's solution to the stock coolers' shortcomings. But first, we need to take a closer look at one more of the stock components.

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    At the end of our last post, we mentioned wanting to use one large cooler to fit all 14 model years

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  4. Layers of Cooling - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Layers of Cooling - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Back in the old days, if you wanted a vehicle for doing work on the farm, you bought a tractor and trailer. If you wanted luxury to go to your gala event, you had somebody build a coach and put an engine in it. If you just wanted to get to work, you bought a horse. On the off chance you were a wealthy farmer, who had another job in town, you had to buy them all.

    Today, you can drive to work, the farm, and the Met Gala all in the same vehicle. And it smells at lot better than a horse.

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    Chevy/GMC's K2 platform of pickup trucks and SUVs is a combination of every vehicle you could ever need. The interior is plush and packed full of enough tech to satisfy a 17-year-old pop star. Order one in black or white and you'll have no trouble getting the valet to sprint to your door and accept your keys.

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  5. Legendary Cooling - 2005-2012 C6 Corvette Performance Radiator R&D, Part 2 - Design Plans

    Legendary Cooling - 2005-2012 C6 Corvette Performance Radiator R&D, Part 2 - Design Plans

    One would think that after over 50 years of being the pinnacle of American performance some extra thought would have been put into the cooling system. That's not the American way, though. Automotive radiators have vastly improved since 1953, and when it came time for the C5's successor, it's almost as if Chevy was more interested in equipping the largest V8 possible rather than overhauling the cooling system.

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    On top of seemingly glossing over the C6's coolant heat exchanger, Chevy couldn't decide which radiator to equip in their flagship sports car. Over this Corvette's tenure we noted that there were 5 different radiators designed for the C6, each one slightly varied from the other.

    We noted that there were two different core thicknesses, and about 4 different end tank

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  6. Legendary Cooling - 2005-2012 C6 Corvette Performance Radiator, Part 1 - Stock Review

    Legendary Cooling - 2005-2012 C6 Corvette Performance Radiator, Part 1 - Stock Review

    When you look back on America's history in the realm of speed, it seems that we're only known for one thing"straight-line speed. Our obsession with muscle cars has left the impression on the rest of the world that we here in the US are a little timid around corners. Anyone who knows anything, though, can always name one American car that can take that beeline grunt around the hairpins. The Corvette.

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    Chevrolet has been fixated since 1953 on being able to pilot one of their big crate motors safely around the bends. Using sleek body lines to achieve a slippery aerodynamic profile, combined with lightweight materials and stiff chassis components, the Corvette has evolved over the years from a nimble sports car to a serious contender against the best of Germany and Italy.

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  7. Comfortable Cooling - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Comfortable Cooling - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    The latest generation of Chevy and GM trucks has become something of an every-truck. The earlier GMT800 and 900 trucks were dependable workhorses, built to be at home on the farm or the jobsite. When the K2 platform was introduced in 2014, the heart of the work truck remained, but it was wrapped in leather and luxury. Ascending into a K2 truck and settling into the captain's seat might as well be finding your favorite chair in the local cigar club circa 1940. Comfort distilled with the satisfaction of a day's hard work.

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    Sitting in a K2 is one of the most comfortable experiences you'll have in a truck or SUV, which will be good if you ever find yourself waiting for a tow truck as your radiator drips the last of its coolant onto the hard shoulder.

    Thanks to an over-active thermostat, many K2

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  8. Dependably Cool - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Design & Test

    Dependably Cool - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Design & Test

    This 1999-2014 Silverado 1500 V8 Performance Radiator is now available! Click here to check it out!

    The early 2000s presented two polar opposites of the auto industry in America. Small, fuel-efficient cars were still growing in popularity following yet another oil scare nine years earlier. Imports looked like the future of transportation. But for many hardworking Americans, nothing could replace their trucks. In 1999 Chevrolet introduced the Silverado and the GMT800 platform. Encompassing 11 truck models, the GMT800 platform quickly became one of the most popular in the country. By 2000, Silverado sales had surpassed those small imports and the truck landed as the second best-selling vehicle in the country.

    Back then, Chevy's slogan was "Like a rock." That phrase exemplified the dependability of their trucks and the people who drive them. And, for 15 years the Silverado has stood up to that reputation. In 2014 Chevy switched over to the K2 platform for their trucks,

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  9. Cooling to the Duramax - Transmission Cooler, Part 2: Measure Twice

    Cooling to the Duramax - Transmission Cooler, Part 2: Measure Twice

    This 2001-2014 Chevy / GMC 6.6L Duramax Transmission Cooler is now available! Click here to check it out!

    No matter how many trucks I write about, I'm always surprised how often a critical part of the drivetrain is underdeveloped. It's even more surprising when a truck built for towing and hauling has a major flaw in the transmission system. The transmission is the heart of towing, and when you're asking it to carry over five tons of truck and trailer up a grade, any weakness in the system is sure to show itself. However, the Allison transmission mated to 2001-2014 Duramax engines is not that weak point.

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  10. Transmission Cooling to the duraMAX - 2001-2010 Chevy /GMC Duramax Transmission Cooler, Part 1 - Stock Review

    Transmission Cooling to the duraMAX - 2001-2010 Chevy /GMC Duramax Transmission Cooler, Part 1 - Stock Review

    This 2001-2014 Chevy / GMC 6.6L Duramax Transmission Cooler is now available! Click here to check it out!

    Extreme heat is always the enemy, especially when it comes to vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission. The Allison gearbox mated with your 6.6L Duramax is no exception. With the high temperatures produced by an automatic transmission, it seems almost cruel that the sweltering summer heat comes when most of the towing of campers, boats, and other outdoor toys happens. GM did include some help to keep your gears cool. Unfortunately, it's a little small.

    For such an iconic towing machine, it seems strange to equip it with such a small transmission cooler.
    For such an iconic towing machine, it seems strange to equip it with
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