How hard is it to change the trans cooler lines? o No: Mine are leaking- I don't think I have any pipe wrenches (what do those even look like?). Actually, I can't tell if what is leaking is the line itself, or the connection on the back of the radiator. If it is the connection, do I have to pull the radiator and have that welded? o No:
David, a good set of line wrenches is your best bet to loosen & tighten the lines without damaging the tube nuts. If you're good with line bending and flaring you can fab a new set yourself, otherwise you'll have to seek out an aftermarket source. This might be a tough find for the Wildcat. An external leak at the radiator is usually cooler line related, rather than the actual radiator fittings themselves, but that doesn't mean it's not possible. I would expect a good radiator shop would have the ability to pressure test the rad fittings and repair them if necessary. Devon
I had to buy a kit and bend my own lines...as long as you have your old ones, you should be ok. It takes a little getting used to...but this was my first try.
The lines are easy to get- Inlinetube in Shelby Twp. can bend them to factory specs- $50 for stock lines $75 for stainless- I've purchased from them before- (good company to deal with), but I've never attempted an installation myself. I wasn't sure if it was a big hassle or not. Thanks for the picture, Devon. Are those specifically line wrenches? What makes those different from a stock set of wrenches? I mean, how do they keep from twisting the lines? o No: o No: o No:
They don't keep you from twisting the lines, but they eliminate rounding off the nut. You could easily twist the line in half....which is why I bought new ones.ou:
"Mommy, please make the bad Fram filter go away!!!!" :spank: David, Think of the line wrench as a six-point box end wrench with just enough material removed from the circumference to get it over the tube and onto the tube nut. A line wrench will support all six points on the tube nut, more evenly distributing the load. Let's see if I can find a better picture. Devon
As Devon said---use REAL wrenches---no slip joint pliers or adjustables :af: and dont overtighten :ball:. Pete
So assuming I get the lines and the bends are all correct, how hard is it to remove/replace them? o No: Do the lines dump a lot of fluid when removed? o No: Oh yeah, while I'm in endless questions mode, what does a decent set of line wrenches cost? Thanks for the pics and input! :TU:
You will probably dump about a pint of fluid when you take them loose from the radiator. If you can jack the car up and put it on stands on the right side you should be able to do it just fine. If you buy them from a place like Inline Tubes they will come with the clips already on them. They can be a bit hateful but getting them by the oil filter and away from the belts is the biggest challenge. Be careful that you don't cross thread them, it is real easy to do! DO NOT use teflon tape. The fittings on the transmission can be replaced if you need to but the fittings in the radiator are there and if they have a problem then you will need to take the radiator to a shop to be repaired. Good luck! :TU: :beer
You probably can buy individual line wrenches at Sears. I just have two line wrenches and that is probably all you will ever need. One end is 5/8 and the other end is next size up. The other wrench is 1/2" and 9/16" I think.
i just installed mine.on the wrenches it's 3/8-7/16 & 1/2-9/16 combos,had a full set last time i looked,like eleventeen years ago,had to buy the large one.$7 these are real easy to install & gets them out of the way :TU: tri-shield sells 'em.i got mine from a board member :TU:
Ok so I found the line wrench socket ends for cheap-$9 but when I attach thenm to the socket wrench, it will only turn fully when I add the extention. But that leaves no room to work with in the engine bay. So, I'll have to buy the straight line wrenches (3/4 and 5/8) to tackle the job. Turns out with the little bit I attempted that the lines were fine until I twisted them up ou: (remember I'm not mechanically inclined) and the bottom fitting on the radiator is the issue. Apparently, the original fitting broke off (I'm guessing) so my mechanic made due with a shorter fitting and plumber's tape. This fitting is the correct size to attach to the trans cooler line, but the thing will only tighten down just so far into the radiator and then it breaks free again and spins. :spank: I've already ordered replacement lines, which is a good thing since I've made pretzels out of these on the car. ou: The plan is to get the straight wrenches, disconnect the upper line (and the other connections) and take the radiator out of the car. I'll take the radiator to a radiator repair shop to see if they can fix the fitting deal-weld it in place? o No:Then, I'll reinstall the radiator and hopefully connect the new and improved trans cooler lines without destroying them or the transmission fittings. That is, unless someone wants to come give me a hand! :grin:
Another update.... Got the wrenches I needed- one for $4 at a swap meet (craftsman), one (craftsman) on clearance at Sears for $8-not too bad! Got the trans lines off of the radiator fittings and compared the fittings. Identical-the lower one was not broken off- so I tried swapping the fittings and lo and behold I got them both to tighten! Apparently the upper fitting was better suited for the lower fitting. Whatever.That was the good part-now I can skip the whole taking out the radiator hassle. :TU: Next, I tried to crawl under the car to access the trans lines at the tranny-car is not up on stands. I managed to get the socket version of the line wrench on one of the nuts and it got wedged in there somehow :af: ou: Now I'm so pissed I'm ready to just have the thing towed and have someone else deal with it! :af: Without jackstands or one of those side jacks I'm leery about jacking up the front end and crawling under there to attempt going further. This is why I HATE working on my car-I'll have some straightforward easy task to accomplish and it ends up being some time consuming, knuckle scraping, frustrating hassle!! :af: I need a personal mechanic like Jay Leno has!
