Radiator Help - Am I screwed?

[milehigreg]

I cleaned out the space between the radiator and A/C condeser this weekend. Leaves, pine needles, cigaratte butts, paper etc. Relatively easy job. Only problem was that the bottom auto trans connection was frozen. I was extremely careful with it because I intended to drive the car to Phoenix next week. My first long road trip. Soaked it it WD-40 and then SeaFoam for two days to no avail. So I left it connected, lifted the condenser coil up and cleaned everything in place. Bottoned everything back up and wentfor a shakedown run. Trans fluid is leaking from the bottom connection.ad The flare nut never moved. However, I think i might have tweaked the female fitting in the radiator tank. Does anyone know how this fitting works. Does it screw into the plastic tank? Is there any way to tighten it or seal it without removing the radiator? Removing the radiator will require removing /cutting off and repacling the auto trans line. Really want to take it to Phoenix. on Friday but I may be SOL.

 

[vetteboy86]

You could always cut the line, and then put a fitting in there, that way you wont have to worry about messing up the threads on the radiator. Not sure how that fitting works, never had to remove mine.

Good luck buddy,
Craig

 

[ecss]

The trans. cooler is a tube inside the radiator side tank.

The fittings appear to be part of the tank. (Maybe brazed to the tank). Can't tell from the picture in the manual.

To get to the Trans. Cooler tank you would need to seperate the crimps that hold the side tank to the radiator core.

There is a 1.16" nut and a seal that holds the Trans. Cooler tank against the side tank. If that seal were leaking, radiator coolant would leak out. If trans. fluid is leaking, either the flare fitting is not sealing or you cracked the flare fitting which I think is part of the trans. cooler tank.

If it's leaking at the flare mating surfaces, you could try using teflon tape around the threads. (If you can break the fitting loose).

A new radiator runs around $145.00.

PM me your e-mail address and I can send you a pic. of what it looks like.

 

[milehigreg]

Thanks for the info. The problem is solved. I had in fact broken loose the fitting. The problem was the tube is welded to the inside of the fitting. I had no choice but to sacrifice the tube to get the fitting out. I have since tried driving the tube out with a punch and drilling it out. No luck. Bought a piece of 5/16" flared fitting tubing, hose and some clamps. Installed a 1 1/2" piece of the hard pipe in the radiator and bridged the gap to the exisiting pipe with the hose and clamps. Voila! Headed to Phoenix Friday. ECSS, your decription is right on. I went to a local radiator shop and they showed me a cut away of the tank and oil cooler. Did a little research trying to find a new transission cooler line. No one has them.

 

[G Winter]

Put double clamps on those hoses. A trans puts out a lot of presure.
Glenn

 

[milehigreg]

700R4pressure

You got me worried :confused so I checked the service manual which said that the transmission develops pressures up to 200PSI!! However, I called a local trans shop who wasn't at all concerned with my hose repair. He said that the cooler loop pressure is only 17 psi. If he had said "30 or so", I would have felt better but he said 17 which make s me think he knows what he's talking about. An old estimating trick. Plus, if it really was 200 psi, the hose wouldn't have held on my short shakedown cruise. Tally Ho to Phoenix! Prayers, chants and crossed fingers appreciated.

 

[Vettelt193]

Now's the time to add an external tranny cooler