I have to replace a radiator. In the past I have had trouble keeping fluid from running out of the cooler lines
where I disconnected them from the radiator.
I tried tying a rubber glove on the ends and it didn't work too well.
I could use some suggestions - preferably something easy. ;D
harbor frieght sells plastic crimp off plyers (they are BRIGHT orange) pretty cheap and they work great when removing lines that like to dribble
Lisle Tools also has hose pinch-off clamps, or a carefully applied pair of Vise-Grip pliers can be used.
the other route i go at work when dealing with trans cooler lines is I use a piece of rubber hose and hose clamps to loop the system (so the car can be driven around the shop with no radiator in it)
If you have the steel lines up to the rad fittings, just put a rubber vacuum cap on the end of the liine. Or some short rubber line with a bolt in the end. If you loop with longer hose you can still drive the car a short distance as bill stated.
Quote from: thereverendbill on January 03, 2011, 11:12:06 PM
the other route i go at work when dealing with trans cooler lines is I use a piece of rubber hose and hose clamps to loop the system (so the car can be driven around the shop with no radiator in it)
Wow that's disastrous.
Only a disaster if you take a roadtrip that way. Running it to move a short distance (less than a minute or two) wont hurt anything.
They sell brass caps that screw on the ends of the flare fittings.
Not a big deal to loop the lines together as long as it is only run a couple of minutes at a time.
Brass caps are the way to go to stop from losing all the fluid, however, I normally just let them hang in a bucket and top off the trans when I am done. Figure it cannot hurt to have cleaner fluid in, especially since trans oil intervals are so long.
If you go to pinch the lines with vise grips or line clamps and the lines seem stiff REPLACE them! When they are stiff, they are flaking on the inside and that means contaminents in the system which can clog filters and passages. Rubber contamination is one of the most consistent causes of hydraulic systems failures on vehicles.
Also, use a trans cooler/air conditioner cleaner solution which you can get at most parts houses. You will be shocked when you see what come out of there (most people have never done this... so don't feel too bad!). If you have a separate cooler from your radiator, use one can for each cooler... yeah that costs more, but come on... your coolers haven't been cleaned once in 25 years!
Finally, put a Trans filter in line. There are many good ones out there... make sure it is magnetized. My favorite one is admittedly made by the company I work for, Cardone Industries, but that does not reduce the cool factor! It is a billet aluminum Power Steering filter that can also be used as a trans filter... called "Magna Pure" (Part # 20-0038F). May have to be special ordered as they are new. It is for 3/8 lines only, though we sell a more normal magnetized filter for smaller lines.
What's great is you can install inline and, if an issue arises or just to see the health of your system, you can disassemble it by popping out one snap ring. Examine the contents of both the magnet and the filter element. Great for trans and PS. No, I cannot sell these directly as my accounts would not like that much!
BTW, you can learn more at cardone.com and watch a free 3 minute video about how to properly flush you PS system as well as see the filter. There is also a lot of good tech info available there, all free of charge.
Hope that did not get too far off topic!
I need to reconnect the lines so I don't want to damage them.
I don't see how I can get a rubber hose over the fittings.
The brass caps seem best. I didn't know about them. I'll try to find some.
Quote from: mudkicker715 on January 04, 2011, 03:40:16 AM
Quote from: thereverendbill on January 03, 2011, 11:12:06 PM
the other route i go at work when dealing with trans cooler lines is I use a piece of rubber hose and hose clamps to loop the system (so the car can be driven around the shop with no radiator in it)
Wow that's disastrous.
on average if car comes into the shop and has the rad removed and the cooler lines looped it may travel a total of 50 feet until the new rad comes in and is installed
j2sax, about how much fluid do you lose by letting the lines drip?
This tranny was flushed and refilled not too many miles ago.
Whatever the line holds is your loss
less than a quart
If I don't find caps or vac plugs of the right size I'll just let em drip then.
Thanks for the info.
best of luck on your project jim
Those little squishable foam ear plugs work great in some applications and are only pennies : ) I use them in threaded holes when painting to keep the paint out of the threads, but have used them to plug up liquids too.
Now there is my kind of idea. Thanks.
maybe I should buy a few thousand of them, and repackage them and sell them as a new idea ! : )
I'm sure you could charge more for them if you sell them as Control Devices for whjatever
or as a safety feature or as green enviromental devices............
Jim,
How did you manage to get your lines removed from the radiator?I 've hit the fittings with Pen oil and let sit for a couple days and it still seems as if the bottom of the radiator will give before the fitting do,would a small torch be better? Rambler mentality don't want to damage anything I don't need to.
I like 68AMXGOPAC's idea of ear plugs :).and j2sax's inline dedundant cooler idea 8).
Quote from: philotomy on May 29, 2011, 09:50:20 AM
Jim,
How did you manage to get your lines removed from the radiator?I 've hit the fittings with Pen oil and let sit for a couple days and it still seems as if the bottom of the radiator will give before the fitting do,would a small torch be better? Rambler mentality don't want to damage anything I don't need to.
I like 68AMXGOPAC's idea of ear plugs :).and j2sax's inline dedundant cooler idea 8).
Use two wrenches to do the job. I used vice grips the hold the fitting that is attached to the rad and a flare nut wrench for the line nut.
You could also do a partial fluid change with the lines off. I used a foot long heater hose to direct the fluid from the line to a bucket. Then started the car in neutral until 3L of old fluid was in the bucket then shut the car off (use water to measure and mark the bucket first). Then just top up the trans when everything is back together.
The ear plugs didn't work for me. I have fought so many issues that I don't remember what did work. Another thing that didn't work for me is trying to tie rubber gloves over the ends.
Funny you mention that,I couldn't find any ear plugs so I put a glove on with a zip tie to hold it .