(Sorry for thread jack...)
I'm currently installing a Rigidco winch bumper and to install the cross brace I need to remove my tranny cooler lines and loop them through a hole, trick is I can't get the disconnect line off. Whats the trick to disconnecting it? I have one of those little plastic "tools" to push and disconnect it...but I'm just bending the darn things. Its the stock cooler on an '89 limited. Is just cutting the line while they're connected OK (with a grinder or something), or will I get metal shards in my tranny? (sorry I don't know much about the tranny cooler)
~Scott
The ears may be clogged up with road crap - I often find it helpful to put a straw on a can of carburettor cleaner and flush the thing out, then squeeze the ears and pull. You should not need a tool, beyond (maybe) a pair of longnose pliers.
If you need to cut the line, use a tubing cutter. You can get a small one at your local hardware store for a few bucks - read the instructions, and you'll be good to go. They're easy to use, don't get slivers everywhere, and give you a much cleaner cut than a saw or an abrasive wheel. Debur, and you're done (and there's usually a blade to do that on the back of the cutter.) When you rejoin the lines, allow
at least one full inch of overlap for the rubber hose overtop the metal line (since they're not "beaded" as they should be,) and apply a bit of RTV Black on the outside of the metal line at the end. This RTV will get smeared around inside the hose to help with the seal. Use two clamps spaced 1/4" apart to retain rubber hose over smooth metal line at each end.
The "filter" in the AW4 is little more than a strainer (it will catch gear teeth, but not filings,) and the only other thing down there is a magnet - it's hit-or-miss, and I'm not sure the tubing is made from a magnetic grade of CRES. Why take chances? Eliminate the filings in the first place.
Also note that, if you really want to be sure, you can remove the QD fittings at the transmission before you do anything else - they'll unscrew easily. Apply a little RTV Black or PTFE paste on reassembly, turn two flats past finger tight to seal. They have o-rings in them as well, which provides the primary sealing and retention action.
