Transmission line repair or replace.

[Spanky414]

1988, 4.0 auto of course.

I just swapped engines and now its time for some work on the tranny cooler lines. It was already leaking a bit before the engine swap but I guess we bumped the lines a bit while swaping cause now I have a major leak in one back by the starter. They are really rusty so its no suprise, I just didnt' want to fix them right now but rather in the summer.

So I figure my options are new lines or patch job.

I've done some thread searching and I'm thinking of going with a patch job to save some money and not have to deal with the disconnects on the tranny but what do people do at the rad end?

At the top I have a flared fitting and at the bottom is a quick connect that looks like its part of the rad and not removable?

When people just patch in new rubber lines what do they do with the lower one? I'm thinking of just sliding the line over the ridge and using that instead of a flare to hold the line with a couple clamps but I'm not sure if tranny line is flexible enough to get over that ridge.

Also is the flare for the top rad connection the same as a brake line flare? Cause I have a flareing kit but wasn't positive they were the same angle and type of flare.


Oh and I Have found some parts in my searching that might be usefull to those people that just want to put in new parts or some new parts without going to the dealer.

All from dorman products stuff.

New lines from tranny to rad.
Pressure, return and upper rad line.

624-300 Return Lower-Outlet

624-301 Pressure Upper-Inlet

624-334 Upper-Outlet Tube From Radiator

And repair parts.

Transmission line repair hose 800-612 Looks like it would work for our lower hose for the quick connect.

Transmission line connector 800-714 Fits Jeep Cherokee, Comanche & Wagoneer 2001-87 but I'm not sure where its supposed to be used? Looks like the female of a quick connector.

 

[BIGSLVRXJ]

Transmission line connector 800-714 Fits Jeep Cherokee, Comanche & Wagoneer 2001-87 but I'm not sure where its supposed to be used? Looks like the female of a quick connector.

That one looks like the one that screws into the radiator to allow you to screw the line onto it. I'm not 100% sure though because it doesn't look like the factory one just looks to be about the same thread thickness.

 

[Spanky414]

I'm not sure what you mean?

Are you talking the bottom or top connection?

Cause on mine the lower one seems part of the rad and its a male quick connect. And the upper screws on with a flared fitting.

 

[BIGSLVRXJ]

Sorry its really kind of hard to explain it...to me it looks like the threaded part on that picture threads into the radiator. When I just did my closed to open radiator conversion I had to transfer the old fitting into the new radiator so the top "screw on" line would screw onto it. That to me looks like the part that screws into the radiator that you screw the line onto, but it may not be, I'm not 100% sure.

 

[critik]

The threaded part that you were talking about doesn't look at all like the one I installed on my radiator. I've not seen that part, ever. I could be wrong, though.

NAPA has the replacement lines available. I'm going to pick them up on Thursday, because they had to order it. Both the NAPA stores in town had no clue what I was talking about when I asked for a transmission cooler line. They told me that they didn't have it, and that I should be looking at bulk cooling line. I researched online, and found these part numbers, which I had to give to them:

BK8111406 - Lower Return - $29.99
BK8155625 - Upper Pressure - $25.49

The person working at the store didn't know what they were, and suggested I buy the bulk hose. I explained that the tube itself was rusted, and that this was a preformed version.

I'll let you know if they go in without problem, or what parts I need...that is, if you can wait that long.

 

[apsdad]

I just replaced both my lines on my '96 with original parts. I also had to replacethe two fittings on the tranny. That's what that funny looking fitting is. It has a captive o-ring and the end of the cooling line has a collar that snaps into the fitting. It's like a Ford fuel line fitting. The lower hose at the radiator has the same fitting, but the tube part is on the radiator and the fitting is on the end of the hose.
I used Mopar parts, so the total cost (two lines & two fittings was $130. The funny looking fitting is different than the original is because of a design change. The original fitting had nylon clips, the new has stainless.

 

[Spanky414]

I just replaced both my lines on my '96 with original parts. I also had to replacethe two fittings on the tranny. That's what that funny looking fitting is. It has a captive o-ring and the end of the cooling line has a collar that snaps into the fitting. It's like a Ford fuel line fitting. The lower hose at the radiator has the same fitting, but the tube part is on the radiator and the fitting is on the end of the hose.
I used Mopar parts, so the total cost (two lines & two fittings was $130. The funny looking fitting is different than the original is because of a design change. The original fitting had nylon clips, the new has stainless.

OK thanks for the info, I kinda thought it was the part that screwed in to the tranny but wasn't sure

Personally I just can't justify the cost of totally new preformed factory lines when lots of people are saying that patching in the rubber lines works great. I just wanted to see how people did the tranny end of the rubber lines.

 

[Spanky414]

Come on someone out there has ran into this, in alot of the threads I checked people had changed to rubber lines but never mentioned how they connected to the lower rad point.

 

[NZjeep]

I have just done this to my jeep.I cut off the lip on both pipes and fitted 2 brass three eighth Comp ( BSPT )and brass tails.The hose fits onto the brass tail and either hose clipped on or I prefered to have it ear clamped fitted by Enzed; a hose doctor.Hope this is some help.I am now trying to undo the bolts leading into the auto ,do you know if anything will drop off into the gearbox if I undo these bolts ?.
Lloyd from New Zealand.

 

[Spanky414]

Wow thanks for the feedback but I'm not getting at all what your saying.

As for what I did. I ended up keeping the stock fittings at the rad end.

I cut the top hard line short and double flared it about 2 inches after the 90 bend and cut the factory hose clamp and hose off the lower quick fitting and double flared that. Then I slid transmission hose over that and double clamped the top but could only single clamp the bottom with high pressure fuel line hose clamps. I used tranny fluid as lube to help it slide.

At least the one clamp is on the return line which is under less pressure then the top line running in?

Sliding the hose over the double flare was insane but I guess it should make it nice and sealed and hard to come apart.

As for the tranny end I just bought 2 lenghts of 3/8 hard line and replicated the hard lines except for the last 6-10" near the tranny since it was good back there and used a 3/8th compression union to join the new and old lines together.

After that I just put some loom over the rubber hose where it likes to rub on the steering lines and box and zip tied them to those lines.

Everything worked out with no leaks so far (3-4 days).

BTW it turned out to take far longer then I thought I thought (originally I thought an hour or 2) but it took way more shaping the new lines and sliding the rubber line over the double flare. Plus it wasn't too warm in my dads garage so that slows ya down a bit.

All in all it cost me about $33 Canadian for:

2x 3/8th hard brake line 60 inches long
1x 3/8th rubber tranny line 250psi 48 inches long
8x size 15 fuel injection clamps
4x 3/8th compression sleeves for my unions I reused from another set of tranny lines I had kicking around.

All in all I would say if your cheap or have the time this is a decent idea and I trust it but if you have the money and/or are easily frustrated look into the aftermarket prebuilt lines.

 

[NZjeep]

Sounds like you have gone to a lot of bother like myself. I have tried to replace the entire hose line from the radiator to the auto with rubber.I have thrown away all jeep parts and simply connected rubber hoses to the radiator pipes with brass fittings and run these hoses above the engine mounts and down to the auto and used brass fittings again to fit the hose to existing pipe coming from the auto. This is still not satisfactory as I want to disguard the 2 bolts coming from the auto and use other brass fittings in its place to fit the rubber hose onto.Clear as mud ah!!!.Cheers.

 

[kevhenn]

I just replaced both my lines on my '96 with original parts. I also had to replacethe two fittings on the tranny. That's what that funny looking fitting is. It has a captive o-ring and the end of the cooling line has a collar that snaps into the fitting. It's like a Ford fuel line fitting. The lower hose at the radiator has the same fitting, but the tube part is on the radiator and the fitting is on the end of the hose.
I used Mopar parts, so the total cost (two lines & two fittings was $130. The funny looking fitting is different than the original is because of a design change. The original fitting had nylon clips, the new has stainless.

Can the new fitting be installed without cutting the line? I have a fitting that leaks and need to know can I just replace the fitting.

Thanks
Kevin