Leaky trans lines

A search brought up several threads with this information but I didn't see any with pics so I thought I'd add to the archives. My trans lines have been leaking at the point where the rubber hose is crimped and transitions to hard line. Many just cut the hard line (and the rubber portion with crimps out entirely) and use new trans cooler line to fix it. At this point, the 2 lines have been removed from the Jeep. Each line is attached with a quick disconnect at each end. There a little stubborn but not too bad. I probably lost about a 1/4 cup of fluid (basically what was inside the lines) when I removed them. This is where the leak always seem to show itself:



When I removed the upper line on the trans, these little plastic pieces fell out. They have a shoulder on them but I have no clue how they were situated in there. anyone know?





My other issue is with the ends that don't have a lot of room. I don't see how I can cut the hard line on these ends b/c I wont have any room left to install rubber hose.





Thanks for the help and sorry if the pics are huge.

My cooler line was leaking so I just cut the crimp with a dremel, seperated it with a screwdriver, cut the hose with a box knife, and double clamped the new trans cooler hose on both ends.....No leak, even at WOT! So it's an acceptable way to fix without replacing the entire line.

OH and, your painted floor - how many colors was it painted? I assume those are all chips down to different levels of the paint on the floor - or wtf are those speckels? Pretty spazzy

Yeah...I originally started this thread to be informative for future reference but I'm gonna be honest...I'm a bit of a worry wart when it comes to vehicles. To make things worse...if there's anything that will send my OCD into overtime it's leaks that cause a huge mess under the vehicle.

I did exactly what you said Blaine, and probably what others have done without thinking about it. I felt like a tool until Yellaheep and 5-90 pointed me in the right direction. I got 3/8" trans hose and a load of clamps and started to put thiigns back together. I installed 1 of those unknown black spacers in each line that went back into the trans. After I got everything back together and started it up it was like Old Faithful. Gushing fluid. I had cut into the hard line just a bit when I was cutting those stupid crimps off. I used a pipe cutter to take a bit more out and then slid the rubber hose on more. It has been running for 30 minutes now and no leaks. I hope this holds. I'm a little skeptical.

Oh...the floor is painted with Rustoleum sealer. Just one coat. It had a real tacky consistency when I rolled it on. The chips were just sprinkled on. It's great for cleaning up massive amounts of oil or, in todays case, ATF.

SAME thing happened to me! Cut into the hard line when I was cutting the crimp off.....started up and trans fluid was spraying out. So I just had to cut the hardline back about a half inch or so, clamp everything back up.....and that job was done.

Instead of topping off the trans fluid, I just did another drain from the pan and filled the pan back up to the proper level.

I didn't have any of the black spacers though.

Oh and then I put some corrugated loom over the rubber cooler line to protect it from road debris and such...I have 100 feet so I use it on things I see it fit for

FYI I think my line was leaking in the exact same place as yours, and the same line too. Maybe its a high stress area?

Well if it's origional I guess it's not bad, lasting for 12 years and all.

For the short bit of hardline at the radiator quick-connect: don't bother. Just clamp the rubber hose directly on the quick-connect. That junction has the advantage of being beaded, so don't bother with the RTV or the second clamp and you'll be fine. Just run the rubber hose right up to the retainer shoulder - which still gives you a good half-inch of overlay for the hose.

The rest can be cut and clipped - problem solved.

As far as the whole thing goes, I've got to write G-code to see about making some brass fittings to replace the ones in the side of the gearcase - adapt that thread to a -6AN, and alles gut. -6ANs can be found pretty much anywhere, and you don't have any stupid little o-rings to worry about.

I just went out one more paranoid time to look for a big puddle of ATF and didn't see anything. I did see a small puddle of coolant though. Everything in that system was replaced 2 years ago. The only thing I can think of is that I had to rotate the factory clamp on the lower rad hose (at the rad) so I could get to that quick disconnect better. When I did that some coolant seeped out. The area around that point is dry but the underside of that mesh is wet. I just ran it for 20 minutes again and don't see anything dripping. Did it seal itself up?

When Dad and I redid Carmax's repair work smsoap: ) on my Limited last summer I went to the local autoparts store and picked up the fuel line release tool for Ford products. Cost me $16 (on top of the $120 or so I paid for the lines:flamemad: :twak: ) to get. What's funny is that my OE lines didn't even make it to 60k while Dad's '90 Laredo still has it's OE lines at 281k:dunno: