New tranny cooler lines leak !!!

[Azeem]

Today Installed new radiator and new Transmission oil cooler lines on my 02 Pontiac Sunfire with 2.2 OHV and 4T40E transmission

The old radiator was cracked already at the plastic tank and the transmission cooler lines were leaking slowly at the rubber hose crimp .

-Bought "READY RAD" Radiator from AAP which has couple brass fitting kit included for the transmission 5/8" lines

-Transmission cooler lines from Amazon are ACDelco

put everything back together, after the hassle with radiator hoses clamps and turn out both cooler lines are leaking between metal 5/8" end on the cooler line and the brass fitting on the radiator.I think I may have tightened them more than I should have

Is there any way to seal these fitting like loctite or any other solution?

TIA.

Azeem.

 

[mechanicx]

You could try loosing the lines then retightening them. You may have to try to warranty the radiator. There's probably something worng with the radiator's cooler fittings.

 

[Donald]

What kind of fitting? Only use a thread compound or tape on a plain NPT fitting. No Loctite.

It looks like a single flare fitting from the picture and my old eyes & glasses. I would take it apart and carefully look at the flare on the hose and the machining of the fitting. You should be using a flare wrench to tighten. A few fingers on the wrench should apply the needed force. Not a 24" pipe wrench and two hands.

The obvious first, do the hoses and the fittings on the ends match the fittings on the radiator? Same type?

I would suspect a deformed flare on the hose to be the most likely problem related to a defect.

 

[Azeem]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
You could try loosing the lines then retightening them. You may have to try to warranty the radiator. There's probably something worng with the radiator's cooler fittings.


I will try this then look carefully at the threads on the radiator brass fitting and cooler lines fitting which I happened to find a picture for

TY.

 

[Azeem]

Originally Posted By: Donald
What kind of fitting? Only use a thread compound or tape on a plain NPT fitting. No Loctite.

It looks like a single flare fitting from the picture and my old eyes & glasses. I would take it apart and carefully look at the flare on the hose and the machining of the fitting. You should be using a flare wrench to tighten. A few fingers on the wrench should apply the needed force. Not a 24" pipe wrench and two hands.

The obvious first, do the hoses and the fittings on the ends match the fittings on the radiator? Same type?

I would suspect a deformed flare on the hose to be the most likely problem related to a defect.


Donald,

The brass fitting kit came with the radiator beause the 5/8" cooler line metal end is bigger than the radiator openings

I was not feeling comfy tightening two flare nuts and I used 5/8" wrench not flare nut wrench,I didn't have one, and 19 mm on the brass fitting flare nut.

when they first leaked after I installed them, I went over and tightened a little bit more thinking that would work but it didn't.

 

[Azeem]

I went out and got this pic of lower transmission cooler line.

#1 cooler line male end 5/8" flare nut.

#2 m/f brass fitting 19 mm flare nut.

#3 radiator opening which is I think 1/2" that's why they included this kit


P.S There is a drop of Transmission fluid still hanging in there at the pic.

Thank you guys for interaction.

 

[mechanicx]

I think the lines are standard 3/8" double flare id lines. Maybe AAP can just give you new radiator adapters to try. If you have to return the radiator, you might be ahead to get an orginal radiator out of a junk yard.

 

[Azeem]

Mechanicx,

On my car the old lines had 5/8" flare nut too.I was thinking of junk yard one but the price after coupon was fair for limited life time warranty and I hate taking these radiator hoses off and on.I even had to buy a new lower radiator hose because I gave up and cut the old one off.

 

[mechanicx]

I mean the transmission line is 3/8". I understand the flare nut is 5/8".

It is a pain removing and installing it again but if it comes to needing replaced again a junkyard radiator might turn out to be better quality than the aftermarket rep'acement. You could pick up a spare set of trans cooler lines too maybe, or just cut them off.

 

[Azeem]

You right.I have some teflon tape That I may try tomorrow ,If it doesn't rain, and If it doesn't work then I'll bite the bullet and replace the whole thing again.


Thank you.

 

[MarkM66]

They're flare fittings, they seal with the flare. Teflon tape will do nothing.

If the flares aren't right, you need new fittings or lines.

Tighten the heck out of that line to adapter fitting, if that's where the leak is. Use two wrenches so you don't disturb the fitting in the radiator.

 

[Doog]

In the future get yourself a bottle of white loctite for the fittings like the one in the radiator. You can even use it on flare fittings but like said..the flare has to seat in the brass fitting correctly to seal. You may have a deformation in the flare or the seat on the brass fitting. I would pull the flare fitting out, inspect the male & female ends for deformation and try again. One of them is bad. The brass fitting may also be too shallow for the male fitting to seat and you may simply need a deeper brass fitting.

http://www.all-spec.com/products/56707.html

BTW, when you use loctite #567 allow to cure with no fluid contact for 4 hours minimum before introducing oil or coolant.

 

[Azeem]

Appreciate all the inputs here.


update on what worked for me,thread sealant

worked on one line and teflon tape on the other . I still have to keep an eye on the whole thing.Hope it works for right now so I don't have to mess with transmission fluid which was a puzzle,for me, to adjust the level.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: MarkM66
They're flare fittings, they seal with the flare. Teflon tape will do nothing.

If the flares aren't right, you need new fittings or lines.

Tighten the heck out of that line to adapter fitting, if that's where the leak is. Use two wrenches so you don't disturb the fitting in the radiator.


The thing to remember is that the teflon tape can facilitate the tightening. Even though that may not be its designed function it can help (and did).

 

[JamesBond]

Are there any adapters available that will allow you to use plain rubber hoses and hose clamps instead of those AWFUL metal-rubber-metal lines? I hate those things, the only thing worse are all metal transmission cooler lines.

These lines aren't under any sort of pressure are they?

I've replaced some power steering hoses that have fittings like that and they usually take me a couple of tries to get them tight. I think I'm just afraid of over tightening them and just get angrier and angrier each time I see them leak until they're finally tight enough. Line wrenches help with this.

 

[Azeem]

Originally Posted By: JamesBond
Are there any adapters available that will allow you to use plain rubber hoses and hose clamps instead of those AWFUL metal-rubber-metal lines? I hate those things, the only thing worse are all metal transmission cooler lines.

These lines aren't under any sort of pressure are they?

I've replaced some power steering hoses that have fittings like that and they usually take me a couple of tries to get them tight. I think I'm just afraid of over tightening them and just get angrier and angrier each time I see them leak until they're finally tight enough. Line wrenches help with this.



James,there was 3 options for me,either cut the crimped rubber hoses with hack sew and use rubber hoses with regular clamps,buy the OE lines or use aftermarket cooler and get rid of the radiator cooler pathway.

I opted to go with OE for peace of mind but the "Ready Rad" radiator from AAP(made by Vista Pro) came with brass adapters so I had to deal with leaks that took me 4-6 times of trial and fail till something eventually worked for me.

Thank you.