Hot Rod Forum banner

Transmission cooling lines and fittings...

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  bracketeer 
#1 ·
I have a TH350 and 350SBC in my Chevelle.

I have new factory cooling lines from the tranny to the rad but want to run them into the rad cooler then out and into an aftermarket Tranny cooler mounted in front of the rad. My problem is: the end of the factory line is a 45 degree inverted flare fitting and the inlet to the cooler is hose. Any suggestion on the best (and cleanest) way to run the tubing/hose into the aftermarket cooler?

Someone must have had the same issue?

I was thinking about cutting off the flare and just sliding the hose over the tubing and using a hose clamp...but looks pretty poor...........
 
#2 ·
...the end of the factory line is a 45 degree inverted flare fitting and the inlet to the cooler is hose.
Are the barbed fittings on the auxiliary cooler soldered in or can they be removed?

You don't want to patch it with fuel hose. Looks like crap and the internal lining of the hose breaks down plugging the coolers (or worse).

You want continuous hard line with the possibility of short braided hose if there is any chance of vibration at the auxiliary.
 
#3 ·
I just installed one

You have 3 choices
1 pretty and expensive
2 practical and and cheap
3 practical, cheap, and easy

1 You use braided hose with #6 aluminum fittings
2 You run new 5/16ths steel lines from the rad to the cooler from the cooler back to the tranny. It is cheap but requires the skill of using a double inverted flaring tool. You will also need a tubing bender as to not put kinks in the lines.
3 You buy bulk rubber tranny line. Cut off the flare and bulge the steel line with a double inverted flaring tool. Slide on the rubber and clamp. Do not use fuel line. Tranny line has a pressure rating of at least 250 psi marked right on the hose.
 
#4 ·
If the hose that you have came with the cooler, it will usually fit tightly over the flare on the original cooler line. The coolers also usually come with an adapter to connect the hose to the radiator cooler line fitting. You do not want to cut off the flare and connect the hose, as they will come loose under pressure. I also recommend using 2 clamps on each end of the hose as insurance. If the line comes loose while driving, you will know fairly soon, as it will stop moving as soon as the fluid is gone.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top