Need4Camaro

iTrader: (1)

I have a trans cooler mounted infront of my condenser and a set of braided lines made by a shop that attaches to my stock trans lines and feeds into the cooler and back. Well.. After the initial install they worked flawlessly for nearly 2 years but then they sprung a leak near the coupling. No big deal, shop warrantied it and fixed it.. Well about 6 months later.. I'm driving and suddenly the whole cabin reeks of trans fluid so when I park I check under and sure enough the same cooler lines are dripping. I havent gotten under yet to see if its the same coupling, however; is there something I might be missing? Are braided lines OKAY for transmission fluid?

Also, is there any specific type of hose and material of hose I should be using that might not be on there thus causing this problem?

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

Maybe try PTFE lined hose?

Need4Camaro

iTrader: (1)

Which kind would be most adept for trans fluid at high PSI and will I need to use different fittings?

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

The cooling circuit is not high pressure. Hard to say if you will need different fittings without knowing what you have now, but it seems like a lot of PTFE hose needs a specific fitting. Just get the hose and ends from the same place. They should say what ends work with the PTFE hose.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Lemme guess? Pushlock style fittings?

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

Yeah... you don't want to use those.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

You dont need PTFE lines for the trans. Regular AN work great. Pushlocks need a clamp installed.

mOtOrHeAd MiKe

iTrader: (8)

Because safety. Some fuel injection line clamps would keep from galling the hose like a worm gear clamp - but, don't crank it down and damage it from the inside either.

Need4Camaro

iTrader: (1)

Yup, thats what they used.

As for the clamp.. can you show me an example? I don't know what clamps they use for braided lines. That or what kind of fittings do I need?

Edit: Actually can you show me exactly what kind of fitting I need?

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

You dont need new fittings, you need to clamp the ones you got. Mike is suggesting this style, notice the smooth clamping surface. Superior to the "worm" style which will cut into the outside of the hose when you get it tight enough. Buddy just told me his were blowing off too. I knew they werent a good idea.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FUEL-INJECT...pXqEoD&vxp=mtr

Select the right size for your application.

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

You don't "need" a lot of stuff we put on our cars, but it's super cheap insurance. If you're replacing the hose anyway, it's a no brainer.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

There is no advantage to it was my point.

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

It's for safety, and that's always an advantage to me. Teflon/PTFE is more resistant to trans fluid (or any other fluid) than other material that hose is typically made out of. I'm using it because I needed to buy AN ends anyway, so it was minimal additional cost for a bulletproof setup.

Need4Camaro

iTrader: (1)

Well. What I am after is the most reliable setup. The reason I have braided lines down there to begin with is because several years ago the rubber lines exploded and left me on the side of the road and shortened the life of my older A4. I have a $3,000 built FLT behind the motor right now and I absolutely can't risk one of those lines coming apart and ruining my investment so if I have to pay alittle then I'm game.

I attached the images of what's down there now. It's the lines on the bottom (not the radiator) that is leaking.

Can anyone show me exactly what I would need?

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Those arent pushloks. You need to see where its leaking from, the threaded part or the part they assembled. You probably just need to tighten them a hair, thats a common issue.

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

It sounds like you don't want to mess around. Get some hose made at a local hydraulics place or go to any big named vendor that sells hoses and buy their Teflon/PTFE lined hose with the ends made for that hose. Earls, Russell, XRP, Aeroquip, whatever. I used Orme Brothers. You can call them, give them dimensions, and they will make and ship Teflon lined hoses ready to install.

AnotherWs6

iTrader: (17)

Yeah, you've got AN lines. Which are good but can be finicky. I just did mine for the first time a few months ago and guess what? Had a leak. I was able to fix it on the car but I def didnt get any warm and fuzzy feelings from those hoses. Look damn nice though.

I like NEstyle's advice above. Now that you know how long and what bends you need.

ChopperDoc

Try some thread tape, Teflon works perfectly fine. I just get the yellow type at Lowes, and it's good for fuel or any other petroleum product. I have braided lines everywhere on my car. All my oil lines, vacuum lines, trans lines, and fuel pressure line. The only thing you need ptfe for is fuel applications. The rest is rubber, and perfectly fine for synthetic or petroleum products.

I work on helicopters for a living. We have braided everything, at over 3000 psi in some applications. Even fuel lines aren't ptfe style locks in every case. ALL AN (which stands for Air Force Navy, previously Army Navy). It's where the idea came from. I can speak with confidence, even on helicopters I have used a little Teflon a few times to fix an issue, though normally we just replace the entire line. It's not our money though, and we don't care on the aviation side about cost of parts over safety of the aircraft.

On my car, though, I just use the tape. I don't have the money to keep throwing parts at something. The fittings should also have tape on them, so the NPT doesn't get completely stuck in the threads. I bought a total of 3 B&M super coolers, only two were installed. Ask me how I know an aluminum fitting can get stuck in a NPT port. Let's just say one of them is no longer with us, bless it's soul.

Need4Camaro

iTrader: (1)

I haven't fully confirmed it yet (got under there with the car running) but from the looks of it it is leaking where the hose itself enters the coupler. That's where I feel the most fluid as well. The actual coupling felt fairly dry. This is also where the leak happened last go round, right where the hose enters the coupling.

I'm ganna look into this tomorrow

ChopperDoc

You can have the lines made if you wish. I just bought all the stuff so I can build them myself. A pair of magnetic vise clamps, and a set of good shears will set you back about 50 bucks, total. If you are pulling the lines, just order some new fittings, which are usually pretty cheap, and cut off the current ones. Some are reusable, but new ones aren't so expensive as to not just go ahead and replace.

It's super easy once you get the hang of it. Just wrap the spot you wish to add the new fittings (right behind the old ones) with some good electrical tape, or other style tape (duct tape) and cut it right in middle of the tape. It can be done with a hacksaw too, but you will have to trim the strands with some cutters. I just leave the tape on and put the new fittings right over it.

Put the fitting on the end of the hose, and leave about 1/16" or so of room there at the end where it butts up. Lock the fitting and line into your vise. I always just get the line and fitting clamped in at the same time by running the hose down a little so the vise catches it and holds it for me. Then simply thread in the new one. Make sure you lube it with some oil or trans fluid and you'll be good to go. Run it all the way in and keep an eye on the line to ensure it's not getting pushed out of the barrel.

In my opinion it's simply better to know how to make these things, as the cost will remain very, very low. I always have a bunch of extra fittings laying around for projects, and extra line too. I usually "stock" -6, -8, and -10 lines and fittings, just in case I decide to change something down the road. I can have a replacement line made in as little as 10 minutes.