Any how-to's on raidator changing ?

[SWADE23]

Hey guys....

2000 expy

i have a small tiny leak at the fitting where the tranny fluid goes into the radiator to be cooled. I tried tightening it, teflon tape etc and it still leaks. End result is i have to change the radiator if i wanna stop spotting up my driveway. Again its a really small leak only spots every now and again and id hate to change the radiator for this little thing but shit happens.

Are there any how-to's youtubes etc you guys would recommend that shows me how to do it myself... Im pretty good with my hands and dont wanna spend 375-400 for my mechanic to do it


thanks !!!

 

[ELVATO]

I'll try to post a how to later tonight.

Quick overview: 1. remove fan and shroud. 2. Disconnect lines and hoses. 3. Remove bolts and slide radiator up.

 

[SWADE23]

Cool thank you!!!

 

[tonydiv]

Is it leaking trans fluid or coolant?

 

[SWADE23]

Its leaking tranny fluid...

 

[tonydiv]

You may want to look at replacing the trans fluid hose instead of the whole radiator. Most of those fittings have an o-ring seal. They don't use the threads to seal, which is why the teflon tape didn't work. That o-ring can deteriorate or get stuck in the radiator side of the fitting. It could be as easy as changing the o-ring,

 

[SWADE23]

@ tony
thanks for the info

heres a couple things i know:

The radiator isnt factory it was replaced recently, b4 i bought the car.

The tranny lines are not hoses they are rods and the fittings are connected to the rods and they screw into the radiator they also are not original

the female screw mount in the radiator is aluminum and possibly bent/cracked creating the leak.

I would love a simple way to fix this i damn sure dont want to replace the radiator.

 

[KWT2000]

You may want to look at replacing the trans fluid hose instead of the whole radiator. Most of those fittings have an o-ring seal. They don't use the threads to seal, which is why the teflon tape didn't work. That o-ring can deteriorate or get stuck in the radiator side of the fitting. It could be as easy as changing the o-ring,

what he said.... also if it is an aftermarket radiator, the fitting on the tranny line may not match the fitting in the radiator (the non threaded part of the fitting is not long enough) this is common with after market radiators... this depends on the type of fittings you have

 

[tonydiv]

The non-traditional (ok, mildly hillbilly) repair is to pick up a decent trans oil cooler from Summit and run the trans lines directly to it, bypassing the radiator cooler completely.


Something along these lines
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FLX-4116/

 

[SWADE23]

Hey u guys think i could use a silicone to put over the area to stop the leak?

 

[trdragons44]

i go with something like what tonydiv suggested. It would prevent the possibility of cross contamination if the radiator was to blow on the inside where the trans cooler is.

 

[okiebryan]

Don't forget that a heat exchanger works both ways. The coolant helps to warm the tranny fluid when it's really really cold outside. Bypassing the cooler in the radiator with an aftermarket cooler would eliminate this little perk.

I'm just sayin...

 

[KWT2000]

Hey u guys think i could use a silicone to put over the area to stop the leak?

no the silicone wont word the flare on the line mates with a bevel inside the radiator the threads dont seal the fitting

 

[PeterKesel]

That's good post. Thanks for suggest.