What do I need to plumb in a transmission cooler with hard lines? I do not want to use rubber lines and Braided steel lines and AN fittings are too expensive. I was thinking of using some sort steel brake lines, what kind of fittings would I need to make this work? I am just going to plumb from pressure line to the cooler then from the cooler to the radiator.

 

It depends on what kind of cooler you have.

For the trans connection you need to be able to 45 deg double flare the (non seamless! hence double flare) line and use the appropriate tube nuts to make the connection to the tranny couplers.

On the cooler side, what hookup does it have? AN/JIC style? 45 deg SAE flare? Something else? Easiest is the AN style, you won't even need an expensive 37 deg. flare tool, tube nuts and sleeves. You can get those earls hard line adapters for -6 hookup an d use those since it's a low pressure application.

Like this:

 

I dont know what kind of fittings are on the cooler it has not been delivered yet. This is the one I ordered http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...2EV3649P49N27N

 

Those are hose barbs on there so you will have to use hose & hose clamps. With any luck the hose barbs are screwed into NPT ports and you can take them out and replace w/ NPT -> AN adapters but it looks like you're SOL. Maybe return it for one with AN hookups or inverted flares.

 

If they are hose barbs I would imagine they would screw out...if not I will be returning it. You have a nice setup, looks like a clean install. I am installing this on my wife's Camaro, we just put a new transmission in it over the winter and I want to keep it nice and cool. I don't like rubber lines because I had one rub on a sharp edge of the radiator support on my truck and it cut right through it. I had a local transmission shop install hard lines on that because it happend right by the shop and they charged me $300! It looks like brake lines to me? I figure I can do it myself and make it look good for under $100.

 

Not all of them are screwed, some models have them brazed on.

You can get rolls of 5/16 steel line from most auto places. Summit/Jegs have it too.

 

How bad is it to run hoses and hose clamps? I know the AN stuff is the hot ticket now days but like the op said, that's some $$ and I got the cooler for dirt cheap so I don't want to spend too much on it.

 

hoses are wear items, hard lines if not rusting are not. Maintenance free!