In a jam
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Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 541
Likes: 2
From: Mill Creek, Washington
Car: 1983 Trans Am
Engine: N/A
Transmission: N/A
In a jam
I am trying to get my radiator out so I can pull my engine, but theses lines that are holding it in just wont budge.
As you can see I already twisted one out of shape, but these things are just stuck in there good.
What should I do?
As you can see I already twisted one out of shape, but these things are just stuck in there good.
What should I do?
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 43,187
Likes: 43
From: Littleton, CO USA
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: L92/LQ4 (both w/4" stroke)
Transmission: 4L80E/4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
#1: Soak with some penetrating oil, hold the fitting it screws into before trying to loosen again.
#'s 2 & 3: Stop before you do any more damage. Do not remove them. Those are AC lines, and loosening them will release all the Freon. All you need to do with them is remove the compressor from the engine and set it off to the side with the hoses attached. If you want, you can remove the entire AC system without detaching any hose (but that shouldn't be necessary for just an engine removal).
#'s 2 & 3: Stop before you do any more damage. Do not remove them. Those are AC lines, and loosening them will release all the Freon. All you need to do with them is remove the compressor from the engine and set it off to the side with the hoses attached. If you want, you can remove the entire AC system without detaching any hose (but that shouldn't be necessary for just an engine removal).
Supreme Member
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 13,414
Likes: 6
From: Central NJ, USA
Car: 1986 Firebird
Engine: 2.8 V6
Transmission: 700R4
Glad to hear you couldn't break #2 and #3... otherwise that probably would've been a nice trip to the hospital!
I've found sometimes that a LARGE (like, 15") open-ended adjustable wrench works great on flare nuts- even better than the properly sized flare nut wrench. (Aren't those tube nuts 12mm on the radiator? I forget.) Just make sure you use the open-ended wrench "correctly"- you want to put the largest jaw on the tube nut so it bears the most "grunt" against the nut.
And since that doesn't make sense, I happen to have a handy little picture drawn up. This method has saved me more than a few times breaking free rusty brake lines. (And like I said, yes, I had the proper sized flare nut wrench, and they're made by Craftsman- not as good as Snap-On, but a heck of a lot better than the dollar store stuff!)
I've found sometimes that a LARGE (like, 15") open-ended adjustable wrench works great on flare nuts- even better than the properly sized flare nut wrench. (Aren't those tube nuts 12mm on the radiator? I forget.) Just make sure you use the open-ended wrench "correctly"- you want to put the largest jaw on the tube nut so it bears the most "grunt" against the nut.
And since that doesn't make sense, I happen to have a handy little picture drawn up. This method has saved me more than a few times breaking free rusty brake lines. (And like I said, yes, I had the proper sized flare nut wrench, and they're made by Craftsman- not as good as Snap-On, but a heck of a lot better than the dollar store stuff!)
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QwkTrip
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Nov 12, 2001 03:44 AM





