Just had to install a new radiator and cannot for the life of me get the bottomost Tranny line in. Any every have this problem are can offer some advice before I blow the whole car up?

 

MAN GOD DAMN....I HAD THE SAME F'ING PROBLEM!!!!!! Pissed me off so bad I wanted to break all kinds of stuff. I tried until my fingers were sore. My neighbor comes out and on his first try he got it. He just wiggled the crap out of the radiator and line at the same time until they bit. If the radiator is loose try it. Just kind of work /wiggle the two around and it should go

 

Just work at it, They are a Hassle.




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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

Yup. (Agreeing w/everything, including the "pain in the butt" opinion!) If the steel line from the trans was bent a little bit when removing/installing the radiator, that means the fittings going to be pointed at an angle to the hole it should go in. Best bet is to use one hand to move the "angle" of the trans cooler line around, and the other to try threading the fitting in.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

I don't know if you've fastened the rad in yet, but sometimes it's easier to get the lines in with the rad loose than with it tightened down.

 

Careful plugging it into the tranny!!! If it's the quick-connect kind you can get it to go in but it will mess up the o-rings inside. Then you'll have a big leak. I just made this mistake about a week ago. Best thing is to unbolt it from the radiator first. Or, unbolt the fitting from the transmission (if there is one) and plug the quick-connect in then thread the fitting into the tranny. That's how I eventually did it. This was on a 90 Jeep but I'm sure it's pretty similar..

 

Thanks for all your help guys. I am doing it tommorrow so if it doesn't work, I will have a blown up 88 Formula for sale with charred parts.

 

I have had the same trouble one time. I tried for about an hour probably. My dad comes over and tells me to make sure the line is exactly straight going in. If it is at the slightest angle up, down or side to side the thing will not go in. They are tricky. You may have to bend the line a little to get it straight. Usually your in an awkward position and in a tight spot. Good Luck!

 

Damn if that ain't the truth! I bugared up the fitting on a BRAND NEW radiator one time because I had my head up my butt instead of under the car looking at what I was doing... I ended up buying ANOTHER radiator just to get the damn thing back together and now I have this spare that's never been used, but it has been repaired, so if anyone needs a "new" radiator... The new one I put in didn't last that long anyways, and I went to an aluminum. Last summer when I had my tranny rebuilt, I put rubber lines in and cut the ends off (about 3-4") for the tranny and radiator. That makes it alot easier for aligning the fittings, then just slip the ends of the rubber lines on. I used double clamps for a little extra security...

And while you guys are laughing about me f'ing up a new radiator, I might as well tell you that the one I put in there to replace the one I messed up was bad off the shelf, so I had to change it out AGAIN!!! Talk about frustrating... sorry so long...

KAM

 

Thanks for all your help. I was able to get the line back in and lose less blood and knuckel skin then expected. However, for some f'ing reason now my fan will not come on. Does anyone know if the 88 Formula had a low coolant sensor. I had to put it in to stop the fluid from leaking out but I have no wire to connect it to.

 

I had the same connector on my radiator and wonder wtf it was when I switched to alum. No plug to hook it to though.



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'88 Camaro RS 2.8L
'88 Formula 350 (Too many mods to list...)