The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Transmission line connection at radiator

I'm working on my 56 w/ 350 & 400 transmission. I'm finally getting around to hooking up the transmission lines to the cooler within the radiator. I've tightened the brass transmission line connectors at the radiator, however the transmission lines still have the ability to move a bit and rotate even when the connection is as tight as I can get it.

I'm afraid that with the pressurization of the transmission fluid within the lines, I'm going to spill / spray a few quarts of dexron.

Are the lines suppose to move even when the brass connection is tightened at the radiator? Logic tells me "no".

If indeed the line is suppose to be tight and not move, how can I fix what I have given the connectors are tight at the radiator?

Do the connectors have flare fittings, or "O" ring seals? Normally, there's a pipe thread in the radiator tank, with an adapter fitting going from female pipe threads to inverted flare fittings. If you're trying to screw the flare fitting into the pipe threads, you've messed up big time!

Some of the newer teans cooler lines use a special fitting with an O ring seal, and those fittings will allow some movement without leaking. Ford is the only manufacturer I'm aware of that's using that kind of cooler line fitting, however.
Jerry

Jerry,

The fittings are flared. I gently test drove screwing the flare fittings into the radiator and they seemed to fit fine, smooth and no issues.

I talked it over with the local auto parts store I deal with prior to my purchasing the lines and fittings. The old guy didn't raise an issue with my description of how I was going about fitting it together.

So if I've messed it up big time... What does that mean? Next possible steps? Radiator shop to fix female ports on the radiator?

The link is to Classic Parts where I bought the radiator. If you enlarge the radiator picture you can somewhat see the type of female connections on the radiator. Might help...

http://www.classicparts.com/1955-59...tomatic-Transmission/productinfo/78-313/

Thanks,
Paul

Try disconnecting the lines, and look for a flare seat inside the cooler ports in the radiator. Some radiator-mounted coolers have the flare seats integral with the cooler, while others require adapters. If there is just an open hole into the cooler without a V-shaped area for the tubing flare to seat, it will be necessary to re-thread the cooler with a pipe thread tap and install a pipe-to-inverted flare adapter. Tightening the flare nut into the pipe thread will have damaged both fittings, so it might be necessary to cut the ends off the cooler lines, install new flare nuts, and re-flare the tubes.

I can't imagine a situation where flared tubing would still be able to move if the nut is tightened properly, so something is amiss and needs to be resolved before you fill the transmission and run the engine. It might be worth a trip to a radiator shop for an inspection of those fittings.
Jerry

It looks like 1/4 in. pipe thread in the photo. Like jerry says, look in the hole. If there is no seat in it for the flare to seat on it is almost certain to be pipe threads. It will take brass fittings to adapt 5/16 inverted flare tube to fe male either 1/8" or 1/4" pipe threads. They will be recessed on one end & have male pipe threads on the other. They are available at parts stores or plumbing supply in the hardware store. If you haven,t stripped the threads when you tightened them down I think you will be OK.

Thanks for steering me in the right direction. I installed the inverted flare and both threaded in very nicely by hand. So I
might have gotten lucky and didn't strip it. The true test will be when I top off the transmission and run it.

Thanks again.

Paul