Problem installing radiator

[Jason94sport]

I've done manual's fine but first time on an auto.
Got a new radiator from radiator barn for my friends auto 93 X. We are trying to install it today. The tranny lines came off fine. The new radiator has new fittings to install into the radiator for the tranny lines. Problems are:

The fittings only go in a little bit. Tried to tighten them down but they are very hard to turn. Should they be this way?
How far down should they be tightened? Don't want to puncture somthing.
The old radiator has these fittings all the way in. Tried to loosen them & they aren't moving.

Thanks

 

[410Fortune]

the threaded insert on the radiator side do not come out of the radiator.
The lines should thread into the new unit a bit, until they are snug. You can use some silicoln on the threads to help seal it up, this is not a super high pressure system it doesnt take much torque to keep the trans fluid from leaking.

Just make sure you do not cross thread the lines when you install them, and make sure they feel snug. Then once its running and warmed up check for leaks.

 

[Jason94sport]

The new one came with new brass fittings to screw into the radiator. Those are the ones I'm trying to get on. The tranny lines will not fit into the radiator without these fittings.

 

[Jason94sport]

Bump

Put the old one back in for now.

 

[410Fortune]

So the new radiator cmae with the fittings for the auto transmission
the fittings were not installed in the trans from the factory?

They sent fittings with the rad that dont fit in the radiator?

something is a miss

 

[JStrider]

I did the same radiator job... 93 x auto tranny... got the radiator from radiator barn

the fittings on mine didn't go all the way into the radiator either... but they dont leak, so its fine

my radiator came with 2 different sets of fittings that screw into the radiator... one set had a smaller hole, the other set had a bigger hole only one of them would fit to the transmission line,

I figured out which by comparing the new ones to the old ones

if yours only came with one set of fittings, and its the wrong ones then call the guys at radiator barn back, I had to return my first radiator, they are really good about taking care of their customers.

 

[Jason94sport]

Jstrider thanks! Yeah I have the 2 sets of fittings, but didn't know how far down to tighten them. They only go a a point then it's really hard to turn them.
And at that point they don't seem to be on all the way. Not like the old radiator. Those fittings are all the way into the radiator.
410...yeah the fittings are not installed into the radiator.

 

[Jason94sport]

Bump. Have pics now....
First 2 are of the holes in the radiator.

Next 2 are of the brass fittings. These are screwed in as much as I can. For fear of braking something.

Should I be ok with this?
Also I'm wondering how the cooler works. I see a copper colored tube in the radiator, It's hollow. I don't see any other tubes for the tranny fluid. How does it get from one line to the other?
Thanks

 

[Rhett]

Those fittings are supposed to be on the ends of your tranny lines...no need for them to "come with" the rad as far as I know. I've always simply kept the existing fittings that are on the lines and they screwed right in, no problem. (sometimes it takes a little adjustment to get everything to line up properly for good threading, but that's a minor problem easily overcome since the lines are somewhat moveable).

At least that's always the way I've seen those fittings. Then again, I've never used radiator barn.com. That seems kind of weird to me.

I would try to use the OEM fittings. If you use new fittings, I agree with you, I wouldn't screw them in any further than they want to go. As was said it's not very high pressure, so you should be all right. Just keep an eye on it for leakage.

 

[Jason94sport]

The oem fittings are on the old radiator. Those are not coming off. The tranny lines have their own fittings that screw into these brass ones. The old radiator connected the same way.

 

[gijoecam]

The new fittings appear to be a tapered pipe adapter. The fittings on the tranny lines are probably flared fittings. You can't screw a flared fitting into a tapered pipe thread (well, you *can* but it's not going to seal very well!!) hence the need for the adapter. It's a way for the radiator shop to save a few cents by not having a special fitting on the radiator.

What's the inside of the adapter look like?

-Joe

 

[Jason94sport]

Has threads for the tranny line fittings & then a small hole at the bottom. The tranny lines do have a flared end.

 

[Jason94sport]

We got it. All is good. The fittings did screw into the radiator all the way. We tried a big wrench on it. They went in. No leaks. Good learning experience since i have an auto also. Now I know how to replace mine if I need to.
Thanks guys!