Radiator doesn't fit trans lines

[rickb928]

Ok, so I went to AutoZone, got their #432412, etc, headed home. Flushed the system, broke the heater bypass valve (quick fix with some JBQwik), and dropped the new rad in there.

The transmission cooling lines do not fit. They have this odd barrel nut:

I'll try to post an image...

Has any one seen anything like this?

 

[2000StreetRod]

2 row or 1 row?

Did you get a 2 row (2 inch thick) or 1 row (1 inch thick) radiator? If you bought the 1 row I'd take it back and use the oil cooler fittings difference as an excuse. When I bought my 2 row replacement from The Radiator Barn the large female inserts in the radiator were smaller than the original but it came with brass fitting adapters that fit my ATF tubes. Those brass fittings are hard to find locally.

 

[surf]

When I replaced my radiator I needed to reuse the fittings from my old radiator to install the transmission fluid lines.

 

[spabula]

My new radiator came with two different sets of adapters for the trans cooler lines... one was installed the other was taped to the inside of the box..

 

[rickb928]

So did the first one I got...

Sadly, neither fit.

I went to a radiator seller. Got a Visteon part, fit perfectly, used the thinwall adaptor. NO problems.

Sometimes, you got to get the right part. Autozone and NAPA both referenced the same part for 95-2001 Explorers. I suspect the 95-97 has different transmission cooling line fittings.