700r4 transmission line installation question.

[eodcoduto]

Do any of you have a trick to installing hard transmission lines when the engine is in? When I did the th400 I ended up splicing both lines because I couldn't get them snaked up to the radiator with everything in the engine compartment.

The 700r4 should be here in a few weeks, and I would like to have solid lines all the way to the radiator.

 

[frankin5]

Mine run from trans under starter, under motor mount and over the cross member and up to the radiator.

 

[eodcoduto]

Mine run to the driver side of the radiator, and making that turn from under the left motor mount to the radiator seems to be a Rubik's cube.

 

[frankin5]

What year
stock radiator
after market radiator
should be on passenger side from factory
Diesel engine has oil cooler on drivers side in radiator.

 

[eodcoduto]

1985 K20 6.2l diesel Suburban, all stock cooling so the lines are on the drivers side.

 

[diesel4me]

My '82 K2500 with a 6.2 has the cooler lines rigged goofy from the factory too,why they put the cooler on the drivers side of the radiator I don't know,every other truck had them on the passenger side..

My oil cooler lines for the engine went all the way over to the passenger side of the radiator too,from above the oil filter,and across the fan shroud,seemed like a waste of tubing and hoses to to me,plus they get exposed to salt splash..(I have since by-passed the engine oil cooler using copper tubing to join the hose ports,I have never noticed any difference running without the oil cooler--I don't carry heavy loads or do any highway driving with it really)..

I routed my cooler lines differently and used compression fittings on them ,it was practically impossible to thread them in where GM put them in one piece.--at least without having it up on a lift,maybe then you could--I bet GM puts them in while the body is not on the chassis!......since the steel lines rust fairly quickly up here,I routed them in a manner to keep them away from road salt better ,and it would make future replacement easier..

Instead of running them along side of the oil pan like the factory did,and they always rust thru at those steel spring clips they used to hold then to an oil pan bolt,I moved them away from the pan and ran them nearer to the engine mount on the drivers side,then across the rear of the engine,over to the cooler fittings on the transmission on the passenger side.

I've had to replace a section of one line already,I put a compression fitting about 8" from both of the radiator ports ,so I wont have to risk damaging the radiator trying to unscrew the lines,the tank is corroded there and the tank port might just twist off before the tubing nut breaks free..the first 8" of tubing is probably original, and still solid--having compression or flare unions makes it much easier to replace sections of the lines,and though the "extra" connections may be potential leak sources,I've had zero issues..

I added two compression unions about 8" away from the transmission cooler fittings,because the steel lines always seem to rust at the sharp turn they need where they come off the tranny--that way you can replace only the rotted section,and having the fittings there also makes removing the transmission much easier,as those cooler line nuts are a pain to get at,and get the line nuts to thread back in later..

 

[imiceman44]

My '82 K2500 with a 6.2 has the cooler lines rigged goofy from the factory too,why they put the cooler on the drivers side of the radiator I don't know,every other truck had them on the passenger side..

My oil cooler lines for the engine went all the way over to the passenger side of the radiator too,from above the oil filter,and across the fan shroud,seemed like a waste of tubing and hoses to to me,plus they get exposed to salt splash..(I have since by-passed the engine oil cooler using copper tubing to join the hose ports,I have never noticed any difference running without the oil cooler--I don't carry heavy loads or do any highway driving with it really)..

I routed my cooler lines differently and used compression fittings on them ,it was practically impossible to thread them in where GM put them in one piece.--at least without having it up on a lift,maybe then you could--I bet GM puts them in while the body is not on the chassis!......since the steel lines rust fairly quickly up here,I routed them in a manner to keep them away from road salt better ,and it would make future replacement easier..

Instead of running them along side of the oil pan like the factory did,and they always rust thru at those steel spring clips they used to hold then to an oil pan bolt,I moved them away from the pan and ran them nearer to the engine mount on the drivers side,then across the rear of the engine,over to the cooler fittings on the transmission on the passenger side.

I've had to replace a section of one line already,I put a compression fitting about 8" from both of the radiator ports ,so I wont have to risk damaging the radiator trying to unscrew the lines,the tank is corroded there and the tank port might just twist off before the tubing nut breaks free..the first 8" of tubing is probably original, and still solid--having compression or flare unions makes it much easier to replace sections of the lines,and though the "extra" connections may be potential leak sources,I've had zero issues..

I added two compression unions about 8" away from the transmission cooler fittings,because the steel lines always seem to rust at the sharp turn they need where they come off the tranny--that way you can replace only the rotted section,and having the fittings there also makes removing the transmission much easier,as those cooler line nuts are a pain to get at,and get the line nuts to thread back in later..

I made copper lines and I can bend them easily to route them any way I want.
And they don't rust

 

[Joe In Montana]

Don't use the steel spring clips - they generate electrolysis at that point and eat the cooler lines. I always use good quality Panduits* to hold the lines there for the road salt here is particularly aggressive.

Use the 'cooler' in the radiator as it doesn't really cool the ATF, but makes sure that it runs at whatever the thermostat in the cooling system heats it to.

Yes - it will cool if the ATF too gets hot - and that's where an auxiliary cooler comes in.

Put any add-on coolers BEFORE the ATF gets to the radiator, so the cooling system in the engine isn't hit with a higher thermal load, but then after cooling the ATF, have it run through the radiator (and 'heat exchanger' is the correct term here, but I'll stick with 'cooler' as that's the given name from years of misnaming it) unit.

When ATF runs too cool, the additives in it won't work correctly, softening and conditioning the seals. Too low heat of the ATF is about as bad as too hot.

Try to keep the transmission happy at about 180F-200F. That's where your thermostat is anyway - and that's the way the factory likes it to run.

* Panduit (a big-a$$ed company) is a registered trademark and THE correct name for Tie-Wraps and such. I met the guy who invented it, so that's official. I even have a Panduit Gun for correctly tensioning the strap and then cutting it flush once that is achieved.

 

[Joe In Montana]

I made copper lines and I can bend them easily to route them any way I want.
And they don't rust

Copper is good for high corrosion areas - to a point. Copper lines will 'work-harden' from any vibrations and flexing that it incurs. As it bends - even slightly - it will lose molecular strength and will actually crack as it gets harder and harder - eventually failing.

Try to hammer some copper some time and see how long it takes for it to break down and lose any elasticity it had originally.

This is why we were not allowed to use copper on any pressure system - the changes in pressure would bust the copper after a while and then the fun began!

Can you say: "EPA" and "Haz-Mat Teams" and "Money & Fines"?

Automotive-wise, we might never see any of that (^) happening - but copper will fail sooner or later at high vibratory sites and if pressure changes happen cyclically.

And NEVER USE COPPER FOR HYDRAULIC LINES no matter how convenient it is to run it.

I know of what I'm speaking here ---> Call it: "The Hard-Headed School of Stupidity".

 

[diesel4me]

Several of my GM service manuals state "Do NOT use copper tubing for transmission cooler lines",for the same reasons Joe above listed,it "will not withstand "normal vehicle vibrations" and work harden and crack eventually"...

That said,I've seen factory copper transmission cooler lines on 60's Mopar cars we had at the junkyard--perhaps it was some copper/nickel alloy like the new (to the USA) "Terne" brake lines,that has enough nickel content to withstand the vibrations and heating cooling cycles ?..

I have used copper for transmission cooler lines,but I didn't just use all copper and flare them,instead I cut off the old steel lines close to the radiator and transmission and used the correct rubber transmission cooler hose to join the steel to the copper--this isolated the copper from vibration and also prevented any electrolysis from taking place--I've had them on some vehicles several years with no signs of failure,and here knowing copper cant rust from salt gives additional piece of mind..

I have used copper on fuel lines in the same manner,on low pressure fuel lines for carbs,and on my diesel pickup's fuel feed line from the tank to filter..but never on anything high pressure after the injector pump..or for brake lines!--though I did use copper a whole winter on one plow truck when a brake line popped from rust in a storm,and I happened to have some 1/4" copper tubing rolled up in my garage..and I didn't dare risk a ride to a parts store with barely any brakes..

It didn't show any sign of failing either--I actually trusted the copper more than the remaining brake lines,that looked like pretzels,they were so crusty,I bet the burst strength of copper far exceeds that of rotted steel brake lines!--I replaced all the brake lines the next spring with new steel tubing..(and wish now I had used the copper nickel stuff,they are already rusty and scary looking in spots)..

 

[imiceman44]

Copper is good for high corrosion areas - to a point. Copper lines will 'work-harden' from any vibrations and flexing that it incurs. As it bends - even slightly - it will lose molecular strength and will actually crack as it gets harder and harder - eventually failing.

Try to hammer some copper some time and see how long it takes for it to break down and lose any elasticity it had originally.

This is why we were not allowed to use copper on any pressure system - the changes in pressure would bust the copper after a while and then the fun began!

Can you say: "EPA" and "Haz-Mat Teams" and "Money & Fines"?

Automotive-wise, we might never see any of that (^) happening - but copper will fail sooner or later at high vibratory sites and if pressure changes happen cyclically.

And NEVER USE COPPER FOR HYDRAULIC LINES no matter how convenient it is to run it.

I know of what I'm speaking here ---> Call it: "The Hard-Headed School of Stupidity".

While true, it's still a good alternative for a quick easy and cheap replacement or custom routing, and I never left my lines alone too long, I could replace them quick every few years.
I had mine 5 years with no issues.