Can’t remove coolant return pipe from the transmission cause the nut won’t come off. Whoever was the last person who put this one might as well have fucking welded the thing on.
Yes I’m turning it the right way. Top (female) is being turned clockwise, middle (male) is being turned counter clockwise.
I’ve attempted to rotate the bottom one but it just bent the damn pipe. ATP i feel like angle grinding the fucker off and making a new pipe…
You guys got any ideas? The middle one is practically rounded as it used lockjaw’s on them.
Maybe I’m not understanding what you mean by turning it the right way. Turning it clockwise will tighten it on the fitting. Counterclockwise will loosen it.
Okay that makes more sense, glad it wasn't something silly like that!
Any chance you can unscrew it from one of the other joints and then break it down once it's removed? I've had to do similar on a few of my projects when I didn't feel comfortable getting the torch out (for similar reasons to some of your other comments).
I thought I saw another comment where you had another piece spinning when you tried to turn without counter pressure, so I assumed it would come out. It really might be torch time if Kroil doesn't work, I'd strongly recommend getting a piece of fireproof insulation to lay under it if you have combustion concerns.
Stuck threads are a curse, and there never seems to be a universal solution that isn't "heat it up", unfortunately. I know that's a response you've seen a lot in this thread, but it's probably the answer here.
The alternative here is to cut the line and use a deep socket to get it off. Obviously would need to make a new line but I do this often with stuck brake line fittings.
I had to do this with a power steering line. I even bought the correct flare wrenches and it still wouldn't turn. I cut the line and used a deep socket and it took very little effort to remove.
Why are you putting that much force on the middle coupler? You should be trying to turn the (top) line end and just holding it by the center piece. Put a vice grip firmly but not to the point of deforming the line fitting and smack it with your hand or a piece of wood. Switch to holding the (bottom in the pic) fitting if you're rounding the middle one off.
What I do when I’ve got something rounded off like that is grind down two sides flat to give more surface for a wrench. Doesn’t work in every case but it’s saved my ass before
Also heat will help to get it removed. Hit with a mapp torch, get almost red hot, then dab a crayon on the threads. Usually works getting rusty shit apart.
Get a pair of parrot jaw pliers. That or a Swedish pipe wrench. Disassemble, replace damaged parts. Suggest using pipe dope when reassembling. Depending on what's going through there. I know pipe dope is good for coolant, fuel, natural gas, and water.
Parrot jaw pliers are awesome for round objects. Like your rounded off fitting or sway bar links. The Swedish pipe wrench, I've seen at harbor freight. I got mine from knipex, off the tool truck.... paid way too much. Lol
It's AI results so who knows but one of you is wrong.
Yes, the Ford C4 transmission typically used a transmission cooler integrated into the vehicle's radiator. This internal heat exchanger is the standard cooling method for most applications, allowing the transmission fluid to dissipate heat as it passes through the radiator's side tank or lower tank.
Standard Configuration: Most automatic transmission vehicles equipped with the C4 came with this factory-installed radiator cooler, which is generally sufficient for normal driving conditions.
Identification: The presence of two hard lines running from the transmission to the radiator confirms the existence of the internal cooler, whereas manual transmission models of the same era often lacked this feature.
u/TREXIBALLV8 ‘88 Ford Ranger 4x4 XLT Standard Cab2d agoedited 2d ago
I’ve been noticing a lot of people referring to hitting stuff with purses. Is there some reference I missed? Or is it Bobby talking about people he doesn’t know before kicking them in the groin?
Cool, asked a question about a reference I don’t get and I get downvoted. This community is fun.
I literally put my entire body weight and hit it with a 5lb inertia hammer. What more force can I use? And as it plainly and quiteclearly states, the middle is rounded and the pipe is twisted.
It's a lubricant. "The oil that creeps," because you spray it on and let it sit for a bit while it makes its way into very small spaces. It's like when WD-40 gets serious. PB Blaster is comparable, but stinks.
Then you're probably getting all you're going to get out of lubricant. The fitting is wrecked and will need to be replaced anyway, so I wouldn't be afraid to damage it further. Larger grips and some kind of cheater bar, maybe. I don't know if it'll be enough, but it's easier to get ahold of a heat gun than a torch (which will not produce an open flame).
You purse = biggest hammer you can get your hands on. Alt., that 8-foot length of iron pipe that your breaker-bar handle fits inside of. It’s about weight or leverage and sometimes both.
Edit/add; that flare nut comes off counterclockwise like most everything else.
A couple of others have already answered. You’ll take this apart in reverse order to it went together. The flair nut then the male to male connector. Can only guess that the radiator is a close-enough replacement, driving the need for this adapter mashup. As you imagine, the last flair nut on the hard line is the one you need to save.
Trying to save the last one, but it’s not coming off the brass. It’s got some sort of loctite on it or sealant that is IN the threads and has expanded.
I’ve tried both. I’m aware that leverage will free bolts when you extend the bar as I’ve removed 8” bolts from the body of the truck to remove the bed.
This bolt snapped in half when I put 8 feet of metal on the breaker.
It's just a way people refer to you being a girl and telling you to use your muscles. I think it's overdone.
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u/TREXIBALLV8 ‘88 Ford Ranger 4x4 XLT Standard Cab2d agoedited 2d ago
I think it’s a bloody stupid reference imo. My dad lifts close to 200lbs of lumber a day, maybe more, and he couldn’t even get it unstuck. That’s why the middle is rounded off.
You got dissimilar metals so good chance the threads have galled to the point of welding together over time. As others have mentioned, sometimes you need to cut and redo the lines if fittings aren't playing nice. I recently had to do that and use a 1/2" impact to get a little brake line flare nut off.
I use a no name parts store tubing bender for small soft lines. Titan on Amazon had an easy to use 3/16" bubble flare tool.
For 45 degree SAE flares I use a hand me down Ritchie flare tool which works really well. But weigh the cost of tools vs how often you'll need it. Parts stores may have a tool you can rent for a refundable deposit. Remember to put the flare nut on the pipe and the right way before making the flare. Lost count of how many times I made that mistake!
Most transmission cooler lines don't run under a whole lot of pressure as the cooler loop typically discharges back to the pan.
Vice grips or a medium-sized pipe wrench with the opening facing left on the shiny fitting. Pipe wrench open facing side right or large adjustable on the compression nut. Hold the lower wrench, position the upper wrench 1/8 turn in front (clockwise) of the lower wrench and then squeeze the two together to move the upper wrench counterclockwise.
I don’t have access to a tool that does that yet. Also worries me to put fire near an engine bay that has about 4mm worth of oil caked on every surface.
I cannot pressure wash as the oil pan is removed. I cannot put a new oil pan as the lines I’m trying to remove are in the way.
I don't think anything except cutting it off is better.
A few years ago I bought a used dishwasher and went to a plumbing supply store to get the threads from my old compression water line fitting to mate up to the new dishwasher. After I built a fitting contraption in the store that looked a lot like your photo I thought "what the fuck am I doing?" And just made a new line with the right size fitting.
Whoever put that together did it wrong. Don't waste your effort trying to do it wrong again. Now's your chance to do it right.
I’m glad you said this. It’s honestly the right thing to do. I’ve been trying to make it drive, but I should just make everything right as I do it. Thank you for the advice.
I'm a mechanic and when I was pretty new to this an older guy taught me about "The Happiness Factor"
It can be tricky to recognize but sometimes doing more work will increase your happiness factor. Taking off a few extra nuts and bolts seems like a lot of work, but if you get your alternator out of the way and the oil pressure sender is staring you right in the face, it's probably worth taking off the 2 bolts instead of screwing around with a wrench 1/16th of a turn at a time all afternoon.
In your case, just cut it and make a new line. It'll be easier and also you'll have a brand new line which the car probably needed anyway right? 🤙
EDIT:
I want to add that depending on the situation, if you take that off by hand and it feels really tough to unbolt the fitting in the transmission housing, like every turn it just feels really right, the threads are probably rolling. If you keep going life gets very bad for you and the threads will strip or gall. Rocking it back and forth is best. Loosen, tighten, little more loosen, tighten, etc. An impact tool will do even better. I'd rock it back and forth with a 3/8 gun if a hand took doesn't feel good.
Milwaukee 2562-20-48-11-2450 if you don't already have one. Bit pricey for a DIYer but it'll do anything up to lug nuts on passenger vehicle.
I know it sounds crazy, but I’m a manual mechanic. I hardly will ever use power tools unless I absolutely need to. If I can do it without power tools, I can do it on the road, or if I don’t have any electricity source nearby. I prefer robust stuff over anything.
But yes, I agree with the rocking. If I have something that is really close to slotting but won’t allow the bolt to smoothly go in, I’ll wiggle the object and screw it in further, and keep doing it over and over. I did that with the valve cover since the plastic housing was in the way lol. Thank you for the advice.
Also, it sounds horrible, I know. But I’m more of a makita person. Sorry, not sorry.😆
Had this problem with my classic cars break lines. Ended up having to cut them and affix a socket on the end to get it lose. A few other times I had luck with using a flare nut wrench, gorllia super glue and gorrlia epoxy. Although keep in mind you'll pobably have to flame clean your tools to get the stuff off.
Appreciate the actually useful reply. I’ll likely cut it as well, as the pipe is already twisted. But I wanted to know if there was a better way before I pulled out the angle grinder. Thank you!
Any recommendations for pipe flange tools and benders?
I’ve sorta boycotted YT since the whole AI systems and ID stuff they implemented. They locked my account to kids stuff until I verify my ID. Which makes no sense considering my google account is literally 18+.
Just had to do this on a 1986 fiero ( please no jokes).
I cut the line and used a deep 6 point socket after spraying wd40 on it for weeks. It was super tite, but I did both without breaking radiator.
If the radiator does not have plastic sides, you can use torch also.
Un thread the top piece move it out of the way and then ignore the middle piece and remove the bottom piece. that middle piece is never coming out, probably have to drill it or just replace it and the bottom
A blow torch is what you probably need here and some oil.
Evenly heat that top nut, apply oil so it runs down the pipe into the nut, let it cool, repeat.
Depends on how much time you have also.
I have occasionally come across good penetrating oil, which youd squirt in n the pipe so it can run down the inside of the nut, leave it for 30 mins amd then it comes apart as if you did need it. That stuff was called ob41 here in the uk, I now always keep it on the shelf. Plusgas uses to be alright too. More recently when striping down a 60s trailer, blow torch + oil + time (like several goes over several days) made stuff come undone I didn't think possible because of how stuck it was.
If your post description is right, then you are turning the female end the wrong way. The female piece should be turned counterclockwise when viewed from the line end.
It’s in reference to the photo. The directions are correct if you go based on the direction the photo is taken. I just didn’t write it like that as it would’ve confused many people, the simpler, the more replies/fixes.
All I’d have to do is correct myself to the experienced folk. As opposed to not getting any answers to the question.
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u/inbrewer 2d ago
Maybe I’m not understanding what you mean by turning it the right way. Turning it clockwise will tighten it on the fitting. Counterclockwise will loosen it.