Replacing transmission lines

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Matysik

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Alright, going through and replacing the transmission lines in my car since the originals snapped.

Question is if everyone is just rerunning steel lines or is anyone just buying fittings and running rubber hose from the trans to the cooler in the radiator?

Either way what size are the original lines and fittings both at the trans and at the cooler in the radiator?


Thanks for any help
 
Reproduction pre bent line sets are available.
Homemade rig might work, Might cost you a trans too.
The lines are routed too close to moving linkages and hot exhaust manifolds.
 
For under $30 I'd buy new ones . Purchase two lengths of the proper size tube there's $20 right there.one wrong bend and you'll be doing it over again and then it'll cost you more than the pre-bent ones . I just looked up a valiant w a /6 904 on summit and came up with this. they should have your application.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/RSD-YTC6706/?rtype=10
 
I just did mine and I can't remember the size right off, 5/16? I took a piece of the old line to the parts store and matched up. Bring your fittings to. The didn't have any line with the proper size fittings in stock so I had to get some fitting also. I know Autozone will loan tubing benders and flaring tools.
 
5/16 is too small, that's the size of the fuel lines on the car. I have my own benders and as for imlinetube.com I actually called them today and was told they don't have lines for my car, only up to '72 Darts.

Also I don't have the original lines or fittings, like an idiot I scrapped them. If I had them I would have already purchased new lines and fittings.
 
jomoper said:
For under $30 I'd buy new ones . Purchase two lengths of the proper size tube there's $20 right there.one wrong bend and you'll be doing it over again and then it'll cost you more than the pre-bent ones . I just looked up a valiant w a /6 904 on summit and came up with this. they should have your application.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/RSD-YTC6706/?rtype=10
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link, only bad thing is I just put an order through Summit 2 days ago :banghead:

Oh well, new lines it is
 
Trans cooler lines are 5/16 steel tubing.
Most part stores stock up to 4 foot lengths so you'll need unions, etc..
Just more places for problems down the road but suit yourself. Good luck
 
I made steel from the transmission to the front of the motor, then made a removable connection with more steel line to the front radiator , then hose from there. All hand made and bent lines. I like steel, but there has to be some rubber for flexibility.
 
I have a nice pair of originals but shipping would be a beeotch for the size of the box.
 
I bent my own. No other option for 1965. 5/16" tubing, I recall. I bought a 25 ft coil off ebay and used for fuel too. I first bent a stiff wire to shape to use as a guide. I know jomopar said one wrong bend and you scrapped it, but I re-bent mine several times as I kept screwing up. The tubing is pretty flexible. But if you kink it, start over. You make a regular flare, so any cheap flaring tool would work, but better to buy a dbl flare for brake lines too. The only tricky bends are coming tight around the engine/tranny interface. No issue running rubber hose, since they do that in my minivans. However, rubber is more expensive than tubing, you would have to support it, and less reliable. I bypassed my radiator and use only a separate cooler.
 
BillGrissom said:
I bent my own. No other option for 1965. 5/16" tubing, I recall. I bought a 25 ft coil off ebay and used for fuel too. I first bent a stiff wire to shape to use as a guide. I know jomopar said one wrong bend and you scrapped it, but I re-bent mine several times as I kept screwing up. The tubing is pretty flexible. But if you kink it, start over. You make a regular flare, so any cheap flaring tool would work, but better to buy a dbl flare for brake lines too. The only tricky bends are coming tight around the engine/tranny interface. No issue running rubber hose, since they do that in my minivans. However, rubber is more expensive than tubing, you would have to support it, and less reliable. I bypassed my radiator and use only a separate cooler.
Click to expand...

There is a soft bendable tubing available in coils but it has to be made of some alloy, aluminum, lead, or who knows ?
the correct steel tubing is unforgiving. Bend it wrong or kink it and restrict flow, toss it and start over.
 
RedFish said:
There is a soft bendable tubing available in coils but it has to be made of some alloy, aluminum, lead, or who knows ?
the correct steel tubing is unforgiving. Bend it wrong or kink it and restrict flow, toss it and start over.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure the tubing I used is steel. That is what the seller said and it felt like steel. I'll check it with a magnet. It might be thinner than factory, so bends easier. It is coated, a dull silver outside and looks a bit gold inside. I forgot this was a slant forum and I did this on my 273. The slant is the same up to the middle of the engine, then the tubes snake up over the driver's engine mount, at least they do in my 1964 (those tubes are fine).
 
RedFish said:
There is a soft bendable tubing available in coils but it has to be made of some alloy, aluminum, lead, or who knows ?
the correct steel tubing is unforgiving. Bend it wrong or kink it and restrict flow, toss it and start over.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming your talking about Cunifer from fedhillusa.com? Great stuff, I used it for brake lines before, but pricy for this application.
 
Why not just put the rubber hose for flexing at the trans and mount the metal hardline to the body? The front cooler is mounted to the body so there shouldn't be any flex there. If you mount the hardline to the body instead of the engine you can just run the trans line along the frame rail all the way forward with minimum bending required and no snaking around exhaust pipes. my $.02

I grew up on not having the option of just placing a call and having the premade parts delivered. Brake lines and fuel lines come on a 25 ft roll
 
mcnoople said:
Why not just put the rubber hose for flexing at the trans and mount the metal hardline to the body? The front cooler is mounted to the body so there shouldn't be any flex there. If you mount the hardline to the body instead of the engine you can just run the trans line along the frame rail all the way forward with minimum bending required and no snaking around exhaust pipes.
Click to expand...

Some people do it that way to put a long, thin trans cooler along the frame rail. Not having metal cooler tubes in the way might make repairs easier too, like adjusting the front kickdown band (as I did last night). I suspect the factory ran them along the engine to simplify assembly.
 
RedFish said:
There is a soft bendable tubing available in coils but it has to be made of some alloy, aluminum, lead, or who knows ?
the correct steel tubing is unforgiving. Bend it wrong or kink it and restrict flow, toss it and start over.
Click to expand...

guessing zinc is in the OK list with aluminum, steel, lead, ect.

Thinking of going the bending route because there is no room to add a nice pair of headers

been there done that - on the last sentence:banghead:
 
Small question I forgot to ask , so is all 904 / Slant 6 transmission lines 5/16 in size? don't want to order the wrong size. Thanks
 
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