My metal lines got kinked after trying to remove them so I need to replace them.

Problem is, I don't want to use stock ones (from one of the many vendors that sell prebent lines) because of 2 things - #1 - interfere w/clifford headers (had to bend my stock ones out of the way by hand, and couldn't use the bracket that mounts them to the bellhousing). #2 - I moved my radiator about 1" back to accomodate my electric fan. That, and taking out my dammaged ones was enough of a PITA, I really don't want to think about what it would be like to put new ones in.

So I'm thinking of using power steering return or transmission cooler hose all the way from the radiator to the tranny, with just barb fittings. I know there is no issue of pressure because the coolant feed is pretty low, 10-15psi. I could put one of those stainless steel sheath dress up kits to help protect the rubber from excessive heat from where it crosses over the exhaust. I don't think longevity is an issue because that type of hose stays flexible like efi fuel hose and I've been told that many oems do the same.

I could bend some steel line from the radiator up to the transmission then use a short section of rubber line, but I really don't want to go through all that again after I did my fuel lines that way.

I have seen hydraulic hose used for tranny fluid lines. Many places like NAPA can make them for you with whatever fitting you need. Estimated cost for both lines when I asked about it last May was about $100.

Norm Foster had that done for his race car. That's what gave me the idea.

I totally agree with the PITA comment. Trying to remove and install those lines is no fun and very hard to do without kinking something.

Rob

Metal "hardline" is cheap and durable and with a inexpensive tubing bender, hardline can be routed almost anywhere and looks professional.

Think outside the box, you can always run the hardline out along the chassis' frame rail, then make a simple 90 degree bend to get near the tranny and radiator, then finish the connection with short pieces of high quality hose. On some header equipped cars, I have run the coolent lines over to the other side of the chassis.

The last time I checked the NHRA rule book, they did not allow more then 12 inches total of rubber hose in the fuel or tranny coolent lines. They have this rule for safety reasons, rubber hose is easy to damage so it's use should be minimized.
DD

I've never picked up an nhra book so I'm just going off of one of the posts I read on moparts - said if you use rubber fuel line then only 12" max but if you use power steering return hose, since its not fuel hose, then there is no limit. Plus I'd get steel braided hose which is rated at 1000psi working pressure so I'm not worried about it bursting the only issue would be temperature which won't be a problem either.....

I don't think its going to be as easy as 3 or 4 90deg bends, but I'll look into it further. Hopefully if its routed along the framerail it'll be easier to install then the stock pieces.

1/4" "silicone" hose with exterior stainless steel braid would do the job nicely, and have that racing look everybody likes. Again you can get whatever ends swaged on that you like. Most hydraulic places deal with that hose.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

One thing to remember is the fact that rubber line, even with a steel-braided cover, will never be as durable as hard line; the fact that it will be exposed to all kinds of things under the car is another thing to consider, also.

Just throwing in the 2 cents...

on my '66 satellie, the transmission lines are all pushlock hose. Also, all my fuel lines running from a fuel cell all the way to the carb are also pushlock. it's a rubber style hose that has a woven outside layer. I know the ihra accepts it, but unsure of the nhra, never really checked. and the stuff is fairly reasonably priced too.

Nick

Well both systems have their respective strengths and weaknesses. Tubelines tend to stay where you put them but also can wear through due to chafing, can rust, crack and can get pinched off if squeezed, hoses however present their own problems, and the challenge is to use each appropriately. If you must replace the steel lines with hose, the silicon steel braided hose is probably the best choice, but I like my factory steel lines just fine. It's up to you.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

I had no problems with my factory steel lines either, if your taking them in/out while they are still attached to the tranny and your pulling the motor/tranny together. But you try taking them off the car while everything is still assembled together w/o dammaging them.

I've been noticing applications of rubber hose with and without steel braiding... they are used in tractor hydralics, big rigs (noticed they were feeding some sort of suspension system when I was riding behind one on the highway) etc.... in all these applicaitons the hose experiences just as much heat and way higher pressure then it would on our cars, so I'm just trying to find out why they seem so taboo in automotive uses.

Well, cost is one factor, I remember having a piece of silicon braided steel hose made for my bus once to replace a fractured copper pipe, and the cost was about $60 for a two foot long piece.

I have removed the cooler lines successfully by removing the radiator and front grille, and bringing them forward. It was tight, but I managed.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Bmw use hoses for the tranny cooler.

Steponmebbbboom ah that probably would of worked better... I had to move the powersteering pump out of the way, then once I managed to get them past that they were hitting against the power steering box, and finally I managed to get them down and out from underneath the car.

The issue isn't so much removing them, but undoing them from the tranny while the tranny is still on the car. With hose barbs and rubber hose I just slide a clamp over them and can tighten the clamp down with a long screwdriver w/o having to worry about busting up knuckles trying to get two flare end wrenches in there.

I've done some poking around, seems hydralic hose, sae100r9 is the ticket. I wonder what the sae rating of powersteering return hose is.

I agree with DD on the steel lines, a tubing bender can get you just about anywhere.

That said, Summit sells teflon line with SS braiding, should be very durable for tranny lines. It'll take a beating and won't irreversibly pinch like steel...but, with fittings likely over $100 to run them.

Steel line is still dirt cheap. I'm replacing mine while the engine is out for rebuild, they are 46 years old, beaten, rusty but still work, it's just that they run too close to my Dutra Duals, up and around the motor mount, really crazy path...I'll run the new ones along the frame rail, if you use steel just make sure to leave some flex for them.

BG

Parts stores sell 'transmission cooler line hose'. Just ask for it next time you are at Napa. Many modern cars use part metal-part rubber hoses, the big problem with hose is durability and the consequences of failure. If you have a broken hose you can destroy the transmission pretty quickly by running it low on fluid.

Why use stiff steel lines? Why not buy copper-nickel fuel/hydraulic/brake lines - no rusting, no cracking, no ageing. They are relatively soft, and very easy to form. I have used them for both brake- and transmission fluid, as do most car manufacturers nowadays. The pipes will last for ever.

http://www.cunifer.com

Olaf

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Aspenized