1978 Dodge van,318 cubic inch engine,automatic transmission.Radiator has developed a good size leak.Do I need to put a piece of hose from one transmission fluid line to the other so as to keep the transmission fluid from leaking out before I disconnect those two lines from the radiator? Of course I don't want to round off the fittings which attatch the lines to the radiator.I think the fittings are either 1/2 inch or
9/16 inch.I want to remove the radiator and take it to a radiator shop for repair.I will replace the old water pump too with a new or rebuilt water pump. Thanks for any information about that. cuhulin
You need a larger sized wrench to hold the bracket part of the radiator and whats called a "line wrench" for the ferule holding the line in place. A line wrench is like a six sided box wrench but is open partially so it will fit over the line then slide over the compression fitting. If you don't want to buy a whole set (your '78 Dodge should be SAE I think) you can use an open wrench to measure before you go to the store. But if money is not too tight then get the set. More economical in the long run as 2 cost more than the 3 pc set. If the lines are not in to tight you can use regular open ended wrenches but if they slip, and they will rather sooner than you think, then you can end up where you have to take it apart with vise grips. Eventually ending with an ugly transmission line. Well it will work just the same but really the proper tool works better in some situations and this is one of those.
If the trans is not over filled there is not much fluid in the radiator. Hold the lines up after disco to prevent fluid leak. There will be a little spill so catch it with something to prevent envire-o- mental damage or stains in driveway.
You live near a radiator repair shop? Maybe they still happen in the country but I live to near the city I guess. I haven't seen one of those in ten years. It's also cheaper these days to buy a repo sometimes. Well if you got a radiator shop nearby, by all means, use them. They need the work because most newer cars now have plastic ends and fittings and are not repaired. I'd like to hear if they fix, recore or sell you a new one?
One slight modifacation. I drive a Ford these days and the trannie cooler is on the side, therefore it is higher than the cooler you have in the bottom of your Dodge product. If the lines are in the bottom you can expect more fluid to be present, more leakage, more mess. Still you need only a small, about two guart size, pan to catch what drains out. Remove one line and proceed to drain. If it gets to half the pan capacity, put line back in temporarily. Empty pan an do again. Theres not much, the trannie holds over 15 quarts. It is helpfull to do on a slight incline or have front jacked up a bit for access and to have fluid drained to back of trannie. Watch out, if you have the front lifted up and the fluid drained, if you let the van down again before reconnecting the lines more fluid will slosh foward.
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