Hello group! Always get great advice here and need some more...
My 1995 Taurus GL, 3.0/auto with 157,000 Km needs a new rad (corrosion central).
There is also a very small transmission fluid leak that I suspect is a corroded line that runs beneath the rad somewhere based on others' posts. Looking at the fittings where the cooler lines enter the radiator is rather terrifying to say the least. They're very rusty and I'm pretty sure they're beyond wd-40 and tlc to remove intact. Not to mention that it looks like you have to be a Gynaecologist to get the bottom one off in the first place.
My questions are:
Wreckers want ~$100 CDN for a used rad when I can get one for $160 aftermarket. I'm leaning towards new aftermarket even though I only really expect one more summer out of the rust bucket. Just don't want to do this job twice to save $60. Make sense?
Someone in another thread mentioned Ford wanting ~$130 for just one OEM replacement cooler line which I think is ridiculous but typical.
5/16" seems to be the size and I have a flaring tool... Can I make new lines myself? I haven't looked at the tranny side of the connections but from what I've read these are 'quick connect' which I likely can't make myself. I'm not a huge fan of using rubber hose clamped to smooth steel tubing, even in low pressure situations. I've had one come off on my Cummins diesel while doing 120Km/Hr and it really wasn't pretty! (trans. shop forgot to tighten the clamp after a flush = 15 quarts of ATF from front fender to tail lights including windows).Not quite as exciting as as an immersed oil cooler rupturing on the highway but I'll keep that to myself and yes, I got rid of the Cummins :)
TIA for any recommendations and tips,
Gary