I'm not sure of the flared brake line.. I've never messed with anything like that. Do they make it that big & in that length? I'm not sure of where the lines go Dan, thats what had me confused in the 1st place, so I'm not sure if/what I can connect temporarily or bypass.. It does baffle me why the line that I broke is metal the whole way & the other line starts as metal, has a jacketed rubber hose clamped inline & then later goes back to metal

Frank.. I couldn't find any pics of the 7.3 cooler system but did look at some pics of a 6.0 cooler.. I am still kinda confused though.. Does the line just go through the bottom of the radiator & back out? I did find something about it "heating" the tranny fluid when its first cold somewhere because the computer keeps the line pressures lower when the tranny is cold.. if I read it correct... Then it goes out & thru the "oil to air" cooler & then back to the tranny???

 

I would just get a short piece of 3/8 inch brake line and some 3/8 tranmission fluid compatible hose. Double clamp it on both side and you should be good to go.

 

Im not sure what path it takes once it's in the radiator. I haven't
found a pic of the internals yet.
It goes into the radiator, then the external air cooler, then back to the trans.
I believe its a myth that the radiator heats the trans fluid. It never heats the fluid, although I have heard alot of people say that it does.

 

Not doing it before I wouldn't try flaring a new line and all. It isn't very hard but there is a certain technique to it. I have done it 100's of times before and actually prefer flaring and bending my own lines rather than buy an over priced pre bent garage line.

What you could do is this: I see that not far from where your line broke there is a good section of line that isn't rusty. You could get a short section of 3/8" brake line from any auto store and cut one end off. Take both of the new line nuts off so it is just a bare line with one end already flared. Take the factory rusty nut and get the old line out of it with either a drill or by just working it out with a punch and lube. Take the old nut that you just cleaned up and slide it onto the new line up to the flared end and screw it back into the radiator fitting. Cut off the line in the truck in a clean section of the line where there is no rust. Mark where and how much you will need to bend the new line to match up to the line in the truck. Take the new line back out and use a piece of 2.5" pipe as a mandrel for the bend. Where your mark is on the new 3/8" line put it against the pipe and push it around the pipe slowly watching that it doesn't kink. Push it around till you get the desired bend you need. Screw the new line back into the radiator. Both the truck line and the new line should run pretty much side by side. Mark the new line right where it meets the truck line and unscrew it again. Cut the new line where the mark is and install it back into the radiator again. Now you can either use a piece of rubber tranny fluid safe line to connect the two lines or you can use a compression union fitting. A compression union fitting will be a better fix if your parts store has it.

With the compression fitting each end has a threaded cap that slides onto each line. Each end also has a brass sleeve that will slide onto each line after the caps have been slid on. The center chunk of the compression fitting goes in the middle of the lines. Than just slide the cap toward the center chunk and screw together.

Good luck with it.

 

double post.

 

I am feeling your pain ! I just finished changing my fluid today and was about as fun as riding a jackass backwards!

As stated above, you could just use a piece of 3/8 rubber hose (like gas line or something) and a couple of clamps until you can get a new one. You could even get a 3/8 barb fitting http://www.chircoestore.com/catalog/images/115128.jpg
and just screw it into the radiator. Could prob get it from a hardware store (lowes / homedepot). This would get you through the weekend.

Good Luck!
Kirk

 

Well, let me just start with this.. FOR SALE.. 2001 F-250 Lariat with a 7.3 and 4r100 tranny.. almost 120,000 miles & a new transmission cooler line... Mannn.. I love my truck, but when projects turn into ordeals like this.. it really busts you down.. I can't begin to tell you how many times trading it in on a newer one has crossed my mind in the last few weeks...

Man, what a pain in the A** this job became. I figured I could try & save some $$ & try to bend a 3/8 brake line & go that route.. less than $10 in parts.. I'm figurin.. ok, this is not bad.. Until I go to bend it.. KINK.. So, I decide to give up instead of trying again on that method.. find a dealership that has it ( about 20+ miles away on the pa turnpike) so I run out to pick it up, only to notice a construction zone with a 5 mile back up on the way of my return trip home.. SO, now my return trip time doubles as I make my way on back roads to avoid sitting in traffic...

I get it home, look at it & the lines appear to be the same, until I look at where it hooks up to the tranny.. Just isn't bent quite the same way... I call the dealership & she assures me its the only one for my truck.. SO i decide to take the old one out.. which I might add.. comes out quite easy with the end with a big "C" bent in it cut off... After comparing.. it is the same line.. just the tranny end isn't bent up quite the same.. I assume maybe in shipping, or the bend it that to make install easier cause its a PAIN in the A** to put back in !!! Let me tell you, I tried ever way possible. there was NO way it was going in.. what a miserable job, crap in my eyes.. had to resort to using my old scratched up MX goggles.. which I might add.. was like looking thru dirty water..lol After many tries.. I decided.. Maybe if I take the starter off, I'll make enough room to get the line thru.. BINGO.. except that the 1st time didn't work out so well..I get it in, bent up to hook up. screw it in the tranny & go to hook up the front end to find. I fed it thru on the WRONG side of the battery cable to the starter..

To make matters worse, I get it hooked up.. fill it up/flush it with another 20 quarts of fluid.. Check the stick & it shows ok.. I go for a test drive & it appears to be slipping backing up my driveway.. I go for a ride & it appears to be slipping a little still.. not real bad.. but after a maybe a 10-15 mile trip.. its up to almost 150 degrees & its only 62 out.. I turn onto my street, give it gas & it tachs way up to almost 2000 rpm & its not going.. I let off the gas & hit it again & it locks up & goes.. When I get in my driveway on the level, I pull the stick & its just "barely" on the cold fill side at 150 degrees.. so I let it set until today.. I'm hoping the issues were cause of low fluid.. if not, 2 days worth of crap for my "tranny flush" were for nothing !! Looks like a trip to BTS is in my near future...

Here's some pics from my fluid change.. REALLY makes you wonder.. the dirty fluid I show is AFTER I did a 20 quart flush while camping when my problems started (without dropping the pan). Now granted I didn't drop the pan, or change the filter.. the fluid was supposedly flushed by the PO at 80,000 miles.. but this fluid only has maybe 200 miles on it since new..I'll post a "new" fluid pic to compare as well as the inside of my filter I tore apart, plus the crud I cleaned off the magnet. I also had the "2nd " oil change in milk jugs, which I drained into a bigger container & there was a good bit of black crud that settled to the bottom of the jug.

Oil from my 1st flush at campground, the day after I had issues.. just a flush, no filters change/pan drop..
[IMG]<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/?action=view&current=DSC01136.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/DSC01136.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]

oil after my recent change/drop pan/new filter/blew out cooler with air/brake cleaner

[IMG]<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/?action=view&current=DSC01112.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/DSC01112.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]

clean oil

[IMG]<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/?action=view&current=DSC01115.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/DSC01115.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]

crud I cleaned off the magnet.. Take in consideration, I just did a 20 quart flush without dropping the pan 2 week/200 miles ago

[IMG]<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/?action=view&current=DSC01120.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/DSC01120.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]


[IMG]<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/?action=view&current=DSC01121.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad344/ghig1967/DSC01121.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>[/IMG]
Filter I cut apart.. not what I expected. some fine pieces of metal/shavings

 

just added pic of 1st oil change.. what a difference.. black as coal. I took the truck for a ride today after topping off the fluid & it seemed ok.. I'm hoping the fact that the fluid was low last nite cause my issues..