Upon removing the leaking radiator I found that The top transmission cooler line (nut / fitting) was badly seized where it entered the radiator.

Conversely, The bottom fitting was a breeze to remove and the threads were perfect.

I took the precaution of using heat, patience, and CRC Freeze-Off when removing the top trans line nut. I finally got it broken loose and patiently worked it back and forth using plenty of anti-seize. But the threads on the line nut are quite damaged. A new trans cooler line is about $220.

A large good quality remote trans cooler will be about $75, and to my thinking do a better job.

It occurred to me that this is a situation where a remote stacked plate cooler might be a real upgrade. Aside from the benefit removing the flow of hot ATF from the radiator tank cavity thereby helping out with engine cooling, it seems to me that a quality remote stacked plate trans cooler would do a better job of cooling the transmission than the stock unit does.

Am I correct in this determination ?

There’s no damage to the transmission line itself except for the threads inside the nut. The nut,which is captured by the bubble flare on the line, could easily be slid out of the way and an appropriate hose slipped over the handy bubble flare and secured with clamps. I could rotate the hose to a remote cooler placed somewhere in the air flow. It is a bit crowded under there but I’m confident a sizable cooler can find a home without interfering with the radiator, oil cooler, supercharger cooler, and power steering cooler. I don’t think I left out any of them

I’m open to any and all suggestions.


If I could get a tap into the damaged line nut, I’d try that so I could retain the stock appearance, but I don’t think even a bottoming tap would engage the damaged threads enough before the flared line would get in the way.

 

I would think the cooler would have to go in front of the radiator and long hoses could be routed along side the engine oil cooler lines. I know no other way to get hoses to the front side of radiator without going under and risking damage. Sounds like a plan.

Jack

 

Sorry you didn't quite win the battle with the threads. Those nuts do seem to be some incredibly soft variety of aluminium.

FWIW, the ally tubes are exactly 0.5" OD so you could use standard AN fittings if you need to extend them.

I do like your train of thought, though.

 

i put one on my 06 str. Looped it in to the cooler in the radiator. Works great. Especially in summer. Dont know if you have same space on your car but it was easy to mount and tie into the existing cooler lines