Hi All,

Thought i'd create a seperate topic on replacing the radiator to get the most support.

I've got a replacement radiator and have fitted the 2 hoses on left and 1 on right, aswell as the one along the top.

When I removed the previous radiator I couldn't remove the 2 transmission lines at the bottom right without the pipes breaking, so now i've gone to fit the replacement I obviously can't fit them. If anyone could offer any advice on the best way to overcome this?

As you can see from my pictures, the replacement radiator has a red plastic insert inside the bottom connection, i'm guessing this is a broken off piece which will need removing?

I have looked at the service manual page 594 many times, but it hasn't offered me much help.

Also, the 2 rod type bolts on the left, whenever I try to line them up the rod is not perfectly straight to be able to put the bolt in, however I manoeuvre them it won't lineup straight, but at an angle.

Any guidance or photos appreciated!

Radiator upside down

red plastic piece in bottom insert

Broken Transmission lines

Broken transmission lines

Label on one line

one leads to this

Rod bolt which will lineup, but at an angle

 

The easy part first: The red broken plastic piece is the drain plug. Put some kroil oil or pc blaster penetrating oil on it to loosen the threads a bit and you should be able to remove it with an easy out. Get a new drain plug.
The lines you are labeling transmission lines at the bottom of picture two are air conditioning lines. You should be able to get them from your parts car and replace the entire line, or have them made at a A/c shop. Those lines run to the condenser.
The last picture you show as a rod bolt; that fitting is called a banjo fitting here in the states and that is the input from the transmission to cool the fluid. It must line up straight or you will have leaks. If you can't twist it straight then that entire line needs to be replaced from the parts car or fabricated at a hydraulic shop.

 

thanks Zip much appreciated!

Can I ask, would it be ok to run the car for 1 min without the aircon/banjo fitting? I need to move the car to be able to remove the quarter panel bolts...

 

DO NOT START THE ENGINE. If you start the engine transmission fluid will flow out of the banjo fittings. You are already low on transmission fluid and you will burn the clutches in the transmission making a rebuild likely. The A/C doesn't matter as you have already lost all the refrigerant just be certain the A/C and heater controls are shut off.

You can turn the ignition on and place the car in neutral and push/pull it the short distance, but DO NOT start the engine unless those banjo fittings are connected to the radiator.

 

I messaged Zip privately about it, but yeh great advice.

I've fitted the 2 banjo fittings, just wondering with these pipes, should they run threw that hole pictured from underneath or around the outside of the black bracket and come back in, as having fitted them the pipes stick out on the side, so when trying to slot the radiator back in it's not really fitting, Just wondering whether the pipes are bent out of shape or what.

 

I'll try uploading a few pictures:


This was taken from the bottom looking up at the lower banjo fitting. Notice how the two are located as to side to side.



This is the two transmission lines as they go alongside the radiator from the rear to the front of the car.



these are the two A/C lines which run to the condenser on the left side of the car. That is left when setting in the drivers seat; Not standing in front looking at the car.

The two transmission lines do not go through that hole. You have them routed OK. BUT:
The way you have the transmission lines hooked up isn't original, so long as you have them seated properly it will work as you have them. Better to be hooked up than bent and kinked to the point fluid won't flow. The longer tubing originally ran between the fins of the radiator and the lower banjo; Closer to the center of the car. You have the longer tubing towards the out side of the car. There is a bracket on those two lines that holds them in their proper relationship to each other right where they pass around the radiator. It sets just under the large lower hose that runs to the water pump.

From your photo it appears the A/C condenser is missing. It should fit just in front of the radiator with about a 3/16 to 1/4 inch gap. It is that condenser that the above two A/C lines would attach.

I wish the above pictures where better, but it is the only camera I have ($26.00 ) that I can get to download onto my computer.

 

Thanks, I've positioned it so that the longer pipe is the inner, and whilst it fits a bit better, where the bottom banjo fitting comes out it is catching on the side, so it prevents me from bringing the radiator any further forward.

 

If the missing AC condensor fits in those tabs in the last picture, then perhaps the radiator doesn't need to come any further forward?

 

Negative, The radiator has two tabs at the bottom that fit into metal slots on the car. Thing is for now just to get it running you are fine either way and that is true with the banjo fittings as well. But when you get the condenser for the A/C in there all those tubes will need to be bent properly for everything to fit . I see in one of your pictures the lower banjo fitting tubing is way out of position, but as I say it is fine for now, but eventually if you want an A/C that works you will need to get those all bent and fitting properly.

 

Hi Zip hope your well,

I've got the transmission fluid here, and the radiator a/c condensor was going to do as discussed next, and fitted the radiator a few days ago, unfortunately whatever angle I tried on the banjo fitting I couldn't get it to fit so that the radiator sits in the correct place, what I had to do was remove the bracket connecting the 2 banjo fittings together, it allowed me to bring the radiator forward a bit more and is just sat 1cm backwards from the proper tabs at the bottom, not ideal but for the moment I guess it'll have to do, it must be bent from the crash.

Anyway so I was going to do the transmission fluid, and I noticed a leak under the car, it's just appeared within the last few days, As you can see from the tissue it looks like oil, but with maybe some water mixed in as it was a substantial amount, unfortunately it happened when I was away so couldn't really tell where it's coming from. Would those 2 transmission lines have anything to do with it do you think? I had to manipulate the lines a fair amount to fit, maybe I broke the lines somehow, but if that was the case it would be light red fluid wouldn't it?

 

1. Transmission fluid is red
2. Those transmission lines at the front of the car where they go around the radiator and then up to the attachment banjo fittings are definitely bent.

You should detach the plastic splash shield under the engine. There are two 8mm screws holding it to the frame at it's rear. If necessary jack one side of the car up at a time get your arm under there and detach the plastic shield. It may help you determine the source of the leaking fluid.
Seems strange something would start leaking now. Was the plastic shield attached to the front of the car and then you recently detached it in the front? It will hold fluid. Could it be that when you detached it at the front fluid ran off of it on to the floor?

 

thanks, I've had the front of the splash shield disconnected on the floor for a while, hasn't got anything collected in the tray really, I'll unscrew the rear 2 bolts and have a look around, it's like it's just **** itself, a large sudden release of oil on the floor

 

Topped up with another 1L of transmission fluid, it is no longer leaking from the banjo fitting since tightening, but it is leaking at the bottom, it's occuring further back than the plastic tray as it is not gathering in there, there was a little bit of a burning smell with a slight bit of smoke from the transmission, only had it on for 30 seconds in park.

 

After cleaning and pouring a little more in, it is leaking from that top nut on the transmission, hopefully just a case of tightening the nut...

 

seems like it's about a 11mm torx bolt, could anyone confirm?

Very limited space in there, guessing I need some kind of mini ratchet/spanner?

 

"That top nut" What does that mean? You have the two banjo fittings on the transmission that are the two transmission lines running to the radiator and on the right side of the car aft of one of the banjo fittings you have the base of the dipstick tube. The dipstick tube is attached to the case with a 10mm bolt.If you lossen the bolt the tube will raise out and I'm thinking there is an o-ring on the base of the tube.
Is something else leaking?

PS. In the very first picture in this thread looking at the bottom of the radiator there are two plastic fingers sticking up. Those fingers sit in the slot I spoke of earlier in the frame of the car. If you have those fingers in the correct slot then the radiator is in it's proper place.

 

It's this bolt on the top of the transmission, just next to the pipe you use to top up the fluid, it's leaking...

 

Here is a close up of the bolt, any insight on what attachment/tool i'd need to tighten is greatly appreciated.

 

That bolt holds the bell housing of the transmission onto the engine as well as the bracket for the transmission dipstick. It is a Torx E14 and is torqued to 28 ft lbs. You will need a 3/8 torque wrench, probably with a swivel to tighten.

After looking at the video it seems to be a transmission fluid leak. My guess would be the fluid is overflowing from the funnel (down by the spout and flowing over the lip of the steel tubing) down the tube until it meets that bolt and there it is easily seen. You have to add fluid very slowly as that is a small diameter dipstick tube. If you get a pool of fluid in the funnel it will leak out down by the spout before the fluid in the funnel all drains into the transmission. Another possibility would be that the dipstick tube has a crack in it near where it is welded to that bracket that the torx bolt secures to the engine.

What level of fluid does the dipstick indicate? After all you have lost I would thick it doesn't even show on the dipstick, but I could be wrong.

 

Thanks Zip, I've just filled it up again very slowly and I can't see any leaks from that bolt/spout/underneath, So hopefully it's exactly what you've said and I won't need to touch that bolt.

I don't actually have a dipstick, guess I'll have to buy one.

With the cooler lines, I've got one attached now, seems like I broke off the copper pipe in the correct places before, so just needed to undo the end fitting, first one was tough but managed it, second bigger one is not budging, guess i'll have to spray something on there to help loosen.