Please help quick - Radiator install, trans line hookup won't fit

In the middle of installing a CSF radiator from DPG Offroad. 2000 XJ, auto trans. The trans lines fit into two places on the driver side of the new radiator, like on the old one. Upper one is a hard line with a screw on fitting. No problem there.

On the bottom, the new radiator has an elbow coming out, as the old one did, and the line that fits onto it has some type of quick disconnect. I got it off the old radiator with a bit of force, but I can't get it back on the new radiator. I'm afraid of pushing too hard on the fitting for fear of snapping off the tube with the elbow coming off the CSF radiator. There is a ridge on this tube, and it looks like the quick disco is supposed to slide on far enough to hook over that ridge, but it won't, and I'm afraid of breaking it. By feel, it appears to have a slightly larger diameter. See pic. Question: can I just cut off the quick disco, pull the rubber hose up, and use a hose clamp to attach to the radiator w/ a hose clamp?

Just had another thought. I have an aux transmission cooler I planned to install at the same time. I believe it's flexlite or flexrite. Anyway, it comes with some flexible hose, and fittings. Seems I'm supposed to tap into the flexible line anyway as part of the cooler install. So, I'm thinking I'll just mount the flexible hose over the problematic fitting from the radiator, mount it onto the trans cooler, and then use another chunk of flexible hose to go from the trans cooler to the quick disco. It looks like I'll have to cut the quick disco off anyway as part of the install. Does this make sense?

I had the exact same issue with my CSF radiator.

I took some 1000 grit sand paper and slowly but surely polished/removed some of the brass off the lower tranmission quick coupling tube of the radiator. When the tube was formed it appears it buldges a little. What I am talking about removing is very little of the brass tube diameter not the length before the locking ring of the tube. I slowly polished it and it worked. After about 15 minutes I got enough off that the trans line would go on and lock.

I did not cut that line as that was the input to the trans cooler and I wanted the external cooler after the radiator trans cooler. So I installed my external cooler in the upper tranmission line to the radiator.

If this is not clear send me a PM with your phone number and I will call you.

i doubt someone in michigan needs two tranny coolers, ditch the one in the radiator and just use the external one you spoke about.

OR

you could also try looking into the female part, crud accumulates inside the cup, wad up some scotch brite and clean it out till its clean and shiny on the inside

Thanks for the help guys! I ended up cutting the old quick disconnect off, and then splicing a piece of trans line onto it w/ the stuff from the cooler kit. Now I have a problem w/ the radiator moving. I started a new thread on this, since it seems like an unrelated issue. Did you have that problem?

My friend encountered the same thing putting a CSF into his 00 a few weeks ago. He had to sand the fitting down a bit in order to get the trans line back on. Wonder if their QC is snoozing a bit.

How far should the hose slide on, mine(97 4.0) has had a small drip ever since I did my CSF radiator. It never clips and holds in place either so I'm not sure if I am all the way on past the ridge that holds it or not. I can push it so far then it stops and if I really muscle it I get a tiny bit further I just discovered tonight. I removed the air filter box and the upper transmission cooling hard line to get my hand in there.

When I have it as far as it goes, it seems the hose barb end on the radiator would be right where the rubber hose metal crimp piece is. I assumed that's as far as it should go but it never holds I can just pull it back off. It could be the plastic clips just aren't holding it though of course. I am tempted to sand and see if I can get mine to snap into place but don't want to sand and then make it worse. I can see the rubber o-ring in there and looks intact, I thought about pulling it out and replacing it maybe.

yup, mine didn't fit either. i ended up cutting the cooler line and splicing into it with some leftover lines from my aux cooler

I had the same problem with the CSF radiator in my '01. I took a fine file to the lower tube until the quick disconnect clicked on. I called CSF and they said they were working on the problem. That was in December.

Drippy lower line also

I also have the CSF but while my quick connect is dry, the hose leading from it has been "sweating" for some time now. The drips are picking up a little speed and I can't find this line for purchase.

On my rig this line is just quick connect to hose which goes to a secondary cooler in front of the rad and is hose clamped anyway (no hard line).

Did anyone have trouble just using hose and clamps at the quick connect end? Can you get the hose over the "ridge" and clamp behind it? Concerned it might pop off otherwise. I'd like to clamp both sides of the hose there.

Thanks. :cheers:

I had the same problem, '00 aw4. I had to file it a substantial amount and pull/ install the radiator each time. Not something I'd like to do again any time soon. But, it has never leaked a drop in 2-3 years...

NO WAY - I didn't Just Do THAT!

OK, I did it, I really did something so screwed. While fighting with that stupid quick connect fitting and the metal plier style quick connect tool, I nicked a F^@&!^$ Tube! Yes, here comes the green leakage out the tube. I can remember few times I have been more frustrated.

Out came the radiator, along with a sizable mess in my garage. Oh, now I got the damn fitting off. I found a guy 1 hour away working a Saturday in a radiator shop (an old school one that still uses the giant leak check bath and gas solder torch) that was closed who said he would wait for me. Took him 5 minutes to solder it, check it, heck he even painted it. $20

So two hours of driving, $20 rad repair, $50 of new coolant and water wetter and I have no more leaking transcooler line. Whew what a day. Read this, laugh, hear it and say Man what a drag, but do not be like me! hahaha. :scared:

(by the way what was leaking on mine was the crimp area of the quick connect metal/hose area, if you put the new 3/8" trans cooler rated hose in boiling water, blow it dry and wipe a little trans fluid on the tube you can slip the hose clear over the quick connect captive ridge and double hose clamp it. I have clamps on the secondary cooler anyway so why not? No more leakage)