Firstly, I will chime in with anyone else who has done this project, and say, "this is not an easy job", LOL. You know how a lot of projects on these vehicles can have a stumbling block sometimes? Maybe a brake rotor that just doesn't want to come off, or figuring out how to maneuver something out or in (ac compressor), well this project is full of them. You get through one hurdle, the next has it's own PIA factors. I'm sure some of it is how I did mine, there are a few ways to tackle this, but I suspect however you replace your lines, there will be "fun" parts. The frustrating thing is that this project has the potential to be a fairly straightforward project, if everything goes according to plan. That being said, if I had to do this again I would, I never felt like I was in over my head. If you do this, just go in expecting to get frustrated at times. At the end of my work I looked like I had spent a week in a coal mine I was so dirty.
I did this on an 2006 I6 EXT 4WD vehicle, just using ramps to put the front end up, without lowering the transmission or exhaust. I decided to start this way, and see if I could finish it that way, especially once the tranny dipstick tube was able to be changed just using ramps. Because my vehicle has so much rust on it, I'm pretty sure lowering the transmission would not have been just a few bolts removed and lowering the transmission jack (well yes but you know what I mean) Other problem is that the catalytic converter part of the exhaust is right there in the way, I'm pretty sure if you didn't remove that part of the exhaust you would have to pull on the transmission somehow laterally to clear it while lowering. I think removing the exhaust segment there would have made this thing a lot easier, but again those projects tend to expand out.
When I wear latex gloves, I buy a size medium, so that gives you an idea of hand size. I was able to reach up in there no problem, and use a pick etc without any real issues. That being said, you have very little maneuver room, and I was constantly turning my body to find the optimum position to get at those line ends.
Ok, on to the notes:
- The line fittings attaching to the cooler side were completely corroded. When I removed the black cap, the little clip basically fell off. The line stayed attached because it was so corroded and galvanized I think it welded on:
So I had to go buy new fittings. Cut the line with a dremel and used a socket to take that fitting out, which came out pretty easily. By the way, I would strongly recommend buying one fitting even if you don't need it, the reason being you can practice with this fitting taking off and putting the clip on with a pick or hook. I even practiced with my eyes closed.
- I bought two sets of picks at harbor freight, and they were cheap. I have a set of picks, but they are larger. The ones I bought are smaller, one of them looks like a set of dental picks.
- I also bought a remote camera to help see what the heck I was doing on the transmission side. The upper line I got disconnected without the camera, but it really is all by feel. Again, lowering the transmission and removing the exhaust segment would have made this side of the work a lot easier. But the camera really helped, at one point I thought I had a corroded seized lower clip fitting, but with the camera was able to move a leg end up somewhat, and then get the pick into the exposed loop and off she came.
- the new lines can be inserted up from the bottom and routed up into place with very little pressure, if you can figure out a few turns and twists.
- I would do one line at a time, so you can see where the lines should be routed when you put them in. There are several ways to put them up in the wrong way. I changed the upper line first.
- after the old line comes out, I put the clip back into the fitting. This can be an adventure, but if you practice beforehand you'll figure out the knack of not getting the legs in right. This is probably the best help I had with a camera, I was able to inspect my work after to verify that things were installed correctly.
-getting the new lines in. Even this simple act of inserting the lines turned out to be tricky. I could not get my first line in, it just didn't want to go in, and I spent too much time on this trying to make it work. Finally I pulled the line out, and started playing around with the extra fitting I had, worked just fine. Here is what I found when comparing it to the old line:
It really doesn't look like much but that was all it took. If I tried to get the line square for insertion it would bang on the exhaust. At first I got out some of my line bending tools, but sitting on the driveway trying to bend 3/8 steel lines was not going to happen anytime soon haha. I ended up putting that line in a vice and doing slight bends on several different sections, I was very worried about putting a crimp in that nice stainless steel line. It was pretty easy to fix then, and when I ran the line back up in it went in a lot easier. The other thing is that I had trouble getting leverage to put the lines fully back in past the clip to be secured. In fact I almost left one halfway in. It just didn't feel right and finally I tried pulling the lines out as a final test and sure enough one popped out. I stuck a crowbar up there and used that as leverage, popped it right in. Like others have mentioned, it will click in and you will know when it's in far enough.
- there is absolutely no way I would try this work in the wintertime, unless I had a heated garage. I always wear latex gloves working on my vehicles, but for this job I had to take them off because I had trouble feeling the clip, orienting the pick, etc. If I had to change these in the wintertime, I would take it to the mechanic and pay to have it done.
-I think removing the pan helped me somewhat as well, I did that because I was changing out a rusty pitted dipstick tube with holes in it, and wanted to see if any rust fell down into the pan.
So there you go. I would consider patching into the lines if you have trouble, I think I patched mine 3 times before running out of line on the cooler side. And on the transmission side it was in very bad shape as well, a small hole was starting to form. After watching my lines for 7 years being patched, what happened is that where the compression fitting bites on to the steel line, well that line is steel and just keeps rusting over time. So at first the fitting starts to seep a little bit and just gets worse over time. So I would repatch, and just work with clean line to bite on to. What started this whole replacement thing was a leak at a compression fitting, and when I tried to tighten it a little bit the line basically broke from the rust under the fitting. So if you do patch them, I would look them over from time to time, you probably already know and do this anyway.
I did this on an 2006 I6 EXT 4WD vehicle, just using ramps to put the front end up, without lowering the transmission or exhaust. I decided to start this way, and see if I could finish it that way, especially once the tranny dipstick tube was able to be changed just using ramps. Because my vehicle has so much rust on it, I'm pretty sure lowering the transmission would not have been just a few bolts removed and lowering the transmission jack (well yes but you know what I mean) Other problem is that the catalytic converter part of the exhaust is right there in the way, I'm pretty sure if you didn't remove that part of the exhaust you would have to pull on the transmission somehow laterally to clear it while lowering. I think removing the exhaust segment there would have made this thing a lot easier, but again those projects tend to expand out.
When I wear latex gloves, I buy a size medium, so that gives you an idea of hand size. I was able to reach up in there no problem, and use a pick etc without any real issues. That being said, you have very little maneuver room, and I was constantly turning my body to find the optimum position to get at those line ends.
Ok, on to the notes:
- The line fittings attaching to the cooler side were completely corroded. When I removed the black cap, the little clip basically fell off. The line stayed attached because it was so corroded and galvanized I think it welded on:
So I had to go buy new fittings. Cut the line with a dremel and used a socket to take that fitting out, which came out pretty easily. By the way, I would strongly recommend buying one fitting even if you don't need it, the reason being you can practice with this fitting taking off and putting the clip on with a pick or hook. I even practiced with my eyes closed.
- I bought two sets of picks at harbor freight, and they were cheap. I have a set of picks, but they are larger. The ones I bought are smaller, one of them looks like a set of dental picks.
- I also bought a remote camera to help see what the heck I was doing on the transmission side. The upper line I got disconnected without the camera, but it really is all by feel. Again, lowering the transmission and removing the exhaust segment would have made this side of the work a lot easier. But the camera really helped, at one point I thought I had a corroded seized lower clip fitting, but with the camera was able to move a leg end up somewhat, and then get the pick into the exposed loop and off she came.
- the new lines can be inserted up from the bottom and routed up into place with very little pressure, if you can figure out a few turns and twists.
- I would do one line at a time, so you can see where the lines should be routed when you put them in. There are several ways to put them up in the wrong way. I changed the upper line first.
- after the old line comes out, I put the clip back into the fitting. This can be an adventure, but if you practice beforehand you'll figure out the knack of not getting the legs in right. This is probably the best help I had with a camera, I was able to inspect my work after to verify that things were installed correctly.
-getting the new lines in. Even this simple act of inserting the lines turned out to be tricky. I could not get my first line in, it just didn't want to go in, and I spent too much time on this trying to make it work. Finally I pulled the line out, and started playing around with the extra fitting I had, worked just fine. Here is what I found when comparing it to the old line:
It really doesn't look like much but that was all it took. If I tried to get the line square for insertion it would bang on the exhaust. At first I got out some of my line bending tools, but sitting on the driveway trying to bend 3/8 steel lines was not going to happen anytime soon haha. I ended up putting that line in a vice and doing slight bends on several different sections, I was very worried about putting a crimp in that nice stainless steel line. It was pretty easy to fix then, and when I ran the line back up in it went in a lot easier. The other thing is that I had trouble getting leverage to put the lines fully back in past the clip to be secured. In fact I almost left one halfway in. It just didn't feel right and finally I tried pulling the lines out as a final test and sure enough one popped out. I stuck a crowbar up there and used that as leverage, popped it right in. Like others have mentioned, it will click in and you will know when it's in far enough.
- there is absolutely no way I would try this work in the wintertime, unless I had a heated garage. I always wear latex gloves working on my vehicles, but for this job I had to take them off because I had trouble feeling the clip, orienting the pick, etc. If I had to change these in the wintertime, I would take it to the mechanic and pay to have it done.
-I think removing the pan helped me somewhat as well, I did that because I was changing out a rusty pitted dipstick tube with holes in it, and wanted to see if any rust fell down into the pan.
So there you go. I would consider patching into the lines if you have trouble, I think I patched mine 3 times before running out of line on the cooler side. And on the transmission side it was in very bad shape as well, a small hole was starting to form. After watching my lines for 7 years being patched, what happened is that where the compression fitting bites on to the steel line, well that line is steel and just keeps rusting over time. So at first the fitting starts to seep a little bit and just gets worse over time. So I would repatch, and just work with clean line to bite on to. What started this whole replacement thing was a leak at a compression fitting, and when I tried to tighten it a little bit the line basically broke from the rust under the fitting. So if you do patch them, I would look them over from time to time, you probably already know and do this anyway.
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