Winch/Transmission Cooler

[JLS]

*** UPDATE ***
Alright, got min winch finally installed and now I need to find a place to buy welding cable locally. Does Home Depot or the like sale it or harbor freight???

Rob I also attached pics of the new cooler pipe. Didn't have to move the cooler up the hose did the trick.

Thanks...








*** OLD POST***
I had my winch bumper for sale but came across a Husky that I could afford so...

Anyways, after getting the winch on the bumper and the bumper up to the frame, I had clearence issuse with the winch and the tranny cooler, just the passenger side connector. I need to get the cooler moved up and use flexible line so that it can run behind the winch and curve up to the cooler from the hard line.

What do I need to know and how would you go about this? I know nothing about hydrolic lines so anything and everything would be great. I was thinking about cutting the hard line as it comes out from the cross member and fitting hose to it somehow and extending the driverside line up. What would I need to do that?

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

[nosivad_bor]

Jeremy, i have the same issue with mine. And I'm going to get a custom line bent so that its all tip top, cause blowing that line is 50/50 chance of fire.

The procedure is to take some soft copper pipe or whatever you have and run it on top of the frame and cross member and up to the cooler at its new desired hight.

once you have the model, take it to a hydraulic shop along with your old oil cooler hoses and have them cut the rover fittings off and braze or some other way mechanically fix them to the new length of pipe you have them bend. have them add crimped soft hose in key places (like stock) to dampen vibration and prevent kinks. _note have them use new pipe not copper-this was just what i used to get the proper length and bends. I suppose when I'm done I could give you my measurements but that will be around Christmas I'll be getting to this.

this is the best way to go about it.


another way to do it is cut the oil cooler pipes an inch or so below where they screw into the cooler and then flare each end a little , force HD hydraulic hose over the flairs and hose clamp the fuck out of it.

 

[JLS]

Hey Rob! Thanks for your input. I went to a place called Hose Pros here in San Diego to get something made up. What we came up with was coming out of the cooler and 90* straight back and then 90* to drivers side an inch then a flexible hose I'll post pics as soon as I get it and let you know how it works.

 

[apg]

Use caution whenever using soft copper (or any copper for that matter) in an automotive setting. Vibrations can 'work harden' the piece in place to the point where it will fracture.

BTDT...got the t-shirt....

 

[ptschram]

The "Best" way to do it is to use industrial hydraulic compression fittings, hose barbs and hydraulic hose!

Crimped fittings will loosen in time. With hose barbs, when the hose gets old, you strip it off and replace it!

The lines pictured are oil cooler lines, but the same principle applies to tranny lines.

PT

 

[JLS]

PT, I may have to do that next time if and when this hose fails. These guys are on the call heavy machinery hydro line repair guys so I think it will be a good high quality hose.

 

[nosivad_bor]

yeah i agree dont use the copper in the final product. it wasa jsut an example of how to get the lengths and bends. I had pictured copper tube for an ice maker just to lay it out. Use stainless pipe if you can swing it!


yeah please let me know how it turns out I am very interested.

 

[JLS]

Will do Rob, should have it tomorrow.

 

[ptschram]

The quality of the hose isn't the issue. Personally, I don't trust many crimped hose connections. I just got back from the power transmission shop picking up $50 worth of fittings and hose for a client's truck and mine.

I know this will jinx me, but I'm near to having solved my fluid leakage problems with my truck!

I've replaced my power steering hoses with hydraulic (one was stainless and didn't last as long as stock), both oil cooler lines and one of the tranny lines. Now, I'm on the way to replacing the rest of the tranny cooler lines. I'm looking forward to having one fewer fluid leak to worry about!

 

[JLS]

Bump for Rob.

See first post...

 

[ajh]

You can also use flexible braided stainless steel lines.

 

[nosivad_bor]

*** UPDATE ***
Alright, got min winch finally installed and now I need to find a place to buy welding cable locally. Does Home Depot or the like sale it or harbor freight???

Rob I also attached pics of the new cooler pipe. Didn't have to move the cooler up the hose did the trick.

I'd be very aware of that hose and the possibility of it to rub on metal and burst sometime in the future.

I like it though. unfortunately I designed mine so that I have to move mine up to fit the winch in.