2004' 2500HD Trans Oil Cooling line assembly/insanity

TeaLeafPG · July 3, 2015

Whats the trick? Whats the magical secret for making this happen. Do I need to take the engine out? Do I need to just sell the truck and scrap it? Why is replacing a line crucial to the life of the engine completely impossible? Why is this quoted at a $1000.00 repair for a $50.00 dolar part? It's a work truck it doesn't even have power windows it should be easy to work on so a guy can get back to work. Why is it clipped on inside where it is impossible to see, or impossible to take off?

What company sells magical shrinking rays so I can shrink my arms and get to work on this engine? Is there any surgeons in town who can chop my arms off and add a few extra inches?

This is not right. There is little to no information availabe online as to how to get this repaired.

Why is everything under my 2004 silverado caked in rust? I paid 30k for this truck in 04 and every single piece of it needs completely torn appart and re-built due to rust and extremely poor components.

I can't sell this to somebody. It would be criminal to try and sell this truck to someone. Even if I get the line replaced upgrading to a propper aluminum anti corrosive line and get this thing running again how long until the next crucial line rusts through?

The brake lines look like burried nails. I can't just rob another human being and look them in the eyes and sell them this truck. Are my breaks gonna completely loose pressure on day? The emergency brake is rusted or non existent as well...

This truck was purchased in Omaha NE, where it is needed for outdoor use and snow removal. Why do I look at other cars on the street, older models than mine, and they are not completely rusted out underneath?

The engine only has 104k miles on it. I don't have a garage. I dont have access to a lift this is my only vehicle. Is it going to be equally impossible to replace the other lines that are rusted through?

I saw a video about newer models rusting out in the dealership lot. They video explained that the Silverados with a made in mexico sticker were obviously showing more rust than the stickers claiming made in USA.

What's the secret here. Be honest.

Duelin · July 3, 2015

The attached thumbnail that you posted is Engine Oil Cooler Lines not Transmission Cooler Lines. When a vehicle is operated in a rust belt it usually gets rusty. So welcome to the Rust Club and all the excitement of changing and repairing trans cooler line, brake line, fuel lines, control arms and etc. etc etc.

Doug_Scott · July 11, 2015

Without knowing what the bolt was made of, or what rating it carried it is hard to estimate what torque it can take. You did however get lucky that the bolt was not cross threaded or bottomed out. If you are going to have to deal with a broken fastener, the easiest ones are the ones that were over-torqued. You can generally take them back out by hand, or if below the surface, an awl will sometimes grab enough of the jagged break to allow you to turn it back out.

If you still have the bolt try to see what it is made of. It may have been of some material that is treated to limit the electrolysis from dis-similar metals. .

gmtech4 · July 3, 2015

Yeah I'm not overly familiar with the technical aspects. Try not to become distracted by my lack of knowledge lol. The lines loop from the radiator and they go under the drivers side engine and connect right before the transmision I believe. They are nearly impossible to get to underneath. I'm looking for any information on how to make this happen. I'm gonna try this again today, and I'm probably going to need a saw to cut the old lines out. I made the mistake of assuming that if I just disconnect all the fittings the line should slide right out, and a new line could slide right back in.

I can't find any help on this. I am in a rush to get this done, so spending time on researching is a huge draw back. It seems that I need to machine parts so that this can be built better, and that doesn't make sense either.

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate any helpful hints, links, or comments you can provide.

Even if you just tell me "TeaLeafPG you're stupid go climb under your truck," it's still better than nothing lol I'm at a loss either way!!

Remove engine mount and raise engine on dvrs side , replace cooler line assembly ,,,,,,enjoy

Duelin · July 4, 2015

One of the first things that you have to do is figure out if it is your trans cooler lines is leaking or is it you engine oil cooler lines leaking. Or maybe both. And then proceed from there. Or maybe you want to change them both while you are doing it. The old saying is don't do Brain Surgery when you have a tooth ache.

TeaLeafPG · July 11, 2015

Got it done yesterday. All seems well. no dripping oil in the driveway!!

I did not have to jack up the motor. I was able to un-thread the broken bolt with a pair of pliers. I got lucky the bolt didn't break deeper inside the motor. I was able to wiggle it into place by removing the exhaust sensor in the way.

Doing this job alone with no lift was a total pain in the butt. It took a lot of moving around under the vehicle and a lot of trial and error snaking the line through.

I'm glad it's done. I see now why people have been quoted $1000. repair at their dealership for a $60 dollar part.. It was pretty dificult doing this alone.

TeaLeafPG · July 4, 2015

Thankyou gentlemen for the information. I was replacing the part "oil cooler line assembly" by Doorman products as listed above in the photo I provided with my post. After an absolute nightmare of working the lines back and forth I finally was able to get the mount where it needed to be by removing the 1st exhaust sensor after the exhaust manifold.

The bushing on the sensor was covered in rust so I took it off as a last resort; worried that I would damage the $50.00 sensor which I'll add that the replacement sensors are made of a brass construction.

By this time I had already made the mistake of bending the aluminum lines thinking that I could re-route them to make the part slide in easier. I was punished for this mistake ten fold.

Upon tightening down the two doorman bolts supplied with the assembly; it wasn't lined up completelty perfect, and the rear bolt snapped in half like hot butterry taffy.

I truly believed that I was home free. Tighten the two bolts with the rubber gasket, and then jab a flat blade in there to snap the lines back into the old clip which I never could figure out how to remove. This method actually could have worked if I didn't get frustrated and bend the lines when I was aprhensive about taking apart the sensor. I honestly assumned that by tightening the two bolts it would pull the piece in and properly align the part and seal up tightly. There was some resistance while tightening it down but it did not seem out of the ordinary as I knew it was fighting the slight bend in the pipes. I never, even for a fraction of a second, could have imagined that the bolt would just snap in half like a twig. Using a little tiny wrench that you would expect a toddler to own, the bolt wasn't even hitting bottom, and it just twisted right off by mere wrist movement and friction.

My task now is to track down a real wizard from the "Lord of the Rings" trillogy. If I can convince the wizard to shrink me and provide me with a Makita cordless drill borrowed from a hobbit, I can then begin drilling out the bolt, and possibly fit an extractor in there. First I will need to check if the wizard can shrink some of my drill bits and my extractor set...

I have hardships and problems as does everybody else, but today was extremely discouraging. Sometimes the things you have lost over the years hit you all at once.

I will work on it tomorrow. I have no other choice. I will try to dismount the motor and jack it up as suggested by *GovTech4. Hopefully geting the motor mount out of the way will give me enough room to extract the broken bolt. This is all starting to make sense now. I'll let you guys know how it plays out..

I want to thank everyone for trying to help me. I am grateful for your efforts this holiday weekend.

Enjoy your 4th of July ladies and gentlemen and may the future be kind!

TeaLeafPG · July 3, 2015

Yeah I'm not overly familiar with the technical aspects. Try not to become distracted by my lack of knowledge lol. The lines loop from the radiator and they go under the drivers side engine and connect right before the transmision I believe. They are nearly impossible to get to underneath. I'm looking for any information on how to make this happen. I'm gonna try this again today, and I'm probably going to need a saw to cut the old lines out. I made the mistake of assuming that if I just disconnect all the fittings the line should slide right out, and a new line could slide right back in.

I can't find any help on this. I am in a rush to get this done, so spending time on researching is a huge draw back. It seems that I need to machine parts so that this can be built better, and that doesn't make sense either.

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate any helpful hints, links, or comments you can provide.

Even if you just tell me "TeaLeafPG you're stupid go climb under your truck," it's still better than nothing lol I'm at a loss either way!!

Doug_Scott · July 3, 2015

Don't fall for the "aluminum doesn't corrode" line either. All unprotected metals have their demons. Aluminum does not like a salty environment. It also does not like being connected to different types of metals. You want something that will outlast you? You could have some braided stainless lines made up. You need to be cautious of how you route them though, they have a nasty habit of cutting through anything they are left to lean against without being tied down tightly.

If the lines are small diameter, they are more likely transmission cooler lines. Actually it is even easier than this, what fluid is leaking out? Engine oil or transmission fluid?