Transmission Oil Cooler Line Leak Repair on a 2010 Silverado 2500HD 6.0L V8 4x4

[@MuellerMechanical]

Please check out my new Automotive video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5vGqGCNn7Stfc0

[@aldee3018]

you're the only one out of all the videos i've watched that flaired the end of the tubing, great video.

[@mikebas7325]

Thanks for the in-depth repair process. After watching this, I can now feel confident in taking on this task myself. Thanks again for sharing. Well, to update, I have followed this process and resolved my leak. Might replace the lines in springtime but if I don't at least it is not leaking anymore. One thing I think I did a little different was to slightly grind down the nub/edge that was left behind on the tubing so it would allow me to slide the hose up further to get it as tight as possible. Pretty sure between the flair I added at the end and the hose going past the nub that thing won't be going anywhere.

[@mikeashford9240]

It's nice to see someone on You Tube using the correct tools to do the job , Great video ...

[@MuellerMechanical]

Thanks tgbluesky. also for those that are not a fan of the simple hose clamps in comments, still no leaks 2 years 3 months later, including towing travel trailer through mountains. thanks ed

[@treynathaniel4075]

The hole is there for a reason. It means the seal or rubber is failing. It beats losing all of your fluid at once.

[@mrmotofy]

2 clamps are better

[@patrick73632]

This works I have a rust spot on my line was right before the engine mount and now o have my Tahoe back thank u man now I don't haft to spend 70 dollars on a line

[@splash5974]

Dexron VI = 6 Dexron V = 5 Dexron IV =4 Dexron III =3 Incase other viewers went in and asked for a certain type of fluid... Dont want people adding wrong fluid types to the trans. Good vid!

[@kansaskev8684]

I know that it's been a while since you posted this, but I am glad I found it. I have a transmission line doing almost the same thing. I appreciate you guys that go out of your way to make a video on how you fix your vehicles, even though some don't agree with the way that it's done. I do.

[@MuellerMechanical]

Thanks Sally K, yes I agree Jay, hose - I have no idea why I said pipe, guess I should write a damn script next time. Still running stong no leaks 9 months. Thanks for positive feedback. Ed

[@dabdog66]

Ed Mueller

[@chemojv1velazquez]

Ed Mueller 👍🏻

[@youarerightboss]

Good job. Thank You.

[@paulrafala9653]

Thank you for this. Even though i'm not going to do the work myself its great to be able to speak intelligently to my mechanic.

[@iivv_nn]

Did this last night, no leaks. THANKS. No stores in my area had a line that fit my GMC.

[@yuuwhoo]

Phenomenal video - very clear, concise, great camera work. I really appreciate your time and energy. I have a 2009 Hummer H3t where the metal coupling rubbed against the pulley and of course made a whole and obviously a leak. On the freeway at 75 and saw smoke coming out of my rear end - thought it was oil at first but no, transmission fluid hitting the headers and fluid all over the bottom 2/3 of the engine as well as all over under the truck. Had to have the truck towed. Thanks.

[@TheOcculus]

You probably want to make the bead a little less pronounced. You have a full ISO bubble. You just need a raised bead of about 1mm to keep the clamped hose from sliding off. Bring the mandrel down 1/4 or 1/2 the distance to the tube holder rather than mashing it all the way down... you'll get a pretty decent bead without handing over your firstborn for Parker tools. Worm clamps work very poorly over time for hoses under 5/8" and they tend not to have protection to keep the hose from extruding through the worm slots and loosening up. Use "Rotor Clip" type Constant Tension Spring Band Clamps or German Fuel Injection Clamps for hoses this small. Both are just as cheap or even cheaper than the worm clamps. I prefer the Constant Tension Spring Band Clamps for this application. They are Self Compensating. Meaning. They will not cut into the hose as it expands with higher temps and they will not loosen and leak when cold temps shrink the hose. SAE J1019 rated hose is the stuff you want to use on a transmission or oil cooler line if you want it to last. I've had parts guys tell me to use fuel line... Fuel line melts in oil at the temps involved.

[@adrienneholden2597]

Transmission cooler

[@jbcookiii]

Thanks! This info is helpful for the upcoming repair on my truck.

[@chrisholliday1330]

Bought a flaring kit at Advanced auto part for 19.99$. Fixed the leak on my Ford F150 in about half an hours. Thanks.

[@frankieacer27]

Great video I really like the way you did it it does make sense by flaring the lines thanks for the help I'll be fixing my truck tomorrow.

[@ThePreyMantas]

Hi Ed, I have an 04' Silverado 1500 with the HD tow package, so I have the HD tranny and cooling system. My lower (I believe the return) was leaking at the top crimp joint through the hole just as you describe and I was experiencing slipping at this point due to low fluid level. I got under it today to see if I could replace the entire line I just bought, but they don't make vehicles to be easily repaired without a lift, so i had to fall back 20 and punt.... Hmmmmm. Thought about how you did it and there just wasn't any room to cut and flare, so I decided to unscrew the nut holding the line in the radiator and cut the TOC hose flush with the end of the cheap, soft aluminum sleeve (the root issue with the line) where it was leaking. Now I'm committed... LOL I then decided to use my small pneumatic cutoff wheel to "split the cheap crimped sleeve" to see what was under it. What do you know, the damn pipe has a concave barb formed in it!!!! Put a pipe clamp over the tube, reinstalled the radiator end, slipped the hose over the barbed end and tightened the clamp.... Fantastic! No leaks after topping off fluid and running for 10 minutes or so. Now for the road test... Headed out to the beltway, kicked it getting and off and cruised at 65-70 both ways to give it a workout. If it went I could walk the few miles home if need be. Got it back to my garage, checked the line, dry as a bone!!!!! I think this is a whole lot easier then all the cutting and flaring and a much better fix considering the pipe is already barbed for a hose! Thanks for the lead though and sorry you went through the unnecesary work of cutting and flaring. I even still have at least 2 inches of tube to play with should I even need to address it again, but somehow I don't think I'll have anymore issues with it. It seems to be a better solution then putting a replacement line in as long as the joints don't leak.... Cheers!

[@frankoneyjr.4515]

Great video ! The only thing I would do is use fuel injector clamps instead of the worm clamps ! Just added protection for very little money !

[@keithnoneya]

Very nicely done sir. You can cut the crimp area off and the it already has a flare under it, but it's a pain in the but. Thanks for the post. Best Wishes n Blessings Keith

[@mrmotofy]

It's easy with a dremel then a needle nose pliers to remove the rest

[@motoxero44]

Thanks for the great work and details! I just bought and installed a new Lower line today. I probably should have seen your video last weekend. Thanks though ..

[@calschmaltz2433]

Excellent job of making a video Very easy to understand and it save me a lot of work because I was going to replace the lines

[@tcremr]

Ed, thanks for the video my 05 2500HD actually started leaking at the crimp joints of both pipes. Guess what my weekend project is..........

[@ronaldcordova7041]

Thank you very much. I just used your repair to fix my oil cooler line on my 1983 Coupe Deville.

[@LamontBoucherville]

Good. The DeVille is a classique

[@STBRetired1]

Just a suggestion as Darren Mcgowan suggested below - instead of using a pipe cutter and having to flare the tubing, why not cut off the crimp fitting and have the whole length of the pipe to work with and have the built in "bump" so you wouldn't have to flare the end?

[@rudymuller5251]

Growing up I could always ask dad when it came to repairs, and yes his name was Ed Mueller :) seems it goes on just got a big leak in one if the lines on my Expedition.

[@jgsagat]

Thank you! with your help I was able to repair my F150.

[@charlesb5318]

Very good video, good angles shots very good information, Good job, good repair

[@Marcuspen1]

Thanks for the information. This is the Plan B way to repair but not necessarily the best way. Thank you for your time and effort and many guys will benefit from this thrifty method. Thank you again. Thumbs up.

[@MrMichaeldsullivan]

Sounds like this is a good fix for the Ford F-150 09-14 with the same transmission crimp issues. Good way to save some money.

[@4thpowertester56]

I believe a dremel with the fiber round blades that are used for cutting metal should be able to cut the crimp casings and will be easy to handle ! correct me if I am wrong ,,

[@johnjesus971]

Just bought a whole new line for super cheap on rock auto, acdelco too.

[@farerse]

that was a bad factory crimp! good repair , it will work just as good if not better in my opinion.

[@1999Shortstuff]

Should use Oekiter Clamps, not worm-screw clamps.

[@carlosmata3527]

Thanks for explaining makes sense best video of all the ones I've seen

[@jklemons1549]

I just want to say that this is what I did to my Chevy and haven't had a problem yet.

[@chuk0one47]

Great job Ed bout to do that on my escalade I lost transmission fluid the same way by that same hole

[@TheTferrer]

Question: Where did you buy the "Flare Tool"? I have been looking for one of those without braking the bank. Thanks

[@JamesSusanka]

My 2011 cruze looks like it is leaking from the exact same spot. Except the line is like 3 or 4 inches away from the turbo that obviously gets extremely hot. Time to make a report to NHTSA.

[@bsavy18]

Awesome how-to, will use same process for my 04 Escalade EXT. thanks man!

[@FixitMys3lf]

Dumb question, but doesn't the line have a flare underneath that crappy OEM crimp? BMW E36s notoriously leak on their low pressure power steering lines and the fix is to cut the factory crimp off carefully with tin snips or dremel if you are careful and then slip on new hose with hose clamp. Worked like a charm for me on my 328is. Was thinking could do the same on my GMC and after seeing this video, I think I can and will, since I don't have the flaring tool.

[@dnlmachine4287]

+D Cloes I did exactly what you described on my 2005 Jeep TJ 4.0L and 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 4.8L. Dremel with cutoff disc = win. Re-used the whole steel line - its got a bubble flare at the end and a ring flare about an inch inboard from that. Perfect setup for new rubber hose to slip over and clamp in place. Not a drop leaked. Stay gold.

[@mitchellsmith6772]

D Cloes I

[@mrmotofy]

Yes I've done that. Just use a dremel to cut most of that aluminum crimp sleeve. Cut squished hose end and install hose back on with 2 pipe clamps. Never use a single clamp on oil or trans lines, they can frequently slide off with pressure.

[@1999Shortstuff]

Agree.... Used a Dremel to cut the crimped clamp off (so that you can still use the existing flare on the end of the metal line that is under each crimped clamp). Then, replace the rubber old rubber hose with new hose and then carefully line-up both metal ends of the entire TCL it so that both ends of the TCL (transmission cooler line) are is the exact same orientation (so both ends will line us during the installation stage) then clamp the new hose to to the metal line. But do NOT use those crappy worm-screw clamps, but do use "Oetiker Clamps." They are a little more costly but that will be the last time you ever touch that transmission cooler line again for the rest of the vehicle's life.

[@familypreparednesscenter7400]

Great video this makes a lot of sense. I will be doing this for my Land Rover D1.

[@randylee2549]

could the leak have been putting out more fluid on the road under pressure accounting for the loss?

[@elgatogordo9523]

Cool! I did a similar repair in my 77 Pinto back in the day.

[@EZ570]

I watched this after I bought 3 new lines from the Chevy dealer. I am fixing a lot of dear damage to the front end, and want the truck to be reliable. The Allison transmission and truck is worth the cost of replacing the lines, as I have everything torn apart anyway.

[@918davisable]

perfect ! the for sharing !! doing ALL my lines on 94 Land Rover RRC 4.8 LWB !!

[@skulledmonte84]

fuel injection hose pretty much the same thing ? cause that's what i used

[@sbond1963]

Dude all you gotta do is cut the crimp off the pipe with the pipe cutter. Once the crimp is off you have the flange of the actual pipe available for use. easier than what you're doing and the pipe is still the same size

[@deadcell85]

Bondo dude, thank you

[@josephm.7302]

What exactly do you mean?

[@JodBronson]

+Joseph M. - Cut the " Silver " part off where you see the " Hole " in the Video / Clamped on by the Factory. Once you " Expose " that, the Line is already " Flange ".

[@tywanbrimage8388]

Jordan Bronson what did you cut the silver part off with

[@frankchilla6907]

nice video, Did you forget to put the black plastic clip retainer on before you flared the end of the pipe? I couldn't tell if it was on there

[@TorontoDrivingVideos]

this video was work of art, good job!

[@byron2521]

I have a 94 Chevy Cavalier. It is front wheel drive. The cooling line has a short run to the radiator because it is front wheel drive. About a foot or less tubing coming out of the transmission, into about a 6" hose, then back into a tube line into the radiator. Here is what i don't understand. Why the tube lines? Why not just run straight hose line? I understand on the rear wheel drives because you have a long run so you might need a line that has more support. With all the 90 and 45 degree turns in the tubing, I could save maybe a foot or more just running straight hose line?

[@latrogeniwile58]

Just use a 3/8 compression to 3/8 hose barb fitting.

[@chrisholliday1330]

However I didn't remove any lines. Did all the work under the truck. 04 Ford. See post below.

[@diannhazelton9808]

This was a great video, very detailed and informative. Thank you for your hard work.

[@bladeproject1]

Nice work although I would use Fuel Injector clamps. Much more surface squeeze on the pipe.

[@jonniejones7980]

I have a 2003 Buick Rendezvous. Can you tell me, if I were to take the fitting from the transmission line off (from the top of radiator), can I just install a new fitting back in there Without having any problems with the flow of fluid in the coolant system? Thank you!

[@claudelaplante9999]

Verry good way of doing it, thank you verry much, this is actualy the way I'm going todo it on my both Duramax

[@uberism81]

Great video! I don't have a flaring tool. Do you think it would leak if I didn't flare it and I used lets say 3 pipe clamps on each end?

[@esox0757]

most auto parts stores will rend the flaring tool for free.

[@mmmyyy4714]

What happened to good simple cheap hose clamps? Why are they making life difficult?

[@InternetDude]

Stop calling it a pipe, it's a hose. Great video though.

[@leducnighthawks1549]

i replaced my coolant lines in 2009 on my 03 chev 2500 durmax. it doesnt work too hard and its leaking again in 2014 .. another $600 repair . i wonder if i show this to a mechanic they would do this

[@AximusPrime33]

Dude your my fucking hero! On my 02 Chevy 8.1 the same damn line in the same damn spot! From one mechanic to another, thank you!

[@googleuser7202]

When you had the car in idle you could see the belt offley close to the line. And keep in mind this is a truck so when you hit a bump or a pothole and that line hits the belt it looks like it could damage it. Is there a way to secure that to keep it from moving around if you hit a pothole?

[@jeffm7669]

just had the crimp start leaking on mine today. Called GM, $81 bucks wholesale and $108 retail for that line! I'll be buying $10 bucks worth of hose and clamps lol.

[@Barnekkid]

Good job, dude, really good. I have a similar problem but it's on the lube oil side. I might try this.

[@lilianalidian2643]

can these bust, draining the ATF causing it not to go in drive or reverse?

[@chuk0one47]

You don't mind posting the name of that tool you used to make those flares on the aluminum holes. And that other item that cut the aluminum holes too

[@goJohnHenry]

You just saved me $200. Thanks Ed!

[@rmd2387]

These coolant line crimps must be the cheapest crap. I had all three of my coolant lines (oil, transmission and power steering) leaking at the return line crimp of each of them.

[@DJKEYS-br1xh]

TaterzMcBiscuit yea I just changed my power stering hi presure hose

[@1999Shortstuff]

All the ones that I have seen come with the same crappy crimped clamp.

[@1clnsdime1]

@@1999Shortstuff Yea for power steering you have to use a crimped hose it runs at a much higher pressure.

[@ems2n21]

This is one of the best videos to help do what I need to my truck. Line was fused to transcooler & I had to cut my line. I need the fittings for new radiator & need to connect to existing trans cooler line & the after market transcooler. This was very helpful. To keep the hose connections to nicop I bought, I don’t think I need a double flare? What flare tool did you use? Make / model? Thank you.

[@MuellerMechanical]

It was a flaring kit I bought at Auto Zone. I want to say it was like 19.99 or 29.99. I comes in a little plastic case.

[@juanbanales4804]

Which flaring tool are you using,,brand please!!

[@colterchandler1191]

Might be a dumb question but my 01 6.0 is leaking coolant like crazy could it be from this line? It's the only thing on the radiator I see that's wet

[@larrygrayson5574]

Got a2007 Chevy impala got reverse an drive 2 no drive what could be the problem

[@markborrmannjr]

In the future just cut the crimp off, new hose would have slid right on and stayed because it has the lip on the pipe to hold it once clamped...

[@tywanbrimage8388]

Hi what did you use to cut the crimp off

[@chrisrobins7]

what type of hose did YOU use and can YOU use power steering hose?

[@michaelsoutherland3023]

A PEX CRIMPER !!! But thank you, you make it seem easy now.

[@wilkyahzee2335]

the exact tranny cooling line going into the radiator, on my truck, leaks. it's coming from the tubing going into the coupling with the clip. is there an o-ring inside the coupling?

[@tommyhooks7767]

great job explaining and videoing the repair !

[@MuellerMechanical]

Thanks bud!

[@MuellerMechanical]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4nHmGenhbdniK8

[@MuellerMechanical]

you might like this oil vid as well. Please subscribe so I can make more. Thanks.

[@lakenokomis1240]

Thanks for the lucid video. I used your method successfully on my '90 G20 van. It had steel cooler lines that were rotted. The double flaring tool that I got from AutoZone would not produce the nice flange on the first pass, as yours did. It required a second pass with the single flare to create the trumpet-shaped rolled-over flange as found on the factory-formed end of the pipe. Your tubing must be aluminum to get the nice flange. Other flaring videos showed how to chamfer and lube the die to get a first-pass roll. I had measured the o.d. of the pipe at 5/16" and used the SAE kit, which did not work. The pipe was actually 8mm, so I got the metric kit. Do you think your method would work on a/c evaporator tubing? How much pressure do you think your method can take? Thanks again.

[@sleepyhead785]

Can I re use the old transmission fluid after this?

[@MrChuckieWuckie]

Thanks man! Fantastic vid. I learned allot and anticipate similar work following inspection of the trans cooling lines on my 02 Firebird later this week.

[@conan6908]

Hello Ed! I have two (really) irritating transmission fluid leaks along the right side of my engine. Seems like one's coming from the trans. cooling line from the back of the radiator as I keep finding trans. fluid dripping at the location where the factory fitting you show in your video, is, (where the lowest fitting from the radiator is). The #2 leak is a substantial leak between the engine and the tranny but off to the side and to the right of the engine. Not where the rear main seal is. So the front leak seems to be at that fitting point but I have (no) idea where the back leak might be coming from. Any ideas on this back leak? It's pretty substantial like at least a pint every three days. VERY irritating and worrisome to say the least. Took care of the TH400 trans. fluid pan leak, now I've got these leaks!!!! If you have (any) idea where the back leak could be coming from, your suggestions and help would be very (much) appreciated. Seems like that's all I do is go around trying to patch leaks on this truck, ever since I bought it. My truck has the 6.2L normally-aspirated Diesel V-8 and it's a 1991 Chevy R3500 Crew Cab Dually FYI if you need. Thanks in advance,Greg.

[@sandykaur3910]

wow I' really impressed, i wanna know where i can get this done

[@garyparker390]

Sandy Kaur lol

[@deeeeeeps]

I really don't like a rubber hose being bent like that. It will pinch the flow of the fluid and overheat the transmission. Fuel hoses will only last 5 years before the rubber dries up and you will have to redo it (especially with transmission fluid), but that is simple. I would suggest getting an aftermarket hose kit for a permanent fix. Make sure its not pinching...id hate to see you ruin your transmission.

[@OpenCarryUSMC]

The hose was bent pretty sharply but only where the solid pipe was under it. Shouldn't be a problem. Had that sharp bend been in just a section of hose, yeah, it wouldn't have been good.

[@esox0757]

+1 With the hose being over the bend in the steel tubing, there is no chance of it crimping.

[@movieguy7398]

can you just use a compression fitting with a barbed fitting on the other end?

[@mrmotofy]

Sure...but more parts needed. It's actually a bit easier to just dremel the crimp sleeve off. Use needle nose pliers if needed, then replace hose and double clamp ends.

[@onlylikenerd]

I don't have those flaring tools and such... you think I could do this without flaring it? Just throwing the tube on with 2 hose clamps on each side?

[@sleepyhead785]

onlylikenerd I tried to do this without flaring it and it leaked

[@onlylikenerd]

Andrew okay. I ended up taking the truck to the shop (huge mistake). They replaced the entire tranny cooler line, and it still leaked (because it was the connection not the line) and then I took it back, and they literally did exactly what this video did. >.>

[@darrylvaughan9666]

I did this without flaring and 1 week later the hose blew off and I ruined my perfectly good transmission when I lost all the fluid. $1800 LESSON for Transmission Rebuild!!! FLARE THE ENDS!!!!!!!

[@mrmotofy]

It's actually a bit easier to just dremel the crimp sleeve off. Use needle nose pliers if needed, then replace hose and double clamp ends.

[@feedot4096]

my suburban has the same exact issue, thx for the vid!

[@TheRaneri]

U have a link for the tool you used to flare the pipes?

[@chriswheeler5150]

What size line did you use? And where did you get the flange maker?

[@johnalbe8756]

Ed... why not try what a few have suggested on a new video. I'm sure you will like it, and save your viewers a lot of hassle. Use a 4" angle grinder and cut in-line right through the crimp and hose without going too deep, then just peel it off to expose the oem barbed tubing. BTW there's not a lot of pressure in those lines, just enough to circulate the trans fuid.

[@mrmotofy]

It's actually a bit easier to just dremel the crimp sleeve off. Use needle nose pliers if needed, then replace hose and double clamp ends.

[@ricksilk485]

Nice video Ed , I'm sure it will help more than one D.I.Y. er's ..... even picked up a few tips myself The flaring tool I have is old school , doesn't have the adaptor but I have a friend with a small lathe .

[@iivv_nn]

This seems better than the crimp. I think I have these tools as well

[@TonySaprano]

Why does it leak from the small hole... That's my question :) Design ? I don't get it ! Thanks if you can answer this Ed.

[@jaywilliam9625]

Warranty is also a situation you have to worry about. That vehicle was probably still under warranty. It can possibly void a warranty is rigged that way! True it can last awhile but will in turn leak just as fast as the oem part could!

[@meannie11]

look at the title "transmission cooler line leak repair" thats it. warranty no warranty is another subject goof. ive owned a total of about 30 vehicles, and have been using this method the past 25 years. they've never leaked ..youre full o shit go back to your little textbook haha

[@thesaltysak6644]

I need this for my power steering presure line it's leaking like crazy great vid

[@jaywilliam9625]

not a good idea man hose clamps loosen and the line shrinks!

[@mrhighway]

jay william you saying this only work for transmission cooler line?

[@brianburdine4620]

Can this be done to the high pressure line as well? Or only low pressure line.

[@mrmotofy]

Any oil or trans line just use 2 clamps, It's actually a bit easier to just dremel the crimp sleeve off. Use needle nose pliers if needed, then replace hose and double clamp ends.

[@brucebrooker1826]

That was Dextron 6 ñot 5 ,,, V is 5 Vl is 6 Thought ya might like to know.

[@rafaelordonez1349]

Where can I buy that adapter tool?

[@TheBloodcleaner]

good job...even the cars are made to fail these days ...ill try it tomorrow

[@JoseGonzalez_Maestria]

Hello, Ed - Sorry for the naive question I'm about to make, but.. Does these hoses have to be 100% of the time dry? One of those hoses is permanently wet in my car and the Trans Fluid isn't getting lower. Could you help me solve this issue?

[@MuellerMechanical]

Not sure, wipe it, is it wet with black oil or red Trans. fluid? Could it be condensation water drip from AC?

[@JoseGonzalez_Maestria]

+Ed Mueller It's blackish, but I don't understand where oil could be dripping from.

[@ranaeevans6843]

Ed Mueller used hyyyj

[@ellmvdesinaloa]

this is for a f250 6.0 ??

[@latoryairashirley863]

can any of help me fix a transmission leak in a 2006 Chevy Impala

[@don127100]

'hay' you did not put the black clip back on the trans line at the radiator