Repairing A Metal Line
by Tommy Sessions

What is that leaking from underneath your vehicle?

It looks like automatic transmission fluid, coming 
from the front of the engine.

No, it's coming from one of the lines from the
transmission to the radiator.

Looks like it has a hole rubbed in it.

This is very common on some vehicles.

The metal fluid  lines will vibrate, or rub against the
other line or some  other part  between the
transmission and the radiator.

There are two ways that you can repair them without
replacing the line altogether.

A quick-fix would be to get a piece of vacuum line or
fuel line about 2' long that will fit over the metal line.

If the metal line is 3/8" outside diameter, then you
want a piece of hose that is 3/8" inside diameter.

Take your pocket knife...what?  You don't have a pocket
knife?  My, my, my.

Well, get a box opener or a pocket knife from the parts
store and split the rubber line so you can wrap it
around the metal line.

Put the split hose over the metal line where the hole
is.

Be sure the split is pointed away from the hole in the
metal line.

Put a hose clamp over the rubber hose at the point
where the hole is, in the metal line, and tighten it.

This will cause the rubber hose to seal off the hole in
the metal line.

Now, this is a quick-fix as mentioned above, and is
temporary.  But it will get you back on the road!

To make a permanent repair you will need to invest in a
few tools, if you don't already have them.

You'll need a small tubing cutter and a couple of
open-end wrenches.  A 9/16 and a 1/2.

You'll need to know what size metal line you have.
Probably 3/8" on most transmission lines.

At the parts store, or hardware store you can get a
compression sleeve.

It's a piece of brass fitting with threads on each end
that has a cap that twist onto it.  There is a little sleeve
inside each cap.

Find where the line is leaking and cut it with the
tubing cutter about 1/2" away from the hole.

Then cut the other end of the line about 1/2" away from
the hole.

What you will be doing is cutting about 1 inch out of
the line with the hole in the middle of the inch.

Take the cap off one end of the fitting and slide it
onto one of the lines.

Take the little compression sleeve and slide in onto
the line.

Put the center part of the fitting onto the line as far
as it will go.

Slide the compression sleeve up to the center part, and
then twist the cap onto the center part.

Make sure the line stays up inside the center part.

Take the wrenches and tighten the cap.

Do the same with the other end and you are through.

Now, to keep the lines from rubbing against each other
at this point, take a piece of rubber line and split it
with your pocket knife--you did get a pocket knife while 
you were at the parts store, didn't you?

Slip it over the other metal line and tie it onto the
line with a tie-strap...you can get them at the parts store,
also.

By the way, read these instructions before you start.

If you don't, you will be running to the parts store
every time you start to do something with your repair.


Tommy Sessions has been in auto repair since 1970.
He publishes Bad Car Again Ezine and his web site
can be seen at  http://www.badcaragain.com   Join
the ezine at: mailto:83449-subscribe@zinester.com
and learn even more about your favorite vehicle.