ratdude747 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Share Posted January 18, 2023 Done. Free shipping too. Good find! It came in. Install is stalled and so far a failure. First, the upper rail doesn't have holes in the right spot for a 1990 fan shroud: For now, I hillbillied it with zip ties: Would drilling replacement shroud holes void the warranty? Anyway, I then ran into a show stopper: Transmission cooler fittings don't match up: Not even the flare fittings themselves fit. No hardware at all was provided either. The bottom of the box was wide open. Fell out or was stolen at the warehouse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 It came in. Install is stalled and so far a failure. First, the upper rail doesn't have holes in the right spot for a 1990 fan shroud: For now, I hillbillied it with zip ties: Would drilling replacement shroud holes void the warranty? Anyway, I then ran into a show stopper: Transmission cooler fittings don't match up: Not even the flare fittings themselves fit. No hardware at all was provided either. The bottom of the box was wide open. Fell out or was stolen at the warehouse? Bummer! I'd call Champion tomorrow and ask some questions - like the one about drilling holes. And about fittings. But you have an adapter on the end of your line. Does it fit w/o the adapter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratdude747 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Share Posted January 18, 2023 Bummer! I'd call Champion tomorrow and ask some questions - like the one about drilling holes. And about fittings. But you have an adapter on the end of your line. Does it fit w/o the adapter? Nope. Flare fitting is too big as is the old adapter. I'll reach out to Champion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratdude747 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Share Posted January 18, 2023 Nope. Flare fitting is too big as is the old adapter. I'll reach out to Champion. Just got off the phone. Answers: 1. Redrilling the holes doesn't void the warranty. 2. Their radiators don't come with hardware 3. The transmission cooler ports are 1/8 NPT. I'll need to find different adapters or use 1/8 to 1/4 adapters. Yay... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 Just got off the phone. Answers: 1. Redrilling the holes doesn't void the warranty. 2. Their radiators don't come with hardware 3. The transmission cooler ports are 1/8 NPT. I'll need to find different adapters or use 1/8 to 1/4 adapters. Yay... Sounds like a workable plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratdude747 Posted January 18, 2023 Author Share Posted January 18, 2023 Sounds like a workable plan. Looks like I'm stacking adapters on adapters. The exisiting inverted flare fittings are a bit odd (longer than normal inverted flare fittings) and everything I'm finding online with a 1/8 male end is the short variety. I'd rather not only have a few threads holding in the cooler lines. I can get brass 1/8 to 1/4 adapters: https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/pipe-fittings/brass-fittings/sioux-chief-reg-fip-x-mip-lead-free-brass-reducing-coupling/0121984/p-1444442650773-c-9432.htm?tid=6969510597604758457&ipos=8 A bit long and chunky, but it would work. At least until I find something better. Edit- Found something better locally: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/american-grease-stick/hardware---fasteners/brass-fittings/pipe-thread-fittings/42cdacce856a/american-grease-stick-adapter-fitting/ags0/ptf52b?pos=7 Still stacking adapters, but at least it's hex and more compact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 Looks like I'm stacking adapters on adapters. The exisiting inverted flare fittings are a bit odd (longer than normal inverted flare fittings) and everything I'm finding online with a 1/8 male end is the short variety. I'd rather not only have a few threads holding in the cooler lines. I can get brass 1/8 to 1/4 adapters: https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/pipe-fittings/brass-fittings/sioux-chief-reg-fip-x-mip-lead-free-brass-reducing-coupling/0121984/p-1444442650773-c-9432.htm?tid=6969510597604758457&ipos=8 A bit long and chunky, but it would work. At least until I find something better. Edit- Found something better locally: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/american-grease-stick/hardware---fasteners/brass-fittings/pipe-thread-fittings/42cdacce856a/american-grease-stick-adapter-fitting/ags0/ptf52b?pos=7 Still stacking adapters, but at least it's hex and more compact. That should work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce moose4x4 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Looks like I'm stacking adapters on adapters. The exisiting inverted flare fittings are a bit odd (longer than normal inverted flare fittings) and everything I'm finding online with a 1/8 male end is the short variety. I'd rather not only have a few threads holding in the cooler lines. I can get brass 1/8 to 1/4 adapters: https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/pipe-fittings/brass-fittings/sioux-chief-reg-fip-x-mip-lead-free-brass-reducing-coupling/0121984/p-1444442650773-c-9432.htm?tid=6969510597604758457&ipos=8 A bit long and chunky, but it would work. At least until I find something better. Edit- Found something better locally: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/american-grease-stick/hardware---fasteners/brass-fittings/pipe-thread-fittings/42cdacce856a/american-grease-stick-adapter-fitting/ags0/ptf52b?pos=7 Still stacking adapters, but at least it's hex and more compact. Do away with the one adapter unless you want the length. These should work. Should be inverted flair to NPT. https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/american-grease-stick/american-grease-stick-connector-fitting/ags0/blf57b/v/a/2233/automotive-suv-1996-jeep-cherokee?q=blf57b&pos=0 https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/american-grease-stick/american-grease-stick-connector-fitting/ags0/blf67b/v/a/2233/automotive-suv-1996-jeep-cherokee?q=blf67b&pos=0 https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/american-grease-stick/american-grease-stick-connector-fitting/ags0/blf68b/v/a/2233/automotive-suv-1996-jeep-cherokee?q=blf68b&pos=0 The first on is 3/16 tube the second is 1/4 tube and the third is 5/16 tube. Not sure what size you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratdude747 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 Do away with the one adapter unless you want the length. These should work. Should be inverted flair to NPT. https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/american-grease-stick/american-grease-stick-connector-fitting/ags0/blf57b/v/a/2233/automotive-suv-1996-jeep-cherokee?q=blf57b&pos=0 https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/american-grease-stick/american-grease-stick-connector-fitting/ags0/blf67b/v/a/2233/automotive-suv-1996-jeep-cherokee?q=blf67b&pos=0 https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/american-grease-stick/american-grease-stick-connector-fitting/ags0/blf68b/v/a/2233/automotive-suv-1996-jeep-cherokee?q=blf68b&pos=0 The first on is 3/16 tube the second is 1/4 tube and the third is 5/16 tube. Not sure what size you have. All of those looked too short. I have a feeling the stock tube fittings may be metric. --- I got this together on Wednesday night but it kicked my butt, only for work to kick my butt for the next two days (and I was dead yesterday). Anyway, I was focused on getting it together, but I did get a couple of pics: Transmission lines conennected: These gave me issues. Turns out while nominally being the same size, the flare fittings are inlet/outlet specific in my case. The lower line's fitting is a hair larger than the upper (the lead-in's shoulder at least), and one of the two stock adapters is also a hair larger. Get it right, both fittings fight a bit but do eventually thread up. Get it wrong and the upper line threads easily but the lower gets stuck on the shoulder 2mm before the threads can engage each other. Tolerance stackup? Drilling the radiator didn't got well. I got lazy and tried to do it in-situ, but the results weren't pretty (and one hole broke through and became a notch). Thankfully, it still works and the speed nuts mostly hide my sins: Otherwise, filling/bleeding the system was uneventful, other than trying out a new (to me) tool I bought back in 2021, which I've since found out is a MAC tool... or at least is now (as the case made no mention of MAC tools, and appears to be made by a startup company in Austrialia). I didnt' have instructions and I made a bit of a mess. Don't pull the trigger with the fill valve open unless you want to spray antifreeze everywhere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 All of those looked too short. I have a feeling the stock tube fittings may be metric. --- I got this together on Wednesday night but it kicked my butt, only for work to kick my butt for the next two days (and I was dead yesterday). Anyway, I was focused on getting it together, but I did get a couple of pics: Transmission lines conennected: These gave me issues. Turns out while nominally being the same size, the flare fittings are inlet/outlet specific in my case. The lower line's fitting is a hair larger than the upper (the lead-in's shoulder at least), and one of the two stock adapters is also a hair larger. Get it right, both fittings fight a bit but do eventually thread up. Get it wrong and the upper line threads easily but the lower gets stuck on the shoulder 2mm before the threads can engage each other. Tolerance stackup? Drilling the radiator didn't got well. I got lazy and tried to do it in-situ, but the results weren't pretty (and one hole broke through and became a notch). Thankfully, it still works and the speed nuts mostly hide my sins: Otherwise, filling/bleeding the system was uneventful, other than trying out a new (to me) tool I bought back in 2021, which I've since found out is a MAC tool... or at least is now (as the case made no mention of MAC tools, and appears to be made by a startup company in Austrialia). I didnt' have instructions and I made a bit of a mess. Don't pull the trigger with the fill valve open unless you want to spray antifreeze everywhere! Well, even with the issues it works, right? The fittings don't leak? The shroud fits? If so, that's a win. As for the tool, it just keeps you from having to pour in the several gallons of coolant? But causes a big mess if you don't use it correctly? Is it worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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