what disconnect tool for 1999 Jeep Cherokee trans cooler lines?

[Nate Nagel]

I have one "quick" disconnect fitting that is keeping me from pulling
the rad on my Heep...

I have tried the QD tool set that I already had, a Lisle brand one with
the plastic tools... bought a similar looking set from Harbor
Freight... bought a 3/8" "Powerbuilt" QD tool from Carquest... NONE OF
THEM WORK! The problem appears to be that the line is 3/8" but none of
the 3/8" tools have a large enough outside diameter to disengage the
clips. (there are four fingers inside the female fitting... I can see
a different but identical fitting, if that were the one I needed to get
off I'd just finesse it with a small screwdriver, but the one that I
really need to get off I have no clearance around it, the QD is right up
against the radiator and the driver's side frame rail.) I tried shaving
a little off the plastic of the Harbor Freight 1/2" tool to see if that
would work but it is too flimsy to disengage the clips. I also tried
wrapping the Powerbuilt tool with metal foil duct tape to increase its
OD, but the fingers just peel the tape off.

If anyone has a tool that is known to work on these connectors, a mfgr.
and model no. (and where you purchased it) would be greatly appreciated.
Otherwise I'll just hacksaw the crimp off the line and use a hose
clamp, ugly though that may be... I really want to avoid doing that though.

thanks

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[Geoff Welsh]

Nate Nagel wrote:
> I have one "quick" disconnect fitting that is keeping me from pulling
> the rad on my Heep...
>

they are quick connect fittings, not quick DISconnect.

can you post a picture on the web of the location of the connector?

GW

[Geoff Welsh]

or better yet, just replace your foil tape idea, with a strip cut from
an aluminum soda can.
GW

[AMuzi]

I know nothing about this but here are some comments found
in a quick web search:

1. As regards the Quick Disconnect:
Cut the quick disconnect off. Get a brass male-to-male 3/8
adapter and 2 inches of 3/8 hose. Re-assemble with rubber
hose and 3 hose clamps. The quick-disconnect is stupid,
difficult to use and unnecessary.
In other words: you can slip the rubber hose right over the
copper tube coming from the radiator and secure with a hose
clamp. However, once you cut the quick-disconnect out of the
system, the hose will be about 2.5 inches short. Just add 2
inches of hose and the brass adapter (the half inch of
length) and you are good to go.

2. you should only cut it off if the quick disconnect gives
you grief. Which it typically does. If it comes right
apart....it will probably leak when reassembled. Then you
will have to cut it off.

3.This is exactly how i spent my day today, after messing
with the 'quick connect' for 4 hours, i reinstalled the new
fitting back into the 'quick connect', put the trans into
drive with parking brake on, and the fitting leaked.
so tomorrow, i am cutting it off.

4.When I replaced my radiator about 3 months ago I ran into
the same problem and made the job take an extra day ! I
messed with the lines forever and just ended up breaking the
nipple on the radiator off ! Just cut the line as close to
the radiator as you can, cut the rubber and just use a hose
clamp to put it back on the new one. Mine has yet to leak
and it fits nice and tight.

There are a lot more in the vein.

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

[Nate Nagel]

On 10/19/2013 04:27 PM, Geoff Welsh wrote:
> Geoff Welsh wrote:
>> Nate Nagel wrote:
>>> I have one "quick" disconnect fitting that is keeping me from pulling
>>> the rad on my Heep...
>>>
>>
>> they are quick connect fittings, not quick DISconnect.

Now that right there is a statement of truth!

>>
>> can you post a picture on the web of the location of the connector?
>>

Maybe later, see below.

>
> or better yet, just replace your foil tape idea, with a strip cut from
> an aluminum soda can.
> GW
>

Well, since I was installing a new rad I called the shop and had one of
the mechanics send me pics of the new rad (shop owner is my friend, I
bought a new rad on his shop account and he's dropping it off to me this
evening after work) looked like the new rad had the male end of the QD
on it so I just hacksawed the one on the old rad in half, pulled the
rad, and then I could turn the hose up so I could look in it... finagled
the stub of the old male end out by wiggling the QD tool around while
pulling on the stub with Channellocks.

No pics, because it started raining in the middle of this procedure, and
since I don't have the new rad yet, it seemed like a splendid time for a
beer break.

I'd still like to know how the (expletive deleted) to do this in the car
without destroying anything, in case I have to someday.

[Nate Nagel]

as you can see from my previous post, I did in fact get it off, but only
by destroying the old radiator (it has plastic side tanks and the hard
line does not have a fitting, it apparently is in a unit with the trans
cooler and the whole mess is epoxied in place) which was no big deal, I
was pulling it because the other side tank was leaking anyway.

If it does leak after reassembly, after spending as much time fighting
with this stupid thing as the entire rest of the disassembly process, I
will have no qualms whatsoever about hacksawing that (expletive deleted)
thing apart and getting a new length of rubber. The rubber section is
short enough it's not even worth splicing, I'll just cut both crimps off.

[N8N]

Aaaaand after a new thermostat, a new alternator, and a new radiator all within two weeks, I'm bleeding the air out of the new rad and all of a sudden I have an ABS code...! It seems to be trying to make up for the last two years where all I did was fluids and a tuneup... and of course I don't have a scanner that will read ABS codes.

[JR]

On Sunday, October 20, 2013 10:32:37 AM UTC-5, N8N wrote:
> Aaaaand after a new thermostat, a new alternator, and a new radiator all within two weeks, I'm bleeding the air out of the new rad and all of a sudden I have an ABS code...! It seems to be trying to make up for the last two years where all I did was fluids and a tuneup... and of course I don't have a scanner that will read ABS codes.

Google,,, Flare Wrenches

[Geoff Welsh]

Nate Nagel wrote:
> On 10/19/2013 04:27 PM, Geoff Welsh wrote:
>> Geoff Welsh wrote:
>>> Nate Nagel wrote:
>>>> I have one "quick" disconnect fitting that is keeping me from pulling
>>>> the rad on my Heep...
>>>>
>>>
>>> they are quick connect fittings, not quick DISconnect.
>
> Now that right there is a statement of truth!
>
>>>
>>> can you post a picture on the web of the location of the connector?
>>>
>
> Maybe later, see below.
>
>>
>> or better yet, just replace your foil tape idea, with a strip cut from
>> an aluminum soda can.
>> GW
>>
>

> Well, since I was installing a new rad .... I just hacksawed the one on the old rad in half, pulled the

> rad, and then I could turn the hose up so I could look in it... finagled
> the stub of the old male end out by wiggling the QD tool around while
> pulling on the stub with Channellocks.

That works too! It's been my experience that the connector is usually
just plain stuck, not that the release tool isn't working, and when you
can't can't get to it easily, there's nothing wrong with cutting off
something you are throwing away anyway.

GW

[Geoff Welsh]

and for anyone who hasn't seen them, :

<http://www.ebay.com/itm/KENT-MOORE-J-39504-FUEL-LINE-DISCONNECT-TOOL-RB136-/360751886325?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item53fe7ceff5&vxp=mtr>

are nice to have.

one is 5/16, one is 3/8, and a fuel line connector is almost identical
to a trans cooler line connector in many cases where a Quick Connect is
used.

GW