For a little while, our 1990 900S automatic had been seeping a little ATF from one of the lines leading to the cooler (which is built into the lower rad hose--never seen this before on another car 
). The car has 151k miles.
Specifically, it's the crimp joint where the rubber part of the line meets the metal part that was the source of the leak.
After an exhaustive search of all the "discount" parts places for new lines, the best price I could find was about $120--EACH.
I don't think so :evil:
Before big pickup trucks and SUVs became popular, anyone who regularly towed a boat or trailer here in the US would often fit an auxiliary transmission cooler to their car or station wagon. I figured that there should still be aftermarket hardware and tubing available to do this--and that it should work for the OEM cooler also.
Turns out that Hayden Automotive makes a lot of this stuff. At the local auto parts store, I bought a 4-1/2 foot coil of 11/32-inch rubber transmission cooler line made by this company ($10)--and a 3-pack of fittings (kit number 252, $10), of which one is a perfect fit for the side of the SAAB trans and the other two look pretty sitting on a shelf.
Here's how to make the new lines:
(1) Drain trans--about 4 quarts will come out. Undo the 3 metal fittings--2 at the trans cooler, and one at the trans primary drive casing. Keep the little O-rings! Undo the banjo bolt at the side of the trans (near the kickdown cable), and also remove the adaptor into which the bolt fits. Take the lines to your workbench.
(2) Cut the metal parts of the lines as close as possible to where the rubber crimps on. Deburr these, and flush away any metal filings with carb/choke cleaner. Discard the banjo bolt and its adaptor, and both rubber hose remnants.
(3) Wrap teflon tape around the threads of the useful brass fitting from Hayden kit 252, and tightly screw it into the side of the trans. Screw on the 3 metal fittings (with their remnants of metal tubing), with their O-rings in place.
(4) Cut two lengths of rubber line: 18 inches for the one going from the side of the trans, and about 12 inches for the other. Slip on hose clamps, and push-fit each line onto the metal tubing pieces and the brass fitting. Ensure that the rubber lines are not kinked anywhere, and that the bend in the line going to the brass fitting has a radius of no less than 3 inches. Tighten the hose clamps. Refill trans with fresh Type F fluid.
(5) Gloat over the money you just saved :cheesy:
). The car has 151k miles.Specifically, it's the crimp joint where the rubber part of the line meets the metal part that was the source of the leak.
After an exhaustive search of all the "discount" parts places for new lines, the best price I could find was about $120--EACH.
I don't think so :evil:
Before big pickup trucks and SUVs became popular, anyone who regularly towed a boat or trailer here in the US would often fit an auxiliary transmission cooler to their car or station wagon. I figured that there should still be aftermarket hardware and tubing available to do this--and that it should work for the OEM cooler also.
Turns out that Hayden Automotive makes a lot of this stuff. At the local auto parts store, I bought a 4-1/2 foot coil of 11/32-inch rubber transmission cooler line made by this company ($10)--and a 3-pack of fittings (kit number 252, $10), of which one is a perfect fit for the side of the SAAB trans and the other two look pretty sitting on a shelf.
Here's how to make the new lines:
(1) Drain trans--about 4 quarts will come out. Undo the 3 metal fittings--2 at the trans cooler, and one at the trans primary drive casing. Keep the little O-rings! Undo the banjo bolt at the side of the trans (near the kickdown cable), and also remove the adaptor into which the bolt fits. Take the lines to your workbench.
(2) Cut the metal parts of the lines as close as possible to where the rubber crimps on. Deburr these, and flush away any metal filings with carb/choke cleaner. Discard the banjo bolt and its adaptor, and both rubber hose remnants.
(3) Wrap teflon tape around the threads of the useful brass fitting from Hayden kit 252, and tightly screw it into the side of the trans. Screw on the 3 metal fittings (with their remnants of metal tubing), with their O-rings in place.
(4) Cut two lengths of rubber line: 18 inches for the one going from the side of the trans, and about 12 inches for the other. Slip on hose clamps, and push-fit each line onto the metal tubing pieces and the brass fitting. Ensure that the rubber lines are not kinked anywhere, and that the bend in the line going to the brass fitting has a radius of no less than 3 inches. Tighten the hose clamps. Refill trans with fresh Type F fluid.
(5) Gloat over the money you just saved :cheesy:
