Hi all,

I am having an issue breaking the nut free on the transmission line going into my 960 radiator. I tired the trick of squeezing 2 wrenches together and I had squirted the thing for a week prior with PB Blaster. (like the FAQS suggest)

Anyone know of another trick? I can't budge it and I am slowly ruining the line with a little twist action. I am using a 17 mm flare nut wrench on it along with a one inch open ended wrench.

I was wondering what the worst case result is.. If I twist the end of the line, can it be mended in any way? I believe someone mentioned they put a rubber tube in-line as a fix. If this happens to me, I am worried that there will not be enough tube on the radiator side to splice in a rubber tube. Is this a stabdard tube that I could get a small peice of?

Any suggestions are very appreciated, Thank you

Seth

Just thought I would post this incase someone searched the archives with the same issue.

The fittings on the 97/98 960's (different than earlier models) fittings are 16mm x 1.5

You can tell if you have this style vs the earlier ones if the ferrule that goes into the radiator is a male (fits inside the radiator fitting). The earlier fitting is female and covers the male threaded fitting output of the radiator.

Any decent hydraulics shop can order/have the fittings.

So the nut is loosening but the pipe is spinning with the nut?
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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html

I rounded the nut, so I cut the line.

Now I have to do something to get the line hooked up again. I ordered a hayden trans adapter that I was going to try to use to splice in a piece of tubing. I am not sure it will work out until I get the part. No junk yards in my area had a 97 or 98 960. The 97 and 98 960's have different fittings than the earlier models.

Now that it's cut out, were you able to get the tubing free from the fitting so you can reuse that at the Radiator?

#1 If you do that, you can flare in a length of tubing to make up for what you cut out.

#2 The trani lines are not under any real pressure, if you want, you can use the original fitting, flare asmall piece of hard line and use Gas hose to join together.
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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html

The fitting and tubing are now trash.

I am hoping the hayden fitting will resolve things. it will provide a nice tubing barbed end to connect a flexible line to. I will let the board know if it works out. Seems like a nice alternative than finding something at a junk yard... the fitting is 10 bucks.

Dear Seth,

Hope you're well. If memory serves, the transmission fluid line connectors are the same on the 960, as they are on the 940. I recently flushed the tranny on a 940. I used a regular (not flare) 17mm wrench on the line fitting, and an adjustable wrench on the brass radiator hex fitting.

As to your question, as to what to do, if the end of the trans fluid tubing is damaged, I'd suggest going to a salvage yard. Find a 940 or a 960, and cut a short section of tubing, complete with the hex fitting that is at the end of the steel tubing. Use a hacksaw or, if there's room, a tubing cutter, of the sort plumbers use to cut copper pipe. Remove any burrs - and true the ends - using a fine file. Wash away any steel dust/shavings.

You can join that salvage-yard section to the longer run on your car, by finding some fuel line of the same diameter, as the outer diameter of the steel tubing. Use the rubber tubing - with two hose clamps - to form a union. If the steel tube sections meet exactly, the rubber will be little exposed to the ATF. Once a decade, replace the rubber section.

At the risk of laboring the obvious, when you join the sections, tighten the fitting on the radiator, before you tighten the hose clamps.

I think this should make a pretty durable repair.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Thanks guys, I believe I need to cut the thing. I just rounded the nut (using a flare nut wrench!) I tried the freeze spray and tightening.

The thing is solid.

With Spook's advice in mind, I recalled that my 940 had a rusted fitting at the tranny which was impossible to remove when pulling the tranny for the rear seal replacement. We cut the line about a foot ahead of this, sanded it smooth, and used a simple plumbing compression fitting to join the two tubes together.

You can get a replacement line and nut at a junkyard or from Volvo (try Borton Volvo or Tasca Volvo). Cut the line at a convenient spot, replace the radiator with the new one, install the new line cut to where the old one was cut, and either use a compression fitting or a rubber hose with two band clamps.
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See the 700/900 FAQ at the drop-down menu above right.

Try first TIGHTENING the nut, not loosening: this often breaks it free. There is also a freeze-type penetrating spray sold at NAPA that works on nuts like this, best for applications that cannot take heat. Two brands are CRC Freeze Off and Loctite Freeze and Release.
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See the 700/900 FAQ at the drop-down menu above right.

I often give it a few crisp whacks with the wrench. That will sometimes jar things loose...
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Dale