Got all back together! Cannot figure out the trans leak.... I am going to just buy the parts for the radiator, the quick connect fittings and put the old thicker core radiator back in. Should have just done this from the start.... Cant even test drive the truck until the leak is fixed...

Always something....

 

Really wanted to see if all that work helped... gonna be on the lift a few more days...

 

The more I work on this truck, the more I am convinced that it is the Red Headed Step Child of the production line. I know that is not true, but I keep running into issues I have not had working on GM, Toyota, Subaru, Dodge etc, etc, vehicles. Latest was the Radiator situation. I think I have that under control I found a fitting that I think will work, but cannot test it yet until I get the trans line I ordered that has not arrived yet... I am hoping today but not sure....

Also the dive into the trans was new to me. Since I am waiting for this trans line, I was just reviewing what I had done and if I did everything correctly. I mean I got everything back together, no extra parts etc... always a good sign, but I realized that I put the 2-3 shift piston in upside down. It was laying on the valve body when I took it out.... I saw the cone shaped protrusion and figured the spring went on that.... WRONG!!! So took it all apart this am, and fixed that mistake. As is shown in the before and after pics I took below.

In this pic, you can see that the small piston, at the bottom of the photo is backwards... thats how I put it in the first time....


In this pic you can see it has been installed the correct way. I wish I had done it correctly the first time I just did not know... LIve and learn.
I am just glad I realized it before I got it completely finished. One good thing is that I have just about completely flushed out all the old fluid at this point. LOL


So just waiting on the line and I can add coolant and trans fluid and give it a test drive. Soon very soon!

 

Finally got the Dorman trrans line.
Amazon said it would not fit my truck, but I bought it anyway just to use the end and connect with trans tubing.... but when I laid the parts out side by side, I knew it would work. But the fitting to the other trans cooler was toast and when I tried to just turn the line the fitting just exploded. Its a quick connect like the ones on the radiator, but of course Ford made them different... I got and OEM one for big $$ but it came the nest day, Yesterday, and it all fit. I filled the fluids up this am and took it for a no tag test drive...

I am happy to report that there are no leaks, the trans shifted perfect, and I am headed to get it inspected and tagged in the next couple days!

I got my garage back, and I can move on to my next project!

Thanks to all for the comments and help.
These are the non oem trans cooler line quick connectors that I used on the radiator:

This is the oem connector for the other trans cooler:

I also ordered this one non oem that I think will fit the same aux trans cooler incase I need it...

I put some grease on them hoping to slow any corrosion that ened the life of the other ones.

THX

 

Ill report back after I am legal and on the road!

 

FWIW, I read... and backflushed the cookerS and lines while I had mine open. There's a special type of can spray. And... I caught the stuff in a clear soda bottle. Letting it sit overnight, I could examine it for settled particles in the sunshine. You probably don't need the flush, but I did. You'd maybe remove a LIL more old fluid. I blew it out by compressed air, after... careful to not exceed ~15 psi, by not making a good connection while I had 60-90 psi in my hand. The spray is specially compatible with the fluid, so perfect removal is not a worry, but I'm ****, and cleared it plus allowed hours for evaporation/drippage, with a clear baggie over ends, rubberbanded to keep dust out.
Happy travels!

 

@BillSF9c

Thanks you for your comment. Thanks for reading my saga as well! I joined this site for two reasons, one to get help when and where I needed it and two to help anyone else that may come across any of these issues in the future. I am not a mechanic but... I have fixed all my own vehicles and those of my kids always. I also fixed 2000 something ford explores sport for a friend. Motor and suspension problems That is what brought me here again Got a lot of great help then as well. Great place, thanks to all that offered comments! Early on someone suggested to just swap out the motor and the trans. Was not a bad idea, an may have been better, faster maybe too. However, this thing runs so well. Just made sense, to me, to try and fix what I had. The price was right, but 'There is no free truck'! LOL

Yes sir, It is good to clean those coolers I am sure! I cleaned the radiator one completely, both the coolant part and the trans tank part.... Also cleaned the fins et al while I was at it. I was not a careful as you were with the solution for cleaning. I just sprayed brake parts cleaner into the radiator trans cooler tank and sloshed it around let it drain and did it until it all came out clear. I used brake cleaner on the valve body et al as well. Not sure if that is 'code" so to speak but it was what I had. I did blow it all out as well, and let it sit a day or so to evaporate all the rest. I was not planning on messing with the aux cooler in front of the radiator knowing the fittings were probably going to give me a fight. One did and I just let all drain before I put the new fitting in. And you are correct about the need for flushing the trans... I was planning on that after I got it all back together but I sorta flushed it in a different way. I ran about 8 clean quarts through that trans and lines etc... mixed with what ever was still in it... drained it all again and completed my second removal of the valve body to fix the 2-3 shift piston that I installed wrong. Then I think to top it all off and get full I added another 10.5 to 11 quarts. No leaks as of yet. I gotta say, may have said this already, the hardest part was the damn fittings... A nice flare fitting would have been much easier etc... And I thought about it, But I have no clue what fitting would have been needed at the radiator to hold that internal trans cooler tank to the plastic radiator body and keep it from leaking. I learned way more about Ford radiators then I ever wanted to know! LOL

Got temp tags, insurance and the title transferred yesterday. I am going to drop it off Monday I think for and inspection NOT scheduled until 7/31/23 but I know a guy there, he will try and work it in sooner... Not sure if it will pass.... Its rusty but what I knew to look at looked good. Need to ck the rear brakes.... will do that today...
Feels very good to get this thing done... glad it is outta my garage! Got more projects to tackle!
Next up, tankless water heater!

 

So sadly it looks like I lied....tankless water heater is standing in the winds.... for the moment.... I figured id better ck the real brakes.... what I found was not good.... I think this truck used to pull a boat and the rust in the brakes pretty much confirms it as well the toasted hitch receiver....rotors are toast... so were the pads...



the parking brake pads were gone and the whole mess was well a mess....

I cleand it all up. Put in all new hardware pads and shoes... went for a test drive...smelled brake pad smell... not sure it it was the pads or the shoes... thinking it was the parking break.... passenger side... very hot and smoking Did not go far, less than half a mile... So back into the shop again... Might just replace the calipers while I am back in there... they worked but did not look good... and if I do calipars I will do the two brake lines as well.... Sounds like a full day right there... Hmmm thought I had it... but I am closer...

 

I did have a driver's side top hat disc heating due to the parking brake. My gear wasn't' rusty, I was **** about careful grease application on moving and rubbing parts. Cables SEEM ok and loose in their sheath. I have not found that issue. FWIW, I got corrosion resistant discs, for appearance as much as work. Regular price. Oreillys or Rock Auto.

 

@BillSF9c My cables seemed ok too. Going back in here shortly. Ill know more then, thanks for the reply!

 

well you're definitely getting there @Schaeff58 ! like you say, it's always something, but at least you'll have her on the road and enjoying it soon. and congrats on what you've done so far

just to share a recent learning experience i had with the parking brakes, about 6 months ago i was slowly backing out of a parking spot when all of a sudden i heard a loud "bang"! it was scary because i thought maybe i backed into something (or worse someone). got out and all looked good, put it in drive and reverse and all was good. but on the way home i could hear a soft grinding noise coming from the driver rear brake area. so i pulled the rotor and as it turned out both linings had come off the shoes, apparently both at the same time and violently! i was surprised. i only bought this truck last year and am always in the habit of using the parking brakes (probably from mostly driving manual transmission mustangs) and who knows, maybe no one ever did before on this truck so they just quit. there was ample friction material remaining, they just unglued/separated from the shoes. the passenger side was fine and still intact, and the inside of both sides' rotors looked real good still and didn't need to be cut, so that was a "break."

now i haven't messed with drum brakes since about 40 years ago when i had a 1969 mopar lol, but figured i'd go for it. so i bought shoes and a hardware kit for both sides of the axle and installed them. but i also bought a brake drum gauge tool so that i could really get the shoes at just the right spot before putting on the rotor and so i wouldn't have to try to adjust it either way afterwards, and i think that helped it to work out really well.

anyway, after what you already did with the engine, brakes are a piece of cake!

 

Sorry I did not get this info out sooner... but I was too busy spending money at the parts store and trying to get the stuff installed. @P49Y-CY Thank you for words of support and the interesting story. I never hear of the shoes/pads coming off like that... makes me wonder what happened to the ones that used to be in my parking brake drums... ground up I guess... (Drum brakes are not fun.... those little pins that hold the shoes in... hate them... Never saw any like this before, have a tool for the others... but I just cussed these into place) When I took the offending wheel off, right rear, the caliper was stuck. I have found over the years that if a caliper is stuck then its about 50/50 that the flex hose is bad too... SOOOO I got bot calipers and both flex hoses.... I was hopeful that the hard line fittings would come off the flex lines..... NOT!!!! I also wrongly assumed I could just cut off the fitting of the hard line, double flare a new fitting in and Id be golden... Well it was not that easy... it was a live freaking line brake fluid every where. I finally capped it all off best I could and got new hard lines.... BUT... I got Forded once again... There is a place towards the left rear brake caliper, on the axle that is a T : flex brake line comes in, two hard lines go out... I am sure there is a reason for it, but I done know it or even care about it at this point, but the right side of the T is the small fitting that was on the lines I got... the left was bigger. and I had no fitting like that, or had a clue what it was....what the hell... so off to the parts store, and I found a short section of 3/16 tubing with the correct two fittings on it, and got a union. I felt that was the correct recipe for completion of the brakes... It was... got it all together, had a friend come over and help me bleed it all out... and we took it for a test drive... and came back to have a few celebratory beers! Cheers all around...

I think it is done for now... will take it to get inspected tomorrow.... Pics of lines I replaced below.... So glad its done!!!



Thanks again for the help, comments etc....

 

On the axle tube, where is splits, is the vent tube for the axle, and splits the brake line pressure so you can simplify the brake lines under the length of the truck and have one single line front to back.

I believe the flexible line includes the end fitting "box" . Not sure exactly what you're talking about, hopefully that helps enlighten you even tho you said you dont care! lol

-Patrick

 

Lil caution in drum brakes. BIL was doing hus. Issues sometimes. Neighborhood kids watching - one said, maybe it's stuck snd went to hit the brake pedal. BIL said NO NO NO! A spring, sprang, and he was blinded in his left eye. Cost him 6 months incapacitated, a glass eye, and his profession as a jeweler. Eye protection w these babies. They can be life changing, and not in a good way.

 

@Patman
Hey, thanks for the reply! So I get the brake line routing. That flex line to the T, and the T sends 3/16" tubing to the right, passenger side and 3/16" tubing to the left drivers side, both rear, is an easy way to get brake lines to both sides. ... BUT what I was talking about was that on the T, the junction for the flex line the right, long 3/16 tubing has a size 3/8-24 flare fitting that connects to the T, or junction box whatever you want to call it. While the short run to the left, STILL 3/16 tubing, BUT has a much bigger flare fitting, maybe 1/2-24, in other words it is different, and I did not have that fitting.... but plenty of the 3/8-24 fittings. ... So my comment was I got Forded again. On this whole truck, dealing with the trans lines and the fittings that go into the radiator, and the cooler, they are all DIFFERENT... It makes no sense. The fittings for the 2004 radiator, were $60 from Ford... I got a used radiator for $40. The trans lines fit into the newer 2005 radiator, but those radiator fittings did not fit into the 2004 radiator.... AND the fittings on the external trans fluid cooler are a different type and thread size too... Thats what I mean by Forded.... Things that should be the same from year to year, and even on the same vehicle are not... In the case of the brake line flare fittings, I did not care why they were different, just that they were and it just seemed again that they did it to do it.... I still dont care why it was just another trip to the parts store, glad I found the correct fitting.

To bring this saga up to date... got the truck inspected 8-31-23... It failed... three things... tag lights... a power steering leak in the return line and I swear I never noticed this, a compression fitting on the line as it leaves the abs module... MD does not like those for some reason, but I have never had one fail. So Ill punch those things out and hope it will be good for a long time... would like to fix the ac, but that could get expensive fast...
So Patrick, if I offended you with my Forded comment, I apologize. I was and continued to be frustrated by some of the things I find. But it is not just Fords that are like this its just my current project. LOL
.