The Buck Stopped Here

[Reg Evans]

This past Monday morning while my wife Lisa was on her way to work a dear decided to jump in front of her 99 Durango. The result was a broken grille,punctured radiator,broken fan shroud and bent fan blade.

Unfortunately a few months ago we decided to cancel the comprehensive portion of insurance on the car so I'm elected to fix it.

The grille is easy but while trying to remove the radiator I ran into a problem I've never had to deal with. (damn new fangled cars) The problem is how and with what do I disconnect the transmission cooler lines and also the fan clutch and blades. Are tools available ? If so where and what do I ask for. I have ordered the parts but can't remove the radiator or fan with the tools I have. Any help from someone here who has done this would be greatly appreciated.

Here's Buck.

[Young Ed]

On my 94 the cooler lines looked like just standard flare fittings(I have a manual so I don't actually have them) and the fan comes off with a large wrench or monkey wrench I think we used. The hard part of the fan was we didn't have the special tool to hold the pulley while turning the fan off.

[ggdad1951]

at least you got some veni outta the deal! All mine went bad when my freezer took a crap this last year.

[48Dodger]

quick reply cuz im in bonneville racing....lower quick disconnect will be replaced with clamps and hose. I made a wrench with my plasma cutter out of 1/4 inch steel cuz the nut on the fan is "trapped" between nuts on the water pump pulley and fan clutch. Use a large screw driver to hold the water pump pulley still while putting on or removing the nut. I'll give you a call.

48D

[52b3b Joe]

I have a 97 dakota, I had all that fun stuff out of last winter when my water pump failed. I took an old wrench that fit and after a few minutes with the bench grinder it was thin enough to make the sweeze.

[Dave72dt]

Some parts stores carry the special wrenches on hand. They may be have them available in a loaner progam where you can rent them for a period of time, return them and get your rental fee back.

[40plyrod]

My wife went deer hunting with her pt cruiser 2 days before christmas last year. Had to replace 1 fender, 1 headlight $1600. luckily insurance covered it. The most difficult part was hiding the deer till later so the kids could believe the deer got away fine:D

[Reg Evans]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions!!! I'll give it a go as soon as the parts I've ordered arrive.

[Dodgeb4ya]

These are the tools used to remove the fan clutch assembly. One shown is the proper sized thin wrench . The other two armed tool grabs and holds the fan pulley bolts so you can turn the fan off with the thin wrench.

As for the cooler lines a special metal or plastic correct sized release tool is used to release a hidden retaining collar spring that holds the cooler line to the rad on a lot of late model cars and trucks now days.

[ggdad1951]

are tappet wrenches too thick/too small?

[Reg Evans]

Here's a photo of the large nut holding the fan and clutch. It's metric I guess cause my 1.5" open end wrench is just a tad too large and my Crescent wrenches are just a tad too small ( time for a new...larger wrench I guess) You can see the 4 holes in the pulley. Is there a tool made to hold the pulley while the nut is loosened or do I have to jamb some bolts in the holes to keep it from turning? Bob...is that tool of yours with the red handle and notched blades meant to grab some bolts I would stick in the pulley holes?

Here's a photo of the transmission cooling line connections. They look to be crimped on but apparently they pop off with a specialized tool. Time to quit talking about it and take these photos to the parts store to see what they have. DAMN DEAR !!!

[Reg Evans]

OK...the parts have arrived and I'm trying to figure out how the #$%@ to remove the two transmission cooling lines from the radiator. I bought the little tool shown in the photo but I have never had to use of of these and don't know how the fitting is suppose to be removed from the steel line.

Can someone here explain to a layman how this fitting releases from the steel line. It looks like it's crimped on to me and I'm sick of staring at it and increasing the size of my bald spot by scratching my head. H E L P please !

[Young Ed]

Reg forgive me if I'm way off base here but further up that line it looks like there is a fitting screwed right into the radiator. Does the other line the tool is sitting on have the same thing?

[Reg Evans]

Ed, that line is connected to the other line coming from the transmission and has the same @$%!$ fitting on it that needs to come off. I'm getting ready to cut both lines off and replace them with some fuel line and small hose clamps if I don't get this figured out pretty soon.

[Young Ed]

Yes I saw its the other line but right at the end of that line in the radiator sure looks like a fitting that would unscrew. What does the new radiator look like for those lines?

[Reg Evans]

you are right. One unscrews........the other doesn't.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Looks like you need to unscrew the cooler lines into the radiator.

[Merle Coggins]

Got a picture of the attachment point of the other line to the cooler? That tool usually is used to release a lock of some sort. Without seeing what type of fiting you have I can't determine if that's even the proper tool.

Merle

[Reg Evans]

Thanks for the good advice guys. I just ended up leaving those clamp on connections alone and finally got the one off of the front side of the radiator with a bunch of contortions and cussing. I wanted to use the new lines that came with the radiator but I wanted to drive the Durango even more.

OK.....next buck !

[Merle Coggins]

Next time just pass the buck.

Merle

[Reg Evans]

Yes...or add a heavy duty Deer Catcher.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/00-04-Dodge-Dakota-Grill-Brush-Guard-Black-/250892932837?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3ADurango&hash=item3a6a6256e5

I was pleasantly surprised to see how cheap a new grill was for the Durango. Under $40 including shipping and it's genuine chromed plastic.

[HanksB3B]

Reg see if they have chrome plastic grill parts for the 51 (yeah and the "Job-Rated" part too)

Darn new fangled trucks, there's no room to work on them.

Hank

[Bradley S.]

Deer going to be OK, Reg?

[Don Coatney]

Deer going to be OK, Reg?

I hope he jerks it around and sends me some jerkey.

[Reg Evans]

Sorry Boys.....the Buzzards got him.