How to repair leaking transmission lines. Unidentified in-line object. C4 Corvette oil leak.
I did a short burn out and pulled the Vette into the shop. As I exited the vehicle, I heard the sound of liquid pouring out on the ground. I saw a puddle of transmission fluid gushing out from under the car. My first thought was "Oh SHOOTS", I blew a seal in the transmission, and I just sold my spare! Fortunately, it turned out to be a rubber hose repair on the transmission lines made by the former owner and it failed. On further inspection, I discovered an unidentified in-line object (UIO). It looked like a fuel filter, but it was haphazardly added to the transmission lines. Getting a Corvette or any other low riding car on a two-post lift is a pain, so I parked the car while I waited for the new 4-post lift I ordered to come in. I originally wanted to completely replace the butchered and damaged lines with the good ones out of my parts car. However, upon closer inspection, the removal of the rear fittings on the transmission involved dropping the exhaust and possibly the rear of the transmission itself. Plan B. The next best thing would be to flare the cut ends of the lines and put in a coupler. I scoured the shop searching for some couplers to no avail and was daunted by the 25-minute drive into town to buy some. Plan C. While searching for couplers, I came across some compression fittings. This repair device is not ideal but a heap better than a rubber hose and hose clamps. Not to mention, fast and easy. I would never use compression fittings on a brake line except in an extreme emergency, but for a transmission line, they are more than adequate. I forget what they are rated at, but it far exceeds the pressure from the 700R4 in the Vette. The old saying of "there is more than one way to scare a cat" stands true in this instance. I actually think the saying is "skin a cat" but who ever skins a cat? Nonetheless, I did replace the front half of the line damaged by the starter and now that I think about it, I should have done the same with the upper line instead of splicing in two fittings. Hindsight is 20-20. Hopefully this will help some of you viewers make fast, easy, and cheap fixes that will last. Its never a bad idea to keep a few compression fittings in the tool or glove box for an emergency. In a pinch, rubber hose and clamps will work but I wouldn't trust it for long unless you attach it to barbed fittings. Even then, brass will far outlast rubber.
I did a short burn out and pulled the Vette into the shop. As I exited the vehicle, I heard the sound of liquid pouring out on the ground. I saw a puddle of transmission fluid gushing out from under the car. My first thought was "Oh SHOOTS", I blew a seal in the transmission, and I just sold my spare! Fortunately, it turned out to be a rubber hose repair on the transmission lines made by the former owner and it failed. On further inspection, I discovered an unidentified in-line object (UIO). It looked like a fuel filter, but it was haphazardly added to the transmission lines. Getting a Corvette or any other low riding car on a two-post lift is a pain, so I parked the car while I waited for the new 4-post lift I ordered to come in. I originally wanted to completely replace the butchered and damaged lines with the good ones out of my parts car. However, upon closer inspection, the removal of the rear fittings on the transmission involved dropping the exhaust and possibly the rear of the transmission itself. Plan B. The next best thing would be to flare the cut ends of the lines and put in a coupler. I scoured the shop searching for some couplers to no avail and was daunted by the 25-minute drive into town to buy some. Plan C. While searching for couplers, I came across some compression fittings. This repair device is not ideal but a heap better than a rubber hose and hose clamps. Not to mention, fast and easy. I would never use compression fittings on a brake line except in an extreme emergency, but for a transmission line, they are more than adequate. I forget what they are rated at, but it far exceeds the pressure from the 700R4 in the Vette. The old saying of "there is more than one way to scare a cat" stands true in this instance. I actually think the saying is "skin a cat" but who ever skins a cat? Nonetheless, I did replace the front half of the line damaged by the starter and now that I think about it, I should have done the same with the upper line instead of splicing in two fittings. Hindsight is 20-20. Hopefully this will help some of you viewers make fast, easy, and cheap fixes that will last. Its never a bad idea to keep a few compression fittings in the tool or glove box for an emergency. In a pinch, rubber hose and clamps will work but I wouldn't trust it for long unless you attach it to barbed fittings. Even then, brass will far outlast rubber.