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Problems/Service/RepairsIf you have a problem with your HHR, want a tip on repairing or performing a particular service to you HHR here is the place to post!
I got into a car accident and rear-ended a truck with my HHR. The top part of the core support was pushed in and my AC-condenser, radiator fan, and radiator all needed to be replaced. Just got replacements at the junk yard yesterday but I am having trouble installing the radiator lines back on. The hoses are simple, but the metal lines that go inside the radiator for the transmission cooling thingy are really causing me grief. The cooler itself just sort of "floats" inside and is only held in place by the threads on the external metal pipe lines. How do I get the internal cooler to stay put while I screw the lines back on? Thanks!
Those threaded bungs should not have been removed the transmission lines are held in with a small clip . So in order to get those pieces threaded back into the cooler, try holding the top hole while attempting to thread in the lower bung
a couple of years ago I replaced my radiator with a homemade aluminum one. The transmission cooler was fixed inside the reservoir prior to its final (sealed) welding.
Maybe this is bad advice, I'm not an expert.
But the first thing that comes to mind is to put the radiator flat / horizontally with the holes down and try to operate from below. It is possible with a screwdriver or a piece of wood to try to set the cooler in its normal position and fix it. Gravity should help.
There is another option for action. Experiment.
Do not connect the transmission to a common radiator. Make your own cooling radiator for her. One guy from Belarus did it. He used a heater radiator from a ZIL 130 truck. I think many other heaters radiators, oil cooling coils, etc. will do. That Belarusian guy did it on purpose, the transmission started to overheated and began to "kick", twitch when switching. He says that now, after installing a separate larger radiator, everything is fine.
The main thing is to observe the correct installation height, and also to make rubber adapter-hoses. Fittings are commercially available, making hoses is also a common service. I have no doubt that there are many in America too.
Both my bent one and the one I got from the junk yard are sort of "floating" in there. I will take a picture so you all can see. Maybe I unscrewed something incorrectly. Thank you for all the replies.
thanks guys. I put them back in no problem by inverting it and using gravity. However, I have a new problem that I discovered. The transmission cooler lines are smashed from the accident as well as another line. Will driving it this way hurt the transmission and do I need to replace it before I drive the car again or is it negligent? I put a link for the pics.
Also there's another metallic line that is slightly crimped. Should I replace that as well?
Crimped transmission line, replace it Appears to be same line Not sure if this one is transmission or AC line That’s an AC line Looks like a transmission line, replace it Remove that nut and the lines just slide out. Quite the mess in there, but it’s salvageable I see you’ve removed the AC condenser, replace the bent line and have the Freon 134A recharged
