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CVT Cooler pipes

28K views 17 replies 4 participants last post by  BEACHN 
#1 ·
Hey all, I did some searching here and didn't come up with anything on this so it seems that my current problem is not that common.

I've got a slow CVT fluid leak that's dripping off the driver side sub-frame creating a small puddle every time the car is parked. The leak is coming from a metal tube that carries the CVT fluid to keep it cool. The dealer tells me that these pipes I need to replace are only available when purchasing a complete transmission.

Has anyone else dealt with this and how did you solve this? I'm currently seeking a junk transmission I can pull these from.
 

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#3 ·
I've found a set from a junk transmission near me. Just blind luck I guess. I should be picking them up today.

I plan on measuring the "new" ones and seeing if there is an easily available substitute for them elsewhere. They should be available as a standard hydraulic fitting, but the size and thread pitch could be an issue. Stay tuned. My hope is to be able to post back with a good alternative since there's only so many junk transmissions out there that haven't been scrapped yet.
 
#6 ·
After removing the rubber hoses I've found that the pipes were in much better condition than I thought.

First image is before cleanup with a dremel tool, second is after clean-up.

The pipe is thicker than it seems and it appears that I was only seeing surface rust scaling off.

I'll be posting a video here of what I learned and what I did.
 

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#7 ·
Okay. My issue has been solved, sort of.

The pipes from the junk transmission didn't pan out. That tranny didn't have these pipes at all. I was puzzled by that.

Also, removing the scale from the pipe as shown in the picture above only made the issue worse. I should have assumed that but I'm usually too optimistic during these repairs.

Unfortunately removing the scale made the issue so bad we wouldn't be able to drive the car. I had to find at least a temporary repair to get the car on the road the next day so I went to my local NAPA auto parts store. In my region (Upstate NY) these are locally owned outlets and tend to employ more skilled people who know how to repair something even if there isn't an off-the-shelf option. He helped me decide to cut the pipe section off of the banjo fitting, drill the hole larger (3/8") where I just cut the pipe from and insert a small unique repair pipe into the fitting. The two pieces were then welded together. Making a perfectly pressure sealed weld is difficult and the new pipe seeps ever so slightly but it's still much better and it bought me the time I need. The new small pipe was only about $5 and I have a close friend who welded it for me. I've got photos below that will help clarify this description.

Unfortunately I think I had to go through all these steps to learn what I needed to know. And now that I've done this the hard way let me tell you the easier way:

The banjo fitting is a 14mm fitting that transitions to a 5/16" O.D. pipe. The banjo bolt is a 14X1.50 thread bolt with a length of 27mm NOT including the head of the bolt.

I've found such bolts and fittings on EBay by using the terms "14mm banjo" and sometimes including "bolt" and/or "fitting(s)". They're reasonably priced. The main difference is the EBay fitting goes from the banjo head directly to a 5/16" barbed nipple without any extension or angle at all. Therefore you will need to replace the rubber lines also, but that's always a good practice.

I've ordered the fittings and new bolts to make this repair a permanent one. I also ordered (4) 14mm copper washers for the new fittings. In the meantime the welded pipe will hold and I may need to top off the fluid a bit.

Here's some pictures detailing this. I've uploaded them in order so hopefully they stay in order...

A video will still follow.
 

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#11 ·
I definitely recommend buying the new parts and not welding it. I just had no choice. We had to drive it the next day.

As far the diagram you're describing, the only diagrams I've seen don't separate the cooler from the transmission at all. And they include the tubes as part of the cooler. There are other banjo fittings that go to the front of the case. I'm not sure what size they are but they have minor differences from the ones we're talking about. I don't know if the differences preclude their use on the cooler. I've also found some other websites that sell the correct OEM style fittings for around $25-$30 each. I've already ordered the EBay versions for less than that or I would have taken that route.
 
#16 ·
Dreamcar5683: I signed up to the forums specifically to thank you for posting that youtube video of your experience... so... Thanks! :)

My Aux CVT cooler is soaked in CVT fluid, so it's likely one (or more) of the top lines causing it. The drip on the garage floor looks to be a mix of coolant and CVT oil.

I'll keep what I've seen here in mind while looking at the whole thing.

-Old Murray
 
#18 ·
I know this is an old thread but it has some very good info, especially for those of us that have been hanging on to our older Murano's for some time. I just ran into an issue just downstream of there where the upper and lower hoses connect. I went to disconnect them to drain the transmission oil from the radiator and whatever was splicing them together ended up breaking so easily. Appears it was metal and just completely rusted. Fortunately the banjo fittings still appear to be in good shape on the other end of the hose on mine, but this connector piece splicing the two hoses together I can't find any info on. Looking at the diagrams on various sites like parts.nissanusa.org and such show the hoses but no mention if that connector comes with either of the hoses. Anybody have any experiences with that? Hose P/N's are 32632-1AA1A and 21632-JP00A. I appreciate any help anybody might be able to offer. I even went to two auto stores but they don't even have the hoses in their system and dealership parts is closed.
 
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