3/8 & 1/2 in. Ford Transmission Cooler Line Disconnect Set

This is the two-piece OTC 6593 disconnect set for Ford transmission cooler and radiator lines. It handles the plastic quick-connect couplings Ford started using in the early 2000s: one tool for the 3/8 inch line, one for the 1/2 inch line. The tool wraps around the tube behind the fitting, and when you push it into the connector it collapses the internal retaining tangs so the line pulls straight out. No cutting, no prying, no chewed-up fitting.

Fitment: the 3/8 inch tool is used on 2003-and-newer Ford Explorers running the 5R55W transmission. The 1/2 inch tool is used on 2003-and-newer Ford Super Duty trucks running the 4R100. It also covers the cooler-line-to-radiator connections on F-150, Expedition, and similar trucks where the same style coupling is used. These are the same jobs Ford does with special tools 307-441 (3/8 inch) and 307-459 (1/2 inch); this set is the equivalent for both sizes.

On the job you slide the correct-size tool around the exposed section of line, seat it into the face of the fitting, and push in firmly while working the line. On a clean fitting it releases in under a minute. On a rusty or corroded line, back the tool out, hit the connection with penetrating oil, and try again until you hear the retainer click free. It is the difference between pulling a radiator or servicing cooler lines in a few minutes versus fighting a fitting with picks for half a day.

The tools are molded plastic with a copper insert, so they are sized thin enough to reach into tight radiator connections but are best treated as service tools rather than daily-abuse tools. For the once-in-a-while cooler line or radiator job they are the right tool for the fitting.