Oil cooler pipes

Hi all. I have nosed around on this site for a while and have finally got around to joining.

My TD5 decided to split the N/S tranny to oil cooler pipe. I have got a new pipe, removed the old one (which was a swine of a job) but now I cannot, for the life of me, get the thread started on the auto box due to the awkwardness of the position! If only they'd put in an access hatch in the tunnel:doh:.

Has anybody succesfully done this without either:
1. Going mad
2. Commiting a public order offence due to the language coming from beneath the vehicle
3. Having to remove the auto box.

Any anecdotes of how it was succesfully done would be appreiciated and would restore my will to go and have another crack at it and not open a bottle of Strongbow instead.
Cheers all.

All I can suggest is leave the pipe loose / fully disconnected everywhere else so you can move it around, and then connect the gearbox end first...........yes I know its fiddly, but not "that" fiddly

i have done quit a few, have you bolted the pipe back in to the brackets under the engine mounting if so remove it make sure the pipe is free and then start from the gearbox end,i take it its the top pipe that you are having problems with.dont force it or try to bend the pipe as this does not work.make sure that the oring is on the end of the pipe

Yeah it's the top one. It is all loose i.e not in the brackets but I cant get the thread to start in the 'box

its goes in on a slight angle.push the pipe in and run the nut thrue your fingers,turning it slow but firm and give the pipe a gentle shake remember the direction of rotation is clockwise good luck