Hey All

Local shop told me my radiator is cracked so I'm thinking about replacing it myself to save some.

Based on youtube and minor reviews of the shop manual i have i'm under the impression this is pretty much a job that can be handled without jacks and through the hood. I have an automatic and it has AC so I also understand that my transmission lines run through the radiator also. A co-worker said i could clamp off those transmission lines with something like vice grips, preferably without teeth.

At this point in time I might be feeling comfortable trying this if its really through the hood and if the tranny lines are easy enough to deal with.

Is there anything proceedurally i'm missing or need to think about? Should I be replacing something else while this is out?

Thanks for the thoughts.

Hops

 

It's a pretty straight forward job. The hardest part is getting the cooling fans out. It's a tight fit, so you have to wiggle them around to get them out. But, once the fans are out of the way, you'll have good access to the hoses. If I remember right, the manual says to cut the ATX cooler hoses off and replace them. I generally reuse the hoses if I can get them disconnected without tearing them up and if they're in good shape. I wouldn't worry about clamping them off. There will likely be more fluid coming out of the radiator than the hoses. Obviously make sure nobody starts the car while they're disconnected. If it were me, I would drain and flush the cooling system and replace the thermostat before replacing the radiator.