Came home yesterday and when I got out of my truck I hearda hissing sound under the hood. Before I even got the hood up and I smelled coolant and sure enough... huge crack in the radiator and the driveway was covered in coolant. I called around and priced replacement radiators and got a good deal on one from Advance Auto Parts. I'm going to pick it up today and Saturday morning I'm going out with my tools and my Haynes manual to do this thing myself. I'm a little nervous about it cause before this the most I ever did was remove and clean the TB. You guys got any tips for me? Like when I remove the Auto Transmission Cooler hoses is my transmission fluid gonna leak out? Cause someone told me it might not leak out unless the engine is on and I rev it to get it to pump the fluid through the hoses. But any tips/advice would make me feel better about this. Thanks guys!

 

a very small amount will drip out of the lines from the transmission, and about 1/2 qt or so will drain out of the radiator. you'll need to top of the trans with ATF+4 when you're done (check level w/engine running, level, at temp, and in neutral only (not park)). good luck,

 

OK thanks, that makes me feel a little better. I've never added Transmission fluid before, but as I understand it I just pour it down the tube the dipstick is in and check it after the truck is at normal op temperature right? Oh, the truck is a 99 2500 4x4 with the V10 if that makes a difference.

 

If you could be without the truck for a couple of days, I'd recommend this:
http://www.radiatorexpress.com/produ...aia_id=1095724

 

you need a special tool from discount or whereever to take off the bottom hose on the passenger bottom side. its your trans collant line i believe. its a ring expander thing i think. you slide it in and it pops the inner lock ring loose then pull and it will come loose. hope this helps

Robert

 

Thanks VW, I should've posted my engine type in the first part of the thread. I looked up the one for the V10 and it has some kind of "Oil Cooler connectors" that have to be used in order for it to work properly, and I don't remember seeing anything on the old radiator like that, so I don't know if I can use it unless I make some kind of modification.

 

Hmmm... the Haynes manual didn't say anything about a tool to remove the trans line. It just says to disconnect it from the radiator. The only special tool it mentioned was a 36mm fan wrench to remove the fan.

 

you should be able to get away with out removing the fan the shroud need to be off the rad set that back and the 2 bolts up top on the rad take those out and it should pull right off it did for my 96 and it did on the 2500s we work on..

 

I needed the transmission cooler line removal tool to take the tranny lines off. I bought a multi pack (different sizes) at the parts store for less then $10 I believe, they are just cheap plastic rings. You pop it over the tranny line, slide it into the coupler and the line and coupler pop apart, just have a bucket to collect a little fluid that pours out.

While the radiator is out, replace the hoses while your at it. Save the time and mess of doing those later.

 

Padodgeram, I was wondering why I needed to remove the fan... it looked like I could just pull the radiator straight up without removing it. I think it's more of a precaution thing to make sure I don't damage the fan. I'll try it w/o removing the fan, that'll save me from having to route the belt back on. Thanks!

Copper, which hoses are you talking about, the tranny ones? And I'll pick up the tranny line removal pack you mentioned. Better to spend $10 and make sure I have all the tools I need than get in the middle of this mess and have to take my wife's car to the auto store. Thanks!