Radiator removal help
- Thread starter 601hotboy
- Start date
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
milehighmikey
Dedicated LVC Member
I just did this job. What a pain.
You have to recover your refrigerant and remove the condenser, the fan assembly, which is a pain, and re-locate the multifunction cooler that is sandwiched between the radiator and the condenser. The condenser removes from the bottom of the car, which is accessible after removing the air deflector and underside aero trim panels that sit under the front of the engine. A total pain job, which, you are correct, would be best left to professionals, but it is doable (otherwise, they couldn't do it, either). The air conditioning system is of particular concern here, since you have to let all of the gas out of it. You should be environmentally responsible and have it done by a shop, but, if the car is disabled, you would have to tow it there.
The next bad part of the job is to remove the fan and shroud assembly. Pure pain in the nuts there, getting the high pressure line off the fan motor, then, you have to pull the low pressure return line from that fan. Be prepared to have some bruised up arms and you'll be also working on your :q:q:q:qing vocabulary while you are at it, inventing new swear words as you go. I did this out in the hot sun over the 4th and 5th of july with 95 to 99 degree heat, and nearly lost my mind.
Big tip here: Get yourself a hose clamp tool for these circlamp style OEM clamps, or you'll be stuck in no time at all. Do you have a V6 or a V8? I have the V6 and I found that removing the hoses from the water pump, upper radiator, thermostat area was the only way that I could manage with that nut on the fan motor high pressure line. A stubby 18mm wrench is also needed for that nut, as a normal length 18mm wrench won't be able to swing at all due to the engine being less than a wrench length away.
All in all, for $150 for a radiator, the parts would cost less than the labor. This is not a job that you can do fast on your first attempt.
You have to recover your refrigerant and remove the condenser, the fan assembly, which is a pain, and re-locate the multifunction cooler that is sandwiched between the radiator and the condenser. The condenser removes from the bottom of the car, which is accessible after removing the air deflector and underside aero trim panels that sit under the front of the engine. A total pain job, which, you are correct, would be best left to professionals, but it is doable (otherwise, they couldn't do it, either). The air conditioning system is of particular concern here, since you have to let all of the gas out of it. You should be environmentally responsible and have it done by a shop, but, if the car is disabled, you would have to tow it there.
The next bad part of the job is to remove the fan and shroud assembly. Pure pain in the nuts there, getting the high pressure line off the fan motor, then, you have to pull the low pressure return line from that fan. Be prepared to have some bruised up arms and you'll be also working on your :q:q:q:qing vocabulary while you are at it, inventing new swear words as you go. I did this out in the hot sun over the 4th and 5th of july with 95 to 99 degree heat, and nearly lost my mind.
Big tip here: Get yourself a hose clamp tool for these circlamp style OEM clamps, or you'll be stuck in no time at all. Do you have a V6 or a V8? I have the V6 and I found that removing the hoses from the water pump, upper radiator, thermostat area was the only way that I could manage with that nut on the fan motor high pressure line. A stubby 18mm wrench is also needed for that nut, as a normal length 18mm wrench won't be able to swing at all due to the engine being less than a wrench length away.
All in all, for $150 for a radiator, the parts would cost less than the labor. This is not a job that you can do fast on your first attempt.