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Flex Pull

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Flex Pull

How to Replace Your Car Radiator

Your vehicle's radiator is the component that removes heat from the engine through thermal heat exchange as heat from the engine is transferred to the engine coolant and then circulated through the thermostat and the radiator. Replacing a car radiator yourself isn't the easiest under-the-hood job, but, with the proper tools and a little bit of patience, you can save yourself hundreds on repair costs. Here's how.

Note: these are general instructions and may not be applicable to every make, model and year. Before beginning any maintenance on your vehicle, always consult your owner's manual for additional instructions and safety precautions.

Step 1: Locate the radiator drain plug – typically near the lowest point of the radiator – and open it to drain any coolant into a catch basin.

Step 2: Detach the hoses from the radiator by loosening the clamps and pulling the hoses off their attachment necks. If you find yourself needing additional room, remove the auxiliary belts by sliding them off their pulleys.

Step 3: Remove the engine cooling fan and radiator shroud. As mentioned above, this step is vehicle-specific. In general, though, you can use a wide box wrench to release the mounting bolt that holds the fan to the engine. After doing so, set your cooling fan down upright, making sure to protect the clutch.

Step 4: Remove the shroud by loosening the mounting hardware that holds it in place. Note: you may have to pull both the fan and the shroud off together if you're unable to pull them out separately due to space constraints.

Step 5: Remove any remaining mounting screws, bolts or clips, making sure to keep them in one location to prevent loss.

Step 6: Lift the radiator away from the engine, making sure to have some towels or a catch basin underneath the radiator to catch any remaining coolant still inside the radiator.

Step 7: Carefully insert the replacement radiator into place, making sure to be cautious of the cooling fans and hose necks.

Step 8: Replace screws, bolts, clips and all other mounting hardware.

Step 9: Reinstall the cooling fan and shroud by reversing the removal process indicated in steps 3 and 4 above.

Step 10: Next, reattach the cooling hoses, making sure they are attached snugly but not too tight. Cooling hoses can become brittle and fail with age. You may want to replace them during this step for optimal performance. And, if you replace one of them, replace them all.

Step 11: If you removed the auxiliary belts to allow for extra work space, reinstall them now by sliding them back over their pulleys and adjusting the tension by turning the tension-adjustment nuts and bolts.

Step 12: Mix the engine coolant with distilled water in the right proportions for your vehicle and pour it into the proper area.

Step 13: Start the vehicle and let it run to circulate the coolant, adding more if necessary.

Step 14: Finally, bleed the air from the system by locating the bleed valve and opening it with a wrench. Watch for bubbles. When the bubbles stop bleeding from the system and your coolant is up to its proper temperature, you're done!

One final bit of advice: when selecting your replacement radiator, make sure you choose one that has been custom-designed for your ride, like Flex-a-lite aluminum radiators. Flex-a-lite products are manufactured specific to each vehicle. So, whether you're looking for Chevy radiators, Ford radiators, GMC radiators, F150 radiators, Tahoe radiators or Yukon radiators, you're guaranteed to get parts that are engineered just for you—which always makes installation a heck of a lot easier!

About the Author

Installing a <a href="http://www.autoanything.com/coolers/20A53864A1.aspx">car radiator</a>, like Chevy radiators and Ford radiators, are one of those do-it-yourself projects that takes a little extra time but always makes up for it with the money you save. In addition, quality components, like those produced by <a href="http://www.autoanything.com/coolers/20A53866A1.aspx">Flex-a-lite</a>, will last longer than stock parts, ensuring you'll only have to do the job once!

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