hey guys just wondering i never took out the radiator on my 87na and its been in there since then, i'm wondering how difficult it would be to take out the radiator, i'm planning on getting it clean or putting in a new radiator, can i do it with a good set of craftsmen and i'm i going to need to lift the car at all? i'm just afraid of breaking things because everytime i do something i end up breaking some sorta weird plastic piece........ and is it possible to rod these rads?

 

No its not diffcult just takes a little while. Drain radiator. You'll have to remove the air intake snorkel up to the air filter, fan (where it attaches with 4 10mm bolts to the hub pulley) and fan shroud. I think I removed the battery tray too, but I can't remember if that was really necessary? Hardest part for me was getting out the shroud.

The bolts securing the fan can be hard to loosen too so be careful not to round them off. If they dont come off easy squirt them with PB Blaster and let it sit awhile. You can use a strap wrench to hold the pulley still when loosening the nuts.

You might want to slide a cardboard piece over the radiator fins to prevent damage when removing/installing.

 

cool i think i'll do it myself then... i'm just afraid of breaking stuff..

 

i found out that you can take the shroud out still on the rad if you are careful removing it and can get the clutch fan out of the way.

 

i'll just take off the shroud and i'll try and follow the fsm

 

im about to do this too this weekend. from what i read from the FSM and Hayne's Manual, it's not that hard. have fun doing this, i know i will :P

 

Remove all the hoses. Carefully disconnect the temp sensor at the bottom of the radiator. Take out 4 bolts, remove radiator.

It's easier to leave the shroud on IMO and it doesnt hurt anything.

 

i didn't know there was a sensor on the bottom of the radiator

 

Yep.. Temp sensor on bottom, level sensor on top.

 

they are pie

 

then what is that sensor next to the oil filter right next to the oil pressure sending unit?

 

oh.. hmm... .good question. Oil temp?

 

i thought the one that goes on the bottom of the radiator is for AUTO's only?

 

Yeah.. that would explain it.. last one I pulled out was an auto... had some wires down there... but.. now that I think about it... might not have been a stock radiator... so.. who knows. Check the FSM.

 

okay so i'm not crazy

 

The radiator temp switch is S4 only, and is used by the emission controls.

The temp sensor next to the oil pressure sensor is for the temp gauge.

 

omfg this is a pain in the ***! i have done it a million times before but i cant seem to do it now!! its like when your playing a game and you get to a boss....you beat him once then you die but you cant beat that boss again!!! argh.

 

damnit dude i can't get the fan off! it just slips and that nut is so effing tight even with PBblaster

 

Take a screw driver and put it between the belt and pully to stop it from moving. Or a chain wrench just put something under it so it wont mess the pully up.

 

A better way is you put a screwdriver across the front of the pulley in between two of the nuts. This lets you use the screwdriver as a lever to prevent the fan turning.

 

I believe the hardest part was aligning the radiator to the bolt holes... because theres a metalic thingy that holds the radiator in place... you should attach the hoses to the radiator first before you put it in... its a bitch tighting the heater and lower radiator hoses... other than that oyu should do fine...

 

WOW, a thread on how to remove a radiator. The next thread will be on " which way do I tighten this bolt" What a shame!

 

It's a piece of cake, really.

Removing the battery will make it easier. Removing the fan will too, but that's not necessary (and the fan could be stuck). I've done it this way no prob. OTOH I may have (carefully) forced it past the corner of a fan blade, I don't remember. But either way it didn't take long to do. My first time I believe I spent an afternoon or evening.

 

The more careful and delicate you try to be when working on cars trying not to break things, you end up breaking even more

 

i could just pay someone 30 bucks to do it =P