How To: Replace a Bad Radiator

General discussion forum about the 240sx, and a great place to introduce yourself to the board!
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Fenris
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Hello all you Niconauts and random browsers!

I decided to do a write up on how to install a radiator after mine blew up on the June 24the run up to the Kangamangus Hwy. A few pics courtesy of Eric (EasyE200)



Thread for that drive here, i didn't make it all the way though. zerothread?id=253865

On to the how to-

Step 1: find your car and bad radiator.



Step 2: The front end with jack and stands so you can get underneath

Step 3: Find the drain screw and position bucket under. Looks like such:

Note: make mental note to remove surface rust if you find it.

Step 4: Drain coolant from radiator (there may be quite a bit)

Step 5: Unhook upper and lower rad hoses. its easier to remove the lower one from underneath just watch out for more drippings.



Step 6: Unbolt upper radiator screws and keep track of the rubber grommets that go on the arms.



Step 7: Remove plastic or what ever you have for an intake pipe and upper fan shroud.



Step 8: Remove radiator fan and lower fan shroud.

Step 9: Pull out the radiator. Be sure to pull the rubber grommets off the bottom of the old radiator to put them on the new one.

Step 10: Install new radiator in reverse order.

Step 11: Don't re-attach upper rad hose, but instead angle upwards and fit the end with a funnel.

Step 12: Add coolant until it comes to the top of the radiator while entering the upper rad hose attached to the engine block.

Step 13: attach the upper rad hose then with the front of the car still jacked up start the car and add coolant through the rad cap hole as the bubbles work their way out of the system. Be sure your heater is on full. This should bleed the air out.

Step 14: Install rad cap, add coolant to the 1/4 mark in the overflow and go for a test drive.


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boznuttz
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Lol, I blew a few rads in the same way. I actually wrapped several tapes around the plastic piece in order to test them out as a heat sink.

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Fenris
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I hear thats how they go and i didnt see a write up on how to do it so i figured id make one. Ill be going alumininum soon but i had the hook up on a oem one to get back on the road in the mean time, its my DD after all.

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Soravia
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Your radiator doesn't look so bad. The piece came out clean. It can be fixed easily with Hi-Temp Cold-weld and sand paper, both found in many auto-parts stores.that's how mine is holding now.

jspec603
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Soravia wrote:Your radiator doesn't look so bad. The piece came out clean. It can be fixed easily with Hi-Temp Cold-weld and sand paper, both found in many auto-parts stores.that's how mine is holding now.
No offense, but I wouldn't trust that to drive across my driveway. Being that the coolant system is a very vital part of your cars lively hood. My luck I'd get far enough from home and it'd explode!

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Fenris
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lol now somethin else dead

vancouverbc
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http://www.troubleshooters.com...4.htm

http://www.troubleshooters.com/tautomot.htm

cooling theory trouble shooting links

240sx2416669
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Yeah thats what i thought when i blew my radiator in the same spot worked for about a month and then that blew too now i'm replacing it like i should have to begin with!

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Soravia
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I got an OEM fit all metal replacement radiator for $99.00 no tax. I put it in like under an hour without using a car jack.

One BIG THING TO REMEMBER! Be sure to have the car lifted on the front (using an uphill slope or a car jack) and run it for 15 minutes to get all the air pockets out of the engine block. Or you'll blow the head gasket.

Shabbernigdo
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my rad just failed in the same spot like a week ago. Been cold here so i have been able to fix it yet tho.

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SketchyRollin564
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sorry to bump such an old thread, but im in the middle of replacing my radiotor, and i already drained evderything and disconnected the hoses, but the radiator wont come out separate from the fan shroud, and i cant get the raditor fan out with the radiator because that circle part is catching onto the clutch fan

i could always just take off the clutch fan, but theres gotta be an easyer way to do this

Shabbernigdo
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SketchyRollin564 wrote:sorry to bump such an old thread, but im in the middle of replacing my radiotor, and i already drained evderything and disconnected the hoses, but the radiator wont come out separate from the fan shroud, and i cant get the raditor fan out with the radiator because that circle part is catching onto the clutch fan

i could always just take off the clutch fan, but theres gotta be an easyer way to do this
If u are working on an S13 with the stock ka then on the lower plastic part of the shroud there should be a curved section that you can remove by uncliping it from the rest of the fan shroud. It will give u the clerance you need to pull the radiator out.

Mercury_Hg
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Soravia wrote:I got an OEM fit all metal replacement radiator for $99.00 no tax. I put it in like under an hour without using a car jack.

One BIG THING TO REMEMBER! Be sure to have the car lifted on the front (using an uphill slope or a car jack) and run it for 15 minutes to get all the air pockets out of the engine block. Or you'll blow the head gasket.
Holy old thread batman!

Is this absolutely necessary? I don't want to blow my head gasket, but worry that running the cooling system and engine dry can't be a good thing, either.

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breadbox
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What are you talking about. Fill system and turn heater on and squeeze hoses to get out air bubbles while making sure the res still has coolant in it. Do not run it dry ever.

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Morph
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breadbox wrote:What are you talking about. Fill system and turn heater on and squeeze hoses to get out air bubbles while making sure the res still has coolant in it. Do not run it dry ever.
Fill the radaitor, squeeze hoses to get most of the air out.
Jack up front end, so the engine is higher than the rear of the car.
Remove radaitor cap,
Start engine
Continue to fill system till no bubbles appear lowering the coolant level. (should take 15 min or so).
/Done let the old thread die a peaceful death.

Mercury_Hg
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I thought he was talking about running it to drain it, which didn't make sense. Thanks :P.
[/official end of thread]

Mercury_Hg
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[official reopening of thread]
Why is transmission fluid leaking from one of the rubber grommets? Do they have to be tightened or something?
The radiator I had in before worked perfectly fine and didn't leak tranny fluid at all...

laxands13
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if its leaking from the radiator i assume its not tranny fluid.. maybe your new radiator is cracked/broken in a different place, hoses are leaking, etc, and its just dripping where the grommets happen to be.

indomiekid1
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i like the first pic!! :crazy:

Mercury_Hg
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laxands13 wrote:if its leaking from the radiator i assume its not tranny fluid.. maybe your new radiator is cracked/broken in a different place, hoses are leaking, etc, and its just dripping where the grommets happen to be.
I have an automatic transmission. Manuals don't cool their fluid for some reason (as far as I know), but automatics do.

And yeah, it's leaking FROM the grommet / post it's around*, and only with my car running. I thought it could've been a loose hose and it was running down, but it's not. It's almost gushing out with the engine on. At least I'm pretty sure. I'm going to double check later, and eventually remove it again and I'll know for sure.

*what is this post called? And what purpose does it serve? To just seat the radiator?

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OutToWinPAHC
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Yeah you forgot bleed the system, thats the most important part

Mercury_Hg
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Did too! And I figured it out. The bottom hoses were secure... the barbs were not :P.
[/ultranoob]

N8lane
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How weird is this... My Radiator just blew in the exact same place... And :werd: on JUNE 24th also! :mad: :facepalm: Thanks for the post! :)

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asoomal
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Pretty creepy....


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