Leaking radiator

[dbaxRonin]

Have been smelling coolant the last couple of days after just my 2 mile commute to work. Noticed some coolant on the pavement, but couldn't find the source. Today I let it idle for a while and found that there is a small leak on the top of the radiator, in a very peculiar location.

I didn't realize a brand new radiator could be had for so cheap ($65 at Autopartswarehouse.com + free SH). I reckon I will order a new one, along with a new cap and hoses.

Is swapping this thing out a job for a DIYer in a 1.5 car garage, or should I expect to have to take it in for the pros to do? Any special tools needed?

[OutToWinPAHC]

you can do it but you need to know how to bleed it properly or you can cook a motor. goes for any car. As for driving, you should stop ASAP.

[dbaxRonin]

Thanks OutToWin...I looked at the setup more last night and yeah, doesn't seem overly complicated to swap out. As for not driving it...unfortunately not an option right now. The leak is very minute` so I am not overly concerned about it. My commute to work is only 2 miles and the engine barely warms up enough to cause the leak by the time I am either to or fro. Longer trips are definitely out of the question right now though until this gets fixed.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Easy...

1- Tightening everything.
2- "loan a tool" cooling system tester. Test system at 1.5 bar. You want to see the cooling system hold that pressure at 1.5 bar for at-least 30 minutes. If pressure does not hold pump back to 1.5 bar and listen and look for the leak. Fix that leak and move to the next step If your sure there is no external leaks, and your dropping pressure, then you need to check your oil for intermix and check compression.
3- Properly bleed the system. Use a 60/40 mix 60%water, unless you live in the arctic.

How to bleed
Jack front on the car up
Use a coolant bleeder funnel and fill it
Squeeze the hoses and burp the air out
put the heat on hot, fan off
Start car and let it run
As the engine heat up, the air will bubble out of the funnel.
Once the engine is at normal temp the bubble should stop
Then open, the bleeder screw to make sure, once coolant comes out close it. wait about 30 seconds and do it again, Keep doing this until there is no air.
At no time let the funnel go empty
Plug the funnel and put the car on with the engine running.

Take a ride make sure temps are good, run the heat, then turn the heat off and just drive. Repeat if needed.

[dbaxRonin]

Just my luck. Got the new radiator put in today...all I had left to do to finish the install was put the upper hose on and fill it. As I clamped the upper hose clamp down to move it up over the nipple, the damn thing snapped in half. Don't want to risk driving it to the part store w/o the clamp, and naturally anyone who I could get a ride from is out of town today.

Overall, a pretty easy job. I got an estimate from a shop down the road (I need other work done aside from this)...they wanted almost $300!! Definitely a job worth rolling up the sleeves for and doing on your own.

[loystock]

Good job! Make sure your 'burp' the cooling system to remove air.

[dbaxRonin]

I won't lie, I am a little nervous about doing the fill correctly and getting all the air out. Gonna see if the parts store has one of those funnels like OuttoWin posted above and hope all goes smoothly.

Curious...the radiator came with a foldout of how to replace the radiator. It is a bit vauge in detailing the refill procedure, but they show filling it via the recovery tank rather than the fill neck on the radiator itself. Is there really any sort of preferred method?

[dbaxRonin]

OK, so in the FSM, it states:

Remove drain plugs on both sides of cylinder block and air relief plug.

Fill radiator slowly with coolant until coolant spills from the air relief plug, then install air relief plug.

I believe this air relief plug is also what OutToWin referenced as the "bleeder screw".

After some research, I see that this plug should be on top of the water control valve housing, listed as Item 1 in this image from the FSM:



Here is a picture of my actual control valve. Notice there is no plug!! Do I have my wires crossed...is this plug somewhere else?