need help with radiator

[squonk]

My radiator just crapped out and is leaking fluid everywhere. I tried to use some epoxy on the cap but it still leaks pretty bad. Mechanic told me to replace it...

I'm not a mechanic but I am able to do a few things with help. I'm wondering if I can tackle this issue myself. So I'm looking for what to do.

I noticed the Koyo radiator online that fits into my price gap but maybe there are other people here who have preferences over certain radiators with this model of vehicle. My vehicle isn't turbo.

I was also reading that I must have the radiator flushed before installation. What does that mean, how do I do this?

Please help I would really appreciate it.

Do I need any type of special tools? Will I have to take the intercooler I have on off?

[Piper]

If you cant replace a radiator, you shouldn't own a 240. lol. It's so easy a kid could do it. Two hoses, and the two transmission lines, that is if you have an auto still. Take them off, drain everything first, and then put the new one in. Simple.

Fill it up, burp it, and your done.

Thats about as easy as changing a tire....

[Harman850T5]

You should be able to this. I haven't done one on a 240 yet, but it looks like you can take off the two tabs on the top and remove it from the top. Someone else can give a definite answer.

I always ran the garden hose in the radiator and keep it filling with water until it comes out clear. There is probably a better method than that though too.

As long as the inter cooler isn't attached to the radiator you should be able to leave it in the car.

Hopefully this helps, and someone else can give you a better answer. Good luck with it though.

[94_240sx]

Well, I didn't flush my Koyo rad.

Anyway, it's an easy job. If you have an auto transmission, buy manual radiator, and buy generic oil cooler from parts store and re-route the cooling lines. Attach the shroud, fan and everything the radiator and install them all at once. I tried to put them in one by one and it didn't go well.

Mishimoto is slightly cheaper and performs same as Koyo.

[squonk]

So open up the rad cap, put garden hose in while car is off until I see clear fluid? Then detach? Or detach then open rad cap put garden hose in while car is off until i see clear fluid? Where will clear fluid be?

It looks like a very simple job I just don't know how to flush it... I understand how to refill it but flushing I've never done...

Koyo is the cheapest radiator I've seen on the net selling for 115 and some change. I haven't seen one cheaper than that and I haven't been to any auto parts store yet to see if I can find one cheaper there.

Are there any diagrams with what to remove or could you possibly give me a better explanation of how to flush the radiator first?

Please understand I've never changed my radiator before, I'm beyond a novice when it comes to cars. I can change my tires, I replaced my starter, I replaced my alternator, I can check hoses, spark plugs, and wires, distributor cap, rotor, and replacing a window.. I can wire a stereo, amplifier, subwoofer but that's about all the knowledge I have and the only reason why I have that knowledge is because I learned from asking questions...

[holemilk00]

My vehicle isn't turbo.

Will I have to take the intercooler I have on off?

??????????

As for the radiator swap man, is your car auto? If so then its just two more lines, if you have decided on a Koyo, then all it takes is DRAINING the factory one of what hasn't leaked out yet by unscrewing the small black plastic plug on the bottom of the radiator, its easy to get to and uses a Phillips screw driver. Drain it into something you can use to dispose of it properly. Next up take the two hoses lose from the radiator, be aware that more coolant will come out once you do this from the bottom hose. Next up take the two tabs off that go from the radiator support that runs across the car to the radiator. Then all you have to do is wiggle it a little bit and it will lift right out the top. Then pull the shroud off the old radiator, mount it to the new one, and reverse the process. Once you get it back full of fluid let it run a little bit with the cap off to get all the big bubbles out of the system. Fill the over flow reservoir to the proper level . Then take it for a SHORT test drive, everyone always talks about over heating issues and having to open the bleeder valve but I've changed several of these and I always just drive for a short bit with the heat on high and the RPM's around 3500 and the temp goes up and down a bit but never over heats, and then levels off, and the car runs great. when you get back top off the fluids and go.

[holemilk00]

As for flushing it, most people just use the garden hose method from above. there are also places you can take it and get flushed, you just want to get the debris out of it so that it i doesn't get in the system.

BTW where did you find a Koyo for that cheap?

[Harman850T5]

If you get the Koyo, before you even put it in the car just start pouring water through it, then install in the car.

I don't think you'd have to worry about waiting for it to come out clear, since it's new and not like a used one that may have never seen a flush for 100,000 miles.

I think you just flush the new radiator to get out any possible contaminants so they don't go floating around in the cooling system.

If you'd want to you depending on how bad your leak is you can buy a flush kit from the auto store and clear out the whole system on the bad radaitor before you install the new one.

[squonk]

thank you.

http://www.go-part.com/9194-ni...=BROI

I have the intercooler because the previous owner had just installed it.

[holemilk00]

Ooooh THAT Koyo, I thought you had found the 3 row one for that price. hahaha.

[squonk]

So that's a bad radiator to buy?

[LingeringSuicide]

Its the same one i have and its doing just fine so far. IT will get you through until you need something bigger due to turbo ect.

[holemilk00]

So that's a bad radiator to buy?

oh no no, its a quality radiator for an OEM style replacement, I was just thinking you had found the 3 row one for that price is all.

Like this

http://www.240sxmotoring.com/korafors13ka.html

[biggie]

If it hasn't been mentioned, hardest thing when doing any coolant/rad work on a KA is getting all the air bubbles out of the system. Make sure you do research on that.

[LingeringSuicide]

Hehe i went to the local cement mixing company and "borrowed" their large inclined hill that they dump sand and gravel on to belts to their mixer. Bounced the front bumper a few times and topped the radiator off. worked fine the last 2 months.

[holemilk00]

If it hasn't been mentioned, hardest thing when doing any coolant/rad work on a KA is getting all the air bubbles out of the system. Make sure you do research on that.

I keep hearing nightmare stories about this but I've completely changed the fluid in my vert and in my zenki a few times (once each for radiator swaps and once each for moving back up north) and I've never had a problem. I mean they have air bubbles in the system when you first start it up but I always fill the over flow reservoir up before starting it and keep topping the radiator off for about five minutes while the car idles before putting the cap on and going for a short drive, keeping the RPM's up in the 3-4k range. The temp goes up and down a few times but never over heats and then just levels off, when I get back about half the coolant in the over flow tank is gone so I put the level of it back up to where it should be and I've never had a car over heat since.