Q45 (1st Gen): Radiator Removal / Replacement

[elwesso]

By: Tangalora

Prepare your work environment:- Wear full coveralls & safety glasses (to keep grease out if nothing else);- Shove a shop rag in your back pocket & a digital camera in your front pocket;- Sweep the floor of your work area clean (you *will* repeatedly drop stuff);- Place the Q45 transmission in PARK & chock the rear wheels;- Lift the Q45 at the front engine crossmember with a floor jack;- Place stands under the frame where the frame is double thickness- Remove the floor jack & bounce-test the setup (better to fall now than later).Empty the radiator of coolant:- Loosen the radiator & coolant overflow covers to allow air in the system;- Place a suitable container below the radiator passenger side corner;- Loosen plastic drain c0ck at the bottom passenger side of the radiator;- Drain radiator fluid into the container (an oil-change pan works well).... Note: I removed the petcock completely to enable fluid to flow freely ...Remove the black plastic ornamental cover directly above the radiator:(Note: Some people find its easiest to remove the lower radiator hose. This makes a mess but is DEFINITELY the fastest way).- Remove the steel quarter-inch screw just in front of the MAF (#2 phillips);- Note the steel washer and rubber O ring below that short steel screw;- Remove 7 two-piece nylon anchor fasteners (#2 phillips + needlenose pliars);- Note the female portion of the anchor bolt often comes out with the male;- Loosly insert all 9 fasteners by hand in original positions for safekeeping.... Note: Someone had previosly broken many fasteners ...Remove the ornamental cover directly over the hood hinge (fore of the radiator):- Remove 8 two-piece nylon anchor fasteners (#2 phillips + needlenose pliars);- Loosly insert all 8 fasteners by hand in original positions for safekeeping.... Note: Someone had previosly broken many fasteners.Remove the ornamental cover directly behind the driver-side headlamp:- Remove 4 two-piece nylon anchor fasteners (#2 phillips + needlenose pliars);- Loosly insert all 4 fasteners by hand in original positions for safekeeping.... Note: Someone had previosly broken some of the ornamental cover holes ...Remove the ornamental cover directly behind the passenger-side headlamp:- Remove 4 two-piece nylon anchor fasteners (#2 phillips + needlenose pliars);- Loosly insert all 4 fasteners by hand in original positions for safekeeping.Remove the two-piece fan shroud surrounding the engine fan:- Remove 2 steel screws on the top of the radiator shroud (#2 phillips);- Remove 2 steel screws on the bottom of the radiator shroud (#2 phillips);- Unclip the quarter-inch radiator overflow hose from 2 top driver-side clips;- Unclip the electrical wires from shroud by pulling 2 posts out (needlenose);- Note the fan shroud has a two-inch-wide removable collar around the fan;- Remove the bottom fan-shroud-collar clip (#2 flat screwdriver or pliars);- Remove the passenger-side fan-shroud-collar clip (sometimes difficult);- You may leave the driver-side fan-shroud-collar clip (if you can't get to it);- Pull the radiator shroud with attached collar upward out of the engine bay.- Loosly insert all 4 fasteners by hand in original positions for safekeeping.... Note: I was able to leave the fan-shroud-collar hanging by one clip ...Disconnect the upper two-inch rubber radiator hose assembly:- Loosen the hose clamp at the waterpump outlet on the engine (#2 flat);- Manually pull the two-inch hose off the waterpump outlet;- Hand tighten the hose clamp onto a section of the hose for safe keeping;Disconnect the radiator overflow hose under the radiator pressure cap;- Loosen the radiator-overflow-hose clamp at the top of the radiator (pliars);- Detach the quarter-inch radiator overflow hose from the top of the radiator;- Move the hose clamp onto a section of the overflow hose for safe keeping;Remove the engine ornamental cover (between the water pump outlet & the plenum):- Remove two 10 mm bolts on the top of the ornamental cover (1/4" socket set);- Remove the one 10 mm nut on the side section of the ornamental cover (socket);- Remove the engine ornamental cover from between the water pump & plenum;- Loosly insert all 3 fasteners by hand in original positions for safekeeping.Disconnect the lower two-inch rubber radiator hose assembly:- Find two CAS wire-holder fasteners on the lower-hose metal section bracket;- Detach those two CAS wire-holder fasteners (bent needlenose pliars);- Find the one 10 mm bolt holding the lower-hose steel section & bracket;- Remove that 10 mm bolt from the engine (socket + 6 inch extension);- Remove the three 12 mm thermostat cover bolts (socket + 6 inch extension);- The lower two-inch radiator hose is now free from the engine;- Loosly insert the one bolt by hand in its original position for safekeeping.Disconnect the two wires attached to the radiator before removal:- Remove the 22 mm thermoswitch on the radiator driver side (open-end wrench);- Make sure you save the rubber 0-ring underneath this brass thermoswitch;- Disconnect a wiring connector on the driver side near the radiator;... Note: Could I instead disconnect the thermoswitch from the harness? ...Disconnect the OEM ATF transmission oil cooler inside the radiator:- On the driver side of the radiator, on the side facing the engine;- Locate where the rubber transmission tubing meets metal tubes;- This will be underneath the engine, close to the power steering pump;- This location makes disassembly easy as you can get a good grip here;- Label each hose & metal line pair so as not to confuse them upon reassembly;- Specifically, the lower rubber hose goes to the distal horizontal metal tube;- Correspondingly, the upper rubber hose goes to the medial metal tube;- Place a thick shop towel nearby as the transmission cooler will leak oil;- Remove the 10 mm bolt on each of these two hose clamps (box wrench);- Temporarily plug each transmission cooler rubber line with a pencil;- Otherwise you'll leak ATF oil all over the floor of your workspace;- Hand tighten the two hose clamps onto their respective hoses for safekeeping;... Note: I couldn't remove the two 19 mm ATF brass fittings or their hoses! ..Remove the two bolts attaching the radiator to the Q45 frame:- Make a note of the difference between the two brackets on the radiator top;- Remove the two 10 mm bolts at the top of the radiator (box wrench);- Lift up the two (different size) radiator brackets under those two bolts;- Loosly insert both fasteners by hand in original positions for safekeeping.Remove radiator:- Pull the radiator up out the top of the engine bay & inspect for damage.

Reinstall in reverse order.

We recommend refilling with distilled water (70%), antifreeze (30%), and 2 bottles of Redline Water Wetter.

SUMMARY:

#1 Empty the radiator of coolant by opening the passenger-side drain c***;#2 Detach the quarter-inch radiator overflow hose from the top of the radiator;#3 Pull out two wire fasteners from the drivers-side of the fan shroud (pliars);#4 Unclip thermoswitch electrical wires (the thermoswitch may remain in place);#5 Detach two CAS-wire-holder fasteners (using bent needlenose pliars);#6 Remove one 10 mm bolt holding 2-inch pipe to engine (socket, 6 in extension);#7 Remove the lower two-inch radiator hose from the thermostat housing;#8 Disconnect the upper two-inch rubber radiator from the water pump outlet;#9 Disconnect the upper transmission heat exchanger inlet quarter-inch hose;#10 Disconnect the lower transmission heat exchanger outlet quarter-inch hose;#11 Remove the three 2-inch-wide lower shroud-collar clips (needle-nose pliars);#12 Remove the two 10 mm bolts at the top of the radiator (box wrench).