need help about to replace radiater

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newshofan

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ok im about to replace the radiater in the morning hopefully. is there anything i should know? is there a certain type of antifreeze i should use or will any brand work was going to go with the prestone 50/50 and how long should i plan on this taking me and how hard is it.
 

riden2low

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Not hard but time consuming. Patience is the word. For someone who works on their car, maybe an hour or so. But for the first timer, you can double that real easy
 

newshofan

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ok so maybe three hours tops..ok..great...what is the easiest way to do it?...ive been looking and it mainly seems like the hardest part is going to be taking the fan system out and back in of course...but anything i might need. or recomendations? i have the thermastat as well i am going to try and replace.
 

firebat45

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The hardest part will be popping 20 year old crusty rad hoses off the rad, especially if they have the stock plier-activated clamps on them. Definitely so if the clamp requires that the pliers be in a position they don't fit. Replace all those clamps with hose clamps when you do the swap.

Take all the core support crap off (serpentine diagram, airbag sensor, ccrm, etc)

Then take the fan out, which is only a couple bolts and a plug.

Then unbolt the top of the rad and pull it out after taking the rad hoses off.

Might as well do the thermostat at the same time, it's not that difficult to get to.

I bet it'll take more than 3 hours if you're new to this sort of thing. Budget for more just in case, 4-6, and if you're done in 3 (or less!) you'll be happy. Better than taking longer than you planned.
 

newshofan

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ok great so maybe not as hard as i thought..if its as easy as you say...lets hope i dont run in to anything..just got back from walmart getting antifreeze and a set of extensions so i should be good now. one thing i was worried about was the trany lines that run through the rad on how easy those were to r and r? but i dont have to be to work till five so i figure hey ill start on it now and sleep later so ill have plenty of time.
 

TopGunnYFZ

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Soak the trans lines with some pb, depending on the rust and grime which shouldnt be as bad as up here they usually arent bad. Id still soak them before you start for a little more help.
 
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itwonder

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It's a straightforward job. Here is the detailed procedure from the Ford FSM. BTW, It's usually less expensive to mix your own 50/50 coolant by buying the 100% strength antifreeze and distilled water, then mixing in equal parts.

Removal

1. Drain cooling system by removing radiator pressure cap and opening draincock located at lower rear corner of radiator inlet tank. Three revolutions are required to open draincock to full open position.

2. Remove rubber overflow tube from coolant recovery bottle and detach it from radiator.

On Taurus SHO, disconnect tube from radiator and remove recovery bottle. Refer to illustration.


3. Disconnect battery ground cable.

4. Remove two shroud upper retaining screws and lift shroud out of lower retaining clip.

5. Disconnect the electric cooling fan motor wires and remove fan and shroud assembly.

6. Loosen upper and lower hose clamps at radiator and remove hoses from radiator connectors.

7. Disconnect two automatic transmission oil cooling lines from radiator fittings with Line Disconnect Tool T82L-9500-AH or equivalent, on vehicles equipped with automatic transaxles.

8. On 3.0L and SHO engines, remove two radiator upper retaining screws.

9. N/A to SHO. On 3.8L engine, remove two hex nuts from RH radiator support bracket.
Remove bracket.

10. N/A to SHO. On 3.8L engine, remove two screws from LH radiator support bracket. Remove bracket.

11. Tilt radiator back (rearward) approximately 25mm (1 inch) and lift directly upward, clear of radiator support.

12. If either hose is to be replaced, loosen clamp at engine end and slip hose off connections with a twisting motion.


13. Remove radiator lower support rubber pads, if pad replacement is necessary.




Installation

1. Position radiator lower support rubber pads to lower support, if necessary.

2. If either hose has been replaced, position hose on engine with index arrow in-line with mark on fitting at engine. On 3.8L engines, install constant tension hose clamp between alignment marks on hose.

3. Position radiator into engine compartment and to radiator support. Insert the moulded pins at bottom of each tank through slotted holes in lower support rubber pads.

4. Inspect radiator nylon tank upper mounting bushings for damage. Replace if damaged.

5. N/A to SHO. On 3.8L engine, inspect outlet tank metallic pin bracket, LH and RH radiator support brackets. Replace if damaged.

6. N/A to SHO. On 3.8L engine, if outlet tank pin bracket must be replaced, remove two retaining bolts. Position bracket on the outlet tank. Install two retaining bolts and tighten to 9-13 N-m (80-115 lb-in).



7. Ensure plastic pads on bottom of radiator tanks are resting on rubber pads. Install two upper retaining bolts to attach radiator to radiator support. Tighten to 5-7 N-m (45-61 lb-in). On 3.8L, tighten to 17-27 N-m (13-19 lb-ft).

8. N/A to SHO. On 3.8L, position RH support bracket onto radiator and over two studs on radiator support.

9. N/A to SHO On 3.8L, position LH support bracket over radiator and radiator support. Align holes in bracket with corresponding holes in radiator support and secure with two screws. Tighten screws to 12-24 N-m (9-17 lb-ft).

10. Secure RH support bracket to radiator support with two hex nuts. Tighten nuts to 12-24 N-m (9-17 lb-ft).

11. Install radiator upper and lower hoses to radiator. Position hose on radiator connector so that index arrow on hose is in line with mark on connector. Tighten clamps to 2.3-3.4 N-m (20-30 lb-in) on 3.0L engines. On 3.8L and 3.0L SHO engines, install constant tension hose clamp between alignment marks on hoses.

On vehicles with automatic transaxles, connect oil cooler lines using Pipe Sealant with Teflon®D8AZ-19554-A (ESG-M4G194-A) or equivalent oil resistant sealer.

12. Install fan and shroud assembly by connecting motor wiring and positioning on lower retainer clips. Attach top of shroud to radiator with two screw and washer assemblies, and nut. Tighten to 4 N-m (36 lb-in).

13. Attach rubber overflow tube to radiator filler neck overflow ****** and coolant recovery bottle.

On Taurus SHO, install coolant recovery bottle and connect overflow hose.

14. Install new 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze. Operate engine for 15 minutes. Check coolant level and bring it to within 38mm (1-1/2 inch) of radiator filler neck. Add one vial of Cooling System Stop Leak Powder E6AZ-19558-A (ESE-M99B170-A) or equivalent.

15. Connect battery ground cable.
 

newshofan

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ok thanks for that.. i got it all fixed now. took alot longer than expected. mainly due to tanny lines and the lower radiater hose. those old plier clamps are a pain. didnt have the other style clamps to replace them so i had to use the old ones again. but i did swap one of them out couldnt get the hose to the water pump to slip on so i swaped the clamp from the upper radiater hose. made it alot easier. wish i wouldve had new hoses. but thats the only thing that didnt get done. the upper one is real easy to do so i may replace that one soon. but the bottom will get done when i do the front 60k....

thanks for the help
 

hawkeye18

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Take one jug of Prestone coolant, pour into radiator.

Take empty jug, fill with water.

Pour water into radiator.

2 gallons of 50/50 for the price of one! :woo-hoo:

Just a hint for next time.
 
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Radical540

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Good info. My '93 ATX is getting the tell-tale "drip" in the front; upon start up in the colder mornings.
I suspect the "old fashioned" way they epoxied the tubes to the plastic tanks is the culprit. (i.e. gets brittle over the years, and contracts- and therefore leaks when cold). I don't really get much leakage once the engine/radiator are up to proper temp. Anyway...I digress...
Can anyone verify that new radiators are NOT using epoxy?
 

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