Removing Radiator

[MorpheusGPR]

I feel like I took the whole front end of the car off...so many wires!

How many of us can actually remove those wire harnesses withouth breaking the tabs off? I end up breaking those lock tabs EVERY time! Well I hope that does not cause me problems.

At any rate I finally got the fan shrowd off and I am looking at taking the radiator out this week end so I can start putting it back together and get driving again.

I can't seem to get the two metal lines that go on the passenger side of the radiator off? Whats the trick?

Thanks.

Oh and I finally got the hose clamp off that is above the thermostat..yeah deff destroyed it so I am hoping a normal screw type from autozone will work? Any input on that would be great. I went ahead and bought a motorcraft thermo (autozone one I am taking back) and the one that was in there was not a stock unit, it had no jiggle valves at all for instance.

 

[MADDOG11]

I feel like I took the whole front end of the car off...so many wires!

How many of us can actually remove those wire harnesses withouth breaking the tabs off? I end up breaking those lock tabs EVERY time! Well I hope that does not cause me problems.

At any rate I finally got the fan shrowd off and I am looking at taking the radiator out this week end so I can start putting it back together and get driving again.

I can't seem to get the two metal lines that go on the passenger side of the radiator off? Whats the trick?

Thanks.

Oh and I finally got the hose clamp off that is above the thermostat..yeah deff destroyed it so I am hoping a normal screw type from autozone will work? Any input on that would be great. I went ahead and bought a motorcraft thermo (autozone one I am taking back) and the one that was in there was not a stock unit, it had no jiggle valves at all for instance.

Is this an ATX or MTX?

 

[MorpheusGPR]

Atx 1994

 

[HopefulSHO]

Those metal lines are transmission cooler lines - there's two fittings...one smaller one that seals the line to the big fitting, and the big fitting screws into the radiator. I don't remember what sizes they are; but you'll want to hold that large fitting still while unscrewing the smaller one.

Once you have the smaller one out you can move it aside (some trans fluid will spill out, not much) and remove the larger one. If your new rad dosen't come with new large fittings be careful, I stripped mine with a quickness, and locating one was more of a PITA than I would have imagined.

Also, screw-type hose clamps will work just fine. I prefer them myself. Oh, those clips break all the time.

 

[MorpheusGPR]

Trannt cooler lines? Ok thanks. If anyone happends to recall the correct size wrenches I would greatly appreciate it. My manual calls for a special tool. The wrenches I have are not large enough so I will have to go to the store and buy a couple.

Those lines running to the radiator carry tranny fluid through an isolated section of the radiator to cool it down then? If so what is the longer unit in front of the radiator? I thought that was a tranny cooler?

Thanks again.

 

[kurtis adum]

the small one is 5/8. I used a pipe wrench on the bigger one so dont know the exact size. Use sum pb blaster or ne thing like that to help free them up.

 

[HopefulSHO]

I belive the larger one is 19mm.

The small radiator like thing in the front is (like you said) a tranny cooler - it's sole purpose is to cool the fluid; you don't find them (stock) on most automatic-equipped cars.
The part in the radiator is found on almost every automatic-equipped car made that I've seen, and can help cool or heat the tranny fluid depending on it's tempature in relation to the coolant. Some people in hot climates bypass this completely as you don't really want your transmission fluid temps as high as your coolant can go.

 

[MorpheusGPR]

Well the radiator is out.

One problem I have. The lower tranny coolant hose I got the small one off but the larger one is not coming off for me. Its frozne or something. It has now caused the whole unit to spin, I am going to go try holding the flat wide nut with some pliers while I try to get the other one to turn and come loose.

PITA!