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Radiator Removal - 1990-1996 Q45

No guarantees are made on the results, and anything you do yourself is at your own risk.

Radiator Removal
By Alora Duncan

See the original NICO thread.

General Overview: (Detailed steps are below.)
#1 Empty the radiator of coolant by opening the passenger-side drain cock;
#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).
#13 Then lift the radiator out of the car.


The numbers in the diagram correspond to the steps above.


Diagram.

Detailed Procedure:

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 as far back as you dare;
- 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:
- 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;

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