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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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