who has done this, anything i need to look for...do need to jack the car up etc

it dosent look hard at all but if there is anything i should be aware of give me some tips

thanks

 

I just replaced the radiator on my '96.

It's pretty straight forward. If you aren't familiar with the way the electrical snaps pop off then it might take a minute or two to figure it out. You need to take off the bottom plastic protector. It's just a ton of (10mm or 14??..something like that) bolts. Then remove both fans (and unhooked the wires).

After they are out just drain the fluid (I just drained the radiator..not the entire engine) then popped off the hoses and made the swap. Pretty easy took about 1-2 hours if you take your time. Make sure to get a bottle of Honda Anti-freeze (you only need one..mix 50/50 or around that).

Once new one is in put the fans back on and finish up. The only problem I ran into was my radiator had two fittings that were for the automatic transmission lines. They don't tie into the main radiator so I just left them be...varying upon if you buy a generic one or not it might have these.


[Modified by Tweakmeister, 4:47 PM 6/17/2002]

 

I would recommend replacing the stock clamps with some better hose clamps. (ones that you turn a screw to tighten).

There's a chance that after you change it out, the worn/crusty hose might not seal as well against the crusty/worn radiator hose fitting.

 

Replace your hoses, too. While you're at it (depending on your car's age), it might be worthwhile to swap out your thermostat, just to get that done while it's easy.

One tip: after you disconnect all the connectors and wiring harnesses, you can remove the radiator with the fans still attached, as one unit. Then, do the reverse to re-install -- bolt up the fans first, and then install the whole thing. It's a pretty straight-forward, easy job. Good luck.

 

i replaced mine about 6 months ago, as the other replies stated its fairly straight forward, while i had the old radiator/fans out i took off the manifold/header shield and polished it on my dads electric polisher, as its a bitch to get off when the fans are connected/bolted up!

 

while you're in there w/ everything out... I would suggest replacing hoses and clamps. It's small $$ and a big difference if you got high cooing system pressure or a hot engine bay. Also a good chance to doa full system flush and run a water/wetter mix if you need it.

 

Defintely replace the CLAMPS, hose might be ok if your car is still new.

I didn't replace the clamps on my gf's accord when replacing the radiator and fluid was leaking out from below. Had to take off the protecting cover on the bottom and replace the clamp. Very time consuming. Do it right the first time and replace ALL the clamps. The factory clamps are useless once you losen and take them off.

 

ok well that took all of 20 min to do, the biggest problem was those damn elkectrical clips...had to look 2-3 times...it was a pull out and drop in affair. i dident actually get to look at this post before i did it but the hoses and clams were all in good order....overall easy job