Radiator Replacement
fairly straight forward. Drain system (removing bottom hose will do this for you)
Undo radiator hoses, bottom//top
Undo hose on radiator that goes to the expansion tank
Undo the hose that is connected to the metal pipe that runs across the top of the radiator (can remove both ends of this if you want, ie the side at the header tank nr battery)
Unclip the electric fan connectors (if you have 2 fans you will have 2 connectors)
Using a socket (think it may be 10mm or 12 cant remember) remove the nuts on the top of the radiator that are facing upwards. This includes the bonnet catch one. Cant remember of the top of my head if there are 2 or 3 nuts.
Withdraw the radiator, and lie it flat on a suitable surface.
Using a 10mm socket, remove the bolts holding the fan cowlings on. Be careful with these as they will probably shear off (good idea to have spares)
What I did was I had both radiators good and bad side by side facing the same way etc. As I removed one fan, I put it on the good radiator in the same place and then removed the other one and did the same again.
Make sure the replacement radiator has got the rubber shock asborber things on the base, if not transfer from damaged radiator, or check the car as they may still be in there.
Drop the radiator back in place (easy in the light bit trickier in the dark which is when I did mine), be gentle with this so not to damage the new rad.
Then refit the rad bolts, connect all hoses and then have the joyous task of filling it with antifreeze//water
(the filling bit is the hardest part it will take a while as you get all the air out of the system!)
the changing of the rad is probably about an hours job unrushed, the re filling is probably a 2 day job - lol
Good luck
Undo radiator hoses, bottom//top
Undo hose on radiator that goes to the expansion tank
Undo the hose that is connected to the metal pipe that runs across the top of the radiator (can remove both ends of this if you want, ie the side at the header tank nr battery)
Unclip the electric fan connectors (if you have 2 fans you will have 2 connectors)
Using a socket (think it may be 10mm or 12 cant remember) remove the nuts on the top of the radiator that are facing upwards. This includes the bonnet catch one. Cant remember of the top of my head if there are 2 or 3 nuts.
Withdraw the radiator, and lie it flat on a suitable surface.
Using a 10mm socket, remove the bolts holding the fan cowlings on. Be careful with these as they will probably shear off (good idea to have spares)
What I did was I had both radiators good and bad side by side facing the same way etc. As I removed one fan, I put it on the good radiator in the same place and then removed the other one and did the same again.
Make sure the replacement radiator has got the rubber shock asborber things on the base, if not transfer from damaged radiator, or check the car as they may still be in there.
Drop the radiator back in place (easy in the light bit trickier in the dark which is when I did mine), be gentle with this so not to damage the new rad.
Then refit the rad bolts, connect all hoses and then have the joyous task of filling it with antifreeze//water
(the filling bit is the hardest part it will take a while as you get all the air out of the system!)
the changing of the rad is probably about an hours job unrushed, the re filling is probably a 2 day job - lol
Good luck
Originally Posted by jaytc2003
fairly straight forward. Drain system (removing bottom hose will do this for you)
Undo radiator hoses, bottom//top
Undo hose on radiator that goes to the expansion tank
Undo the hose that is connected to the metal pipe that runs across the top of the radiator (can remove both ends of this if you want, ie the side at the header tank nr battery)
Unclip the electric fan connectors (if you have 2 fans you will have 2 connectors)
Using a socket (think it may be 10mm or 12 cant remember) remove the nuts on the top of the radiator that are facing upwards. This includes the bonnet catch one. Cant remember of the top of my head if there are 2 or 3 nuts.
Withdraw the radiator, and lie it flat on a suitable surface.
Using a 10mm socket, remove the bolts holding the fan cowlings on. Be careful with these as they will probably shear off (good idea to have spares)
What I did was I had both radiators good and bad side by side facing the same way etc. As I removed one fan, I put it on the good radiator in the same place and then removed the other one and did the same again.
Make sure the replacement radiator has got the rubber shock asborber things on the base, if not transfer from damaged radiator, or check the car as they may still be in there.
Drop the radiator back in place (easy in the light bit trickier in the dark which is when I did mine), be gentle with this so not to damage the new rad.
Then refit the rad bolts, connect all hoses and then have the joyous task of filling it with antifreeze//water
(the filling bit is the hardest part it will take a while as you get all the air out of the system!)
the changing of the rad is probably about an hours job unrushed, the re filling is probably a 2 day job - lol
Good luck
Undo radiator hoses, bottom//top
Undo hose on radiator that goes to the expansion tank
Undo the hose that is connected to the metal pipe that runs across the top of the radiator (can remove both ends of this if you want, ie the side at the header tank nr battery)
Unclip the electric fan connectors (if you have 2 fans you will have 2 connectors)
Using a socket (think it may be 10mm or 12 cant remember) remove the nuts on the top of the radiator that are facing upwards. This includes the bonnet catch one. Cant remember of the top of my head if there are 2 or 3 nuts.
Withdraw the radiator, and lie it flat on a suitable surface.
Using a 10mm socket, remove the bolts holding the fan cowlings on. Be careful with these as they will probably shear off (good idea to have spares)
What I did was I had both radiators good and bad side by side facing the same way etc. As I removed one fan, I put it on the good radiator in the same place and then removed the other one and did the same again.
Make sure the replacement radiator has got the rubber shock asborber things on the base, if not transfer from damaged radiator, or check the car as they may still be in there.
Drop the radiator back in place (easy in the light bit trickier in the dark which is when I did mine), be gentle with this so not to damage the new rad.
Then refit the rad bolts, connect all hoses and then have the joyous task of filling it with antifreeze//water
(the filling bit is the hardest part it will take a while as you get all the air out of the system!)
the changing of the rad is probably about an hours job unrushed, the re filling is probably a 2 day job - lol
Good luck
Scooby Regular
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,388
Likes: 0
From: Hunting for my next Impreza!
Great Help! I am hopefully doing mine this weekend... but once the Rad is out i have the Joy of the cambelt! oh and probably changing my manifold.. which i think has a hole! Great 
Scooby Regular
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
Sorry to drag up an old post but I thought it best to put here...
I'm in the position where I'm not using my car cos the radiator is cracked. I don't have any antifreeze. Will it be okay to just fill my car with water? How much antifreeze and water should I put in eventually??
I'm in the position where I'm not using my car cos the radiator is cracked. I don't have any antifreeze. Will it be okay to just fill my car with water? How much antifreeze and water should I put in eventually??
It's okay to just put water in for a short, temporary time! e.g. if you need to drive to a motor factor/dealer/specialist to get some antifreeze. But drain it out asap and then put in a 50%/50% mix of water/coolant.
Antifreeze/coolant, as the names suggest, has 2 very important, qualities: the anti-freeze property to it prevents the engine components' water galleries from rusting up, plus, the coolant property allows the components to run cooler (than just water alone).
Antifreeze/coolant, as the names suggest, has 2 very important, qualities: the anti-freeze property to it prevents the engine components' water galleries from rusting up, plus, the coolant property allows the components to run cooler (than just water alone).
Last edited by joz8968; Mar 21, 2009 at 12:24 PM.
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