Center Radiator Replacement
 

My center radiator has a small leak and I'm replacing it after work today. Got the part, have a pair of pliers for the spring clamps (hope it works!), the bumper cover is off the car....

My question is: do I really need to drain coolant from the plug at the engine? What about just pulling a hose at the radiator and then only having what needs to come out, come out? Catch it in a pan, put it back in when I'm done. I don't want to jack up the whole car for this little project, which I would have to do because I doubt the clearance under the car is sufficient for the pan/bucket while on the tires. In fact, putting the front on ramps will probably cause even less of the coolant to come out when I remove a hose.

TIA

With a c-clamp and a couple of pieces of wood you can clamp off the hose just beyond the removal point and you will drain almost no coolant at all when you remove the hose. You can actually buy a special pair of plier-clamps (http://www.mytoolstore.com/sk/sk03187a.html or http://www.sears.com/craftsman-hose-pinch-pliers-set-of-3/p-00947218000P) for this purpose.

Thanks, Mark. I had a couple of needle nose vise grips that worked perfectly, I only "lost" (captured) what was in the radiator, maybe a cup or two. I will put it back in tomorrow.

As an aside, remove the horn. It's only one nut and it makes getting at the passenger side hose a lot easier.

So - the car is back together. But I am not going to sleep a wink tonight because I had fasteners left over and it's killing me!!!

Maybe someone can point me in the right direction because I'm baffled. I have 4 small phillips head sheet metal screws left, with the cone-shaped countersink washer and I can't for the life of me figure where they go. Two of them go under the plastic cover at the trunk release lever. Two more are accounted for, behind the wheel well skirt and fasten behind the side marker lamp ( a total PITA, btw).

So where do the other 4 go? I'm pretty good with my fasteners, and they were in the group that I removed initially, before I took off the ductwork on the radiators. So if anyone can help me sleep at night, I'd really appreciate it.

TIA

Aren't they from the bottom edge of the bumper cover?

Not that I can see - everything down there is Torx, not phillips.

Okay, I can see now in the body diagram that I misallocated two of the Philips head screws, using the Torx head screws behind the side marker lights. So that leaves me two Philips head screws to locate.

Hmmm

K then, what about the four screws that attach the the top edge of the bumper cover, just under the front edge of the frunk lid. There is a trim piece that covers these screws and if you put the trim piece back before putting the screws in you would not be able to see the holes that they go in.

You did put that trim piece back in, right? 'Cuz the screws could be for that too.

I'm just trying to go by memory here, but I'll have a look around the front of my car tonite and see if I can find something helpful.

I only saw two locations under the rubbery cover that is held on place by the quarter-turn keys. I'll have to remove it and take another look tonight, I was getting kind of frazzled from rolling around on the cement last night and that center radiator snorkel is a pain to put back if you haven't removed the entire bracket assembly (which I avoided)....

4 screws there, huh? At least I won't be yanking the bumper cover again.

Ah yes, I stand corrected about the trim piece - I forgot about those quarter turn fasteners, but I'm pretty sure there were four screws underneath it.

I can sleep tonight -

2 Philips head screws under the frunk trim piece

3 Philips head screws each corner for side marker lamps - 1 behind the wheel well liner, one facing the frunk, and one facing up.

Found two additional locations for the Torx head screws that I incorrectly installed behind the side marker lamps.

System bled (I think).

Thanks