it never rains, it pours...coolant. all over the place., need new rad, need DYI tips Options

[axelrduvirage]

well, took the ol' Celi out for a quick spin today after recharging the battery and inflating the tires. had to get it going. may have to take it to the shop next week for springs / struts installation...yay . so i pull onto the gas station for a splash and dash and notice this familiar smell. coolant!!! all over everything in the engine bay. P.U. anyway enough beetchin'...

any HOT tips on replacing the rad. it's on order and should be here tomorrow (Friday) or Monday latest. are there any "do this before you do that" instructions from anyone who has DYI'ed a rad? i'm pretty handy and replaced the rad on my 540i, no problem.

any help, tips, warnings, caveats and "i told you so's" would be appreciated.

BTW pray for nice weather, it's been everything and anything around here lately. today sunny, calm and 10°C, saturday -5°c freezing rain and high winds (not Mr. Fix-it-in-your-driveway weather )

This post has been edited by axelrduvirage: Mar 6, 2008 - 8:03 PM

[alltracman78]

Um

Pay attention to what you're doing.
Don't forget to disconnect the fan switch and the fan connector.
Don't forget the rubber bushings on the bottom of the rad.
Make sure you get rid of all air bubbles when you refill.
Use distilled water, not tap water.

[monkey]

put the clamps back in the correct spot, my dad didnt put the bottom one on and it cost 900 bucks to repair everything he ****ed up!

[axelrduvirage]

Um

Pay attention to what you're doing.
Don't forget to disconnect the fan switch and the fan connector.
Don't forget the rubber bushings on the bottom of the rad.
Make sure you get rid of all air bubbles when you refill.
Use distilled water, not tap water.

Pay attention to what you're doing...i promise i'll have a beer AFTER i finish.

Don't forget to disconnect the fan switch and the fan connector...i usually pull the ground on the battery. SAFETY FIRST !!!

Don't forget the rubber bushings on the bottom of the rad...do you recommend automatically replacing our just checking the condition?

Make sure you get rid of all air bubbles when you refill...running the engine and milking the top rad hose, or do you have a technique?

Use distilled water, not tap water...i usually use pre-mix, any counter-indication to that?



thanks for the reply...will keep you posted on the re-radiatoring (i love making up words) of the Celi.

[DEATH]

Are we talking stock replacement or did you spring for the Koyo?
As for the coolant/water question - use Toyota Forlife Coolant - there are so many reasons why but just do it. And mix it with distilled water not tap like Alltracman said

[axelrduvirage]

Are we talking stock replacement or did you spring for the Koyo?
As for the coolant/water question - use Toyota Forlife Coolant - there are so many reasons why but just do it. And mix it with distilled water not tap like Alltracman said

stock. just spent way too much 00:00 and $.$$ on wheels + suspension. if i spend any more, the next dollar i spend will be on a good divorce lawyer. i'll look in to the toyota coolant. sounds interesting.

[axelrduvirage]

just got a call from my supplier...gotta go get the rad...only a few hours of daytime left...need car...got wheels...drive to shop...install suspension...grin for days...talk like HULK !!!!!!!!!!

[6G96GT]

you should probably go ahead and do new hoses and a thermostat too. Plus a nice flush (inc. the block) to get all that old sh*t out.

[DEATH]

you should probably go ahead and do new hoses and a thermostat too. Plus a nice flush (inc. the block) to get all that old sh*t out.

what he said
And as for the Koyo - for me it was a choice of paying Toyota $50 more for the stock rad or upgrading - wasn't exactly a hard decision for me

[axelrduvirage]

... get all that old sh*t out.

tell me about it!! the crap that came out of the old rad was brown and heavy. the stuff that came out of the bock looked like coolant (fluo green). i wonder if my rad was congested to the point it wasn't circulatindg much back into the block? got the old rad out no prob. will transfer fan to the new one tomorrow or sunday.
anyway, every thing is on hold until i get some nice weather. havta flush and fill the whole system! some clamps are new, some are rusty and seized. some hoses are shiny, others are cracked and crumbly. finding out hte hard way that my car was front-ended, written off and sold to some unsuspecting foreign buyer (that would be me). the CeliPig is sick and i need to tend to it. i feel like i am a victim of love-at-first-sight / high maintenance relationship syndrome. will post elsewhere on that topic.

[axelrduvirage]

update...

finished the job on saturday in a beautiful winter storm (winds, rain, dropping temps, snow, sleet, etc...) everything is where it should be and there are no more leaks. had to tighten the ATF feed line coupling after i saw it piss out onto the driveway. the fans haven't come on for me yet, but i was working in -5°C weather by the time i finished and didn't have time to really warm up the car (1/2 hour drive). i was away this week so will keep working on it when the weather gets nicer. the rad flush is on my spring cleaning list.

thanks for the replies.

alltracman78 - thanks, now i know what you meant by the switch and connector