replacing radiator on 90 automatic accord

Hi all,

I'm planning to replace my radiator, I've been adding coolant every
other week, and now that the warm weather is back, I see a small
puddle under the car. It's clearly the radiator because I was able to
see it when the car was up at a shop.

Luckily, I was able to get the maintenance manual, I can see the
diagrams but I still have a few questions:

What tools do I need? To get the job done in the parking lot and I
don't mind buying a few tools. Suggestions welcome, I live in
Waterloo, ON.

I have a quote from Canadian Tire $150 CAD for the parts, is this ok?

What should I use to plug disconnected hoses?

Can I reach under the radiator so I can drain the liquid into a
container? (coolant is a few years old)

thanks in advance,
vlad

 

All you need are basic hand tools (sockets, ratchet, extensions, etc.).

The rad has a white plastic drain plug with a sort of wing-nut on the end.
It's at the bottom right (pass. side) corner of the rad. You will most
likely need to remove the splash shield from under the car before you can
reach it.

You MUST drain the rad, otherwise you'll end up with a huge mess on the
parking lot. If you remove the rad drain plug entirely, the fluid will jet
out of the rad drain with some force and make a mess. It's better to just
leave the plug in, but loosen it until fluid flows out the hole in the
bottom. This is VERY slow, though. Will take approx a half-hour to drain
completely.

If I were you, I'd drain over grass rather than pavement. Any accidental
spill will soak in and not look as bad. It won't kill the grass.

To do a proper job, you should also drain the block. The drain plug for
that is between the distributor and the exhaust manifold, and can be tough
to shift without a cheater bar. Plus there's more potential for a big mess
on the ground. Remember to turn the heater on to full-hot!

You can undo the upper rad hose at the rad, but the lower rad hose MUST be
left on the rad, and disconnected at the thermostat housing. Remove the
hose with the rad. This is MUCH easier than trying to leave the hose in
place on the engine!

Your price seems cheap. What are you buying? I'd expect about $150 just for
a decent rad and clamps.

Also, I hope you aren't intending on doing the job in Cdn Tire's parking
lot. They take a /very/ dim view of repairs on company property.

 

If you mean the tranny fluid cooling hoses, at minimum you need a flare
wrench to get them loose, and there is a chance you may twist one of them
off, so be careful.

I guess you could plug the hoses with those foam ear plugs. They're dirt
cheap. You'd twirl them flat then stick them in the hoses before they
expand again.

 

no dude, you take the hose off the nozzles, not the nozzles from the
radiator. only need pliers or a screwdriver [depending on the hose
clamp] to change those hoses.

once you remove the hose, simply elevate. very little fluid runs out if
the motor's not running. in fact, after fitting the new [empty]
radiator, you can't see any difference in atf fluid level before and after.

 

Thanks Tegger, I'll report back when I get the job done.

vlad

 

I've found that using the sharpie markers seems to plug the
transmission cooling hoses well. They are a little difficult when
pulling them off but pliers works well to remove them from the hose.