The procedure of getting rid of and changing a radiator in a 1989 Dodge Dakota truck is not as hard a job as it seems. Even a female can do this job. It is a key mend that could value you hundreds of dollars but knowing is 50 percent the struggle. This is a action by action account of the elimination and substitute of that radiator.

You will need the subsequent tools:

three/8″ dual push ratchet
three/eight to one/4″ adapter
pliers
flathead screwdriver
seven/16″ x 1/4″ socket
one/two” x one/four” socket
six” x one/4″ extension

Step 1.

Elevate the hood of the truck and location the prop in the slot on the hood to protected it in area. If the radiator has drinking water or coolant in it, you will have to drain it. Do this by placing the drain pan below the still left facet of the radiator and finding the drain plug on the bottom of the radiator. It does not come out, merely loosens to let the h2o to drain. Soon after the h2o and coolant has drained, track down the hose that operates from the prime of the radiator to the reservoir. Pull the hose from the radiator but go away it connected to the reservoir.

Action 2.

Track down the two clamps that connect the radiator to the body. These will be positioned on the leading of the radiator exactly where the radiator touches the body. Eliminate these 2 clips with the flathead screwdriver and lay them to the aspect or on prime of the air breather so they do not get misplaced.

Action 3.

Find the two bolts that connect the shroud to the radiator. You will locate these a tiny more than half way down the again on each aspect of the radiator. The bolt on the appropriate, under the fill spout, is best to get to and can be taken off from the top. The other facet will call for you to lay on your again on the floor and use the ratchet with at minimum a six” prolonged extension. Area your 3/eight” to 1/four” adapter on the ratchet. Pop the 7/16″ x 1/four” socket on the adapter and remove the bolt on the correct, then get rid of the socket and area the extension on the adapter and spot the socket on the extension. Eliminate the other bolt on the remaining aspect of the radiator.

Phase four.

Lay down on the floor on your back again and find the 2 transmission cooler lines on the base of the radiator. You will uncover a single on every side of the radiator on the bottom. Spot the drain pan beneath the radiator. With the flathead screwdriver loosen the screw on the clamp that holds the rubber line onto the fitting. Take the pliers and squeeze the rubber hose and shift it around the fitting and pull back again on it at the exact same time. These are not effortless to get rid of but you do not want to minimize the hose unless of course it is split. Preserve striving because it will take a couple of minutes of maneuvering to get these off.

Step five.

Even though still lying on the ground, find the bottom radiator hose. Once again, just take the screwdriver and loosen the screw that retains the clamp in location. Employing the two fingers, change and pull up and down on the hose until it is free of charge. Drinking water will operate out of this hose due to the fact it goes to the motor. Permit it to drain into the drain pan.

Step 6.

On the top of the radiator, find the two bolts that connect the radiator to the human body. Use the 1/two” x one/4″ socket on the ratchet and take away them. Place these in the exact same area you spot all the other bolts and clips. Grasp the radiator by every facet and increase it out of the cavity.

Step 7.

Remove the two rubber bumpers the prime bolts had been via on the aged radiator. Remove the exact same two bumpers on the new radiator and spot the outdated kinds in their spot. If you discovered, the new ones ended up wider than the old ones and would not allow the bolt to reach the physique of the truck. Grasp the new radiator the actual exact same way you did the old 1 to eliminate it. Now location the new one particular in the cavity and make certain the base tabs are in the slots they belong in on the bottom.

Step eight.

Commence at the bottom of the radiator and reconnect all the hoses. To do this, smear a small quantity of transmission fluid onto the cooler traces fittings and push the line back again onto the fitting. Tighten the screw on the clamp with the screwdriver. best radiators is essential for the bottom radiator hose. Slide it on to the fitting and tighten the screw on the clamp with the screwdriver. Make positive these hoses are limited so there are no leaks.

Step 9.

Find the bolts that arrived out of the sides of the radiator and exchange them utilizing the exact same socket and ratchet blend as you employed when taking away them.

Step 10.

On the prime of the radiator, exchange the prime radiator hose and tighten the clamp. Make positive it is limited so it does not leak. Replace the 2 clips that came out of the slots on the top. Now substitute the two bolts on the best with the exact same blend as you employed when taking away them. Place 1 gallon of anti-freeze and coolant in the radiator. Fill the relaxation of the way with h2o.

Stage 11.

Start off the truck. It should warmth up swiftly. As the h2o in the radiator goes down, pour a lot more into the radiator. It will amazing the radiator off speedily and close the thermostat. Allow the temperature to heat up once more. This will trigger the drinking water in the radiator to be pushed out. Simply spot your hand more than the spout and consider to keep it from shedding really significantly drinking water. When it has heated up, refill the radiator with water. Location the radiator cap on the spout and you are prepared for the road after once more.

This method need to not just take more time than forty minutes overall time. In considerably less than an hour you taken out your previous radiator and replaced it with a new 1. The exact identical job a shop would charge you $250 for you did and it only expense you a tiny time and a gallon of anti-freeze and coolant additionally the expense of the radiator. You saved your self no significantly less than $one hundred.