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Of course, you need to get your supplies together, depending on what you are doi

Posted by krivasfixyakrivasfixya on Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Of course, you need to get your supplies together, depending on what you are doing. You will need a 1/4" drive socket handle with a very short extension, a container for the drained coolant, a 10mm socket, a 13mm socket, a 15mm socket and wrench, and some pliers that are appropriate for spring-type clamps (there are special-made ones, or you can use vise-grips or channel locks).

First, make sure the engine is relatively cool. Then jack it up on the right side - this will assist with bleeding the air out of the cooling system.
Then, get a container that will fit under the lower right corner of the radiator - this is where the coolant will drain out when you open the petcock/ spigot/ drain plug.

Next, under the hood, remove the bleed screw that is in the upper right corner of the radiator - near the battery.

Now, under the car, put your 1/4" drive extension and handle into the radiator petcock/ drain plug. It has a plastic square hole - get a mirror if you have to - and the extension just fits in as if it were a socket. Turn the petcock / drain plug just about a quarter turn - it is more like a spigot than a drain plug, so don't turn it too far.

Get your bucket quickly under the streaming coolant, and let it sit for a while.

Now, under the hood, you will find a connector right in the middle of the car, at the front of the engine compartment, above the cooling fans. Disconnect this.

Still under the hood, you will have to pop loose the plastic buttons that hold the plastic shroud for the wiring harness. Now remove the two 15mm bolt and nuts holding the "dog bone" engine support strut and the four 13mm bolts that hold the mount on the front of the engine compartment.

Remove the clamps for the upper and lower radiator hoses at the engine inlet and outlet pipes. Make sure to break loose the seal between the outlets and the hoses by twisting gently but forcefully with pliers.

Look on the top and both sides of the cooling fans shroud. There will be three 10mm bolts. Remove these and lift the shroud out, pushing the wiring harness toward the engine for clearance.

Now remove the two 10mm bolts that hold the brackets for the radiator.

Lift the radiator out with the hoses still attached.

Now you have lots of room to get at the alternator and the compressor.

Hope it goes well for you! Vote for me if you like this guide.

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