DIY-E420 Behr radiator swap
01-14-2007, 10:54 AM
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'95 E420 SE
DIY-E420 Behr radiator swap
Just thought I would share the fact that you can swap a replacement rad. into a V-8 car yourself with a little patience. It is tight for space, but can be done. The steps were as follows:
1) remove plastic skid plate under the car. I jacked up one side of the car and put the car on a jack stand to make room. (you'll need it)
2) remove the retainer clips on top that secure the fan shroud.
3) from the bottom, release the lower clips of the fan shroud so the shroud is now loose.
4) push the shroud back against the engine block...over the fan, which you do NOT have to remove.
5) disconnect all the hoses from the rad. ( three total: inlet, outlet and refill)
6) disconnect both banjo fittings for the oil lines to the cooler. Zip tie the top one to someplace in the engine that will prevent it from falling down and getting in the way dueing reassembly.
7) from underneath, loosen or remove the bracket that holds the intake duct that picks up air from the front bumper cowling. You need to do this to make room for the rad. to slide out/in.
8) Disconnect the oil line holders from the bottom of the rad. Let the line hang free.
9) Remove the clips at the top that hold the rad. to the rad. brace.
Now you are ready to remove the old rad.!
10) carefully, from the bottom, push the rad. up until you get the lower water neck passed the shroud. You will have to move the shroud around to get the lower clips and neck passed it. It will go. After you get the rad. passed the shroud, pull it the rest of the wau out from the top. It will be tight as the lower rad. brackets pass the snout of the fan, but it will come out.
11) after the rad. is out, clean the whole area before installing the new rad.
12) Simply reverse all your steps to reinstall the new rad. being very careful not to force anything and damage the cooling fins on the rad.
13) double check all your connections. Then check them again.
14) assuming you are sure all the connection have been made, all the brackets are installed and the clips have been reattached, lower the car to flat level ground and refill with correct coolant. Be sure to "burp" the system so that you have the correct amount of coolant and no air in the system. You do this by filling the resevoir up and then letting the car come up to temp with the cap off. When the thermostat reaches 80 degrees C, it will open and the engine will ingest the available coolant. Then, top it off again, replace the cap, and you are good to GO!
BTW: I chose to replace the thermostat at the same time, but it is not a necessity unless you know yours needs replacing.
The whole job took me three hours, and I had never worked on this car before....just as a point of reference.
1) remove plastic skid plate under the car. I jacked up one side of the car and put the car on a jack stand to make room. (you'll need it)
2) remove the retainer clips on top that secure the fan shroud.
3) from the bottom, release the lower clips of the fan shroud so the shroud is now loose.
4) push the shroud back against the engine block...over the fan, which you do NOT have to remove.
5) disconnect all the hoses from the rad. ( three total: inlet, outlet and refill)
6) disconnect both banjo fittings for the oil lines to the cooler. Zip tie the top one to someplace in the engine that will prevent it from falling down and getting in the way dueing reassembly.
7) from underneath, loosen or remove the bracket that holds the intake duct that picks up air from the front bumper cowling. You need to do this to make room for the rad. to slide out/in.
8) Disconnect the oil line holders from the bottom of the rad. Let the line hang free.
9) Remove the clips at the top that hold the rad. to the rad. brace.
Now you are ready to remove the old rad.!
10) carefully, from the bottom, push the rad. up until you get the lower water neck passed the shroud. You will have to move the shroud around to get the lower clips and neck passed it. It will go. After you get the rad. passed the shroud, pull it the rest of the wau out from the top. It will be tight as the lower rad. brackets pass the snout of the fan, but it will come out.
11) after the rad. is out, clean the whole area before installing the new rad.
12) Simply reverse all your steps to reinstall the new rad. being very careful not to force anything and damage the cooling fins on the rad.
13) double check all your connections. Then check them again.
14) assuming you are sure all the connection have been made, all the brackets are installed and the clips have been reattached, lower the car to flat level ground and refill with correct coolant. Be sure to "burp" the system so that you have the correct amount of coolant and no air in the system. You do this by filling the resevoir up and then letting the car come up to temp with the cap off. When the thermostat reaches 80 degrees C, it will open and the engine will ingest the available coolant. Then, top it off again, replace the cap, and you are good to GO!
BTW: I chose to replace the thermostat at the same time, but it is not a necessity unless you know yours needs replacing.
The whole job took me three hours, and I had never worked on this car before....just as a point of reference.
