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FYI, here’s my story of replacing the radiator. Maybe someone will learn something useful. When I say right or left I mean of the vehicle. Driver side is left.
I just replaced the radiator, ’02, 101k miles. It had been leaking for a few months, started by just oozing and now had gotten to where I was adding about a quart about every three days. Upper left side, where everyone’s leaks. At first, some of the Bar’s Leaks tablets pretty much sealed it off but quite temporary. Some have said I shouldn’t have added those, but I don’t see the harm—GM installed them in some engines at the factory. I was always afraid that at some point it would split open catastrophically and lose all the coolant like some have experienced but it didn’t.
The Service Manual said the radiator can be removed without first taking off the electric fan – no mechanical fan on this vehicle. I recommend against that. Working the assembly out that way was quite difficult. Because the installation of the electric fan was real simple, I’d take it out first next time.
To remove the radiator bracket above the radiator required drilling out the two rivets that anchored the hood latch assembly as well as the single rivet at the windshield washer tank. Put back together with bolts/nuts. No big deal, except not mentioned in the manual.
I recommend swinging out of the way a relay/sensor found on the surrounding structure about half way down on the left side. I banged into it and broke some plastic off the connector. There is an identical sensor on the other side. It turns out they are airbag sensors. What is gone is the latching piece to keep the plug from falling out. The connection is still intact. I wrapped it in place with a small wire tie so it can’t back out. Interestingly, entering the part number on the sensor into Google only returned results from Brazil – in Spanish.
I had intended to replace the heater hoses while I had the radiator out, but the radiator removal was so discouraging that I didn’t take that on, as I had thought that would be the PITA part requiring cutting off the metal crimp pieces to get to the rubber. I DID replace the one hose that goes from the bottom of the reservoir to “pipe 2.” This hose had to be ordered. NAPA had “one available in Georgia,” but from O’Reilly I had it in two days. I have been manipulating this hose a number of times pulling the coolant reservoir out of the way to replace the right rear spark plug.
While it was out I DID replace the plugs, which it was due for. ( I have been using copper core plugs, replace at one year. AutoLite 3923.) Did replace the upper and lower radiator hoses – with worm drive hose clamps. Supposedly those “constant tension” ones have some advantage but I hate them. I had posted a question here about who has replaced these heater hoses, and nobody responded, so I assumed they still have an expected long life.
Radiator was from Radiatorbarn.com; some here have recommended. Had it in 2 days. I was tracking it coming from the east, Raleigh NC, and thought, “if it’s coming from that way, maybe it’s not from China.” It wasn’t, actually – Indonesia. The front brackets on which the A/C condenser attaches are a little different and I enlarged the holes in the rubber air dams for that.
What I did NOT do was replace the air bleed plug at the upper radiator hose. It came out ONCE ok, and stripped out the next time I tried to remove it, years ago now. I have new plugs, but not a suitable extractor —forgot to get one. Not a big deal, take the hose loose. I said before “What Chrysler genius thought a soft aluminum plug is a good idea?” Similar plugs at the transfer case and front diff . OK there so far.
Have fun, guys.
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