’03 Evo Got a Radiator

There’s not much to swapping a radiator EXCEPT that the hose and hard pipe coming off of the intercooler had to come out first and that meant the air box had to come out and EXCEPT that the engine compartment on the bottom is completely encased in an aluminum undercover which takes and hour to remove and an hour to replace.

The hard pipe, about 2 feet long (it goes from a short hose coming off of the front mounted intercooler, up the side of the radiator and looks like a big “S” when removed) has hoses that look like they belong to a semi. These things had never been removed before and they were stuck. Lots of muscle power required here. Then I saw that the hard pipe was about worn through in one place. It was worn by rubbing on the wiring going to the radiator fan. The wiring, of course, looks like new. Anyway, finding this alone is worth the price of a new radiator. This is my road car and a boost leak a 1000 miles from home I can’t find would mean no joy.

So, after 12 years and 100K miles the car has a new radiator. The old one came out looking perfect but I no longer trusted it. Some of the Country and Western music on the radio made me laugh. Another good day in the shop.