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Topic
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Background
OK, so here is how I replaced the radiator on my 1989 Honda Accord, 5-speed, Lxi, with the fuel injected A20A3 engine. Hope this isn’t preaching to the choir or so grossly redundant as to be an annoyance. Eric’s videos on the radiator replacement on a vintage Civic and his Accura Vigor, are helpful. This repair was more like the Civic, so hope this adds to depth to the knowledge base for anyone that comes along in the future? This is the least I can do to pay back for this great resource.
I was rather slow and deliberate with the process. Asked a bunch of questions here, watched Eric’s radiator videos and took my time buying parts (finding the cheapest/good ones).
I ended up buying a Denso radiator because Denso is one of the OEM manufacturers. Also bought new upper and lower hoses and new clamps. The thermostat was replaced after the water pump repair and before this repair.
Oh and I had already taken the lower shield off. I might do a step by step on that later when I put it back on.
Flushing Cooling System
So first step, for me, was flushing the cooling system to remove any built up gunk. [the thermostat repair suggested a fair amount of hardening of the arteries (calcified deposits) inside the cooling system. No point in installing a NEW radiator with junk in the engine and then flushing the system – only to run any dislodged gunk through the new radiator!
I bought a quart jug of Zerex, Radiator Super Cleaner. The instructions were a pain with many steps:
[ul]- Drained the existing coolant
- Refill cooling system with water (used tap water)
– Followed Eric’s refill instructional video ( 2 cycles of Radiator fan), This also insures water circulated through engine
- Drained cooling system.
- Added Radiator Flush and water to refill cooling system
– Followed Eric’s refill instructional video ( 2 cycles of Radiator fan)
- Ran car for several days to get the recommended 3-6 hours of engine time with the flush solution circulating through out.
- Drained cooling system.
- Refill cooling system with water (used tap water)
– Followed Eric’s refill instructional video ( 2 cycles of Radiator fan)
- Flushed system with tap water.
- Removed the Thermostat
- Inserted hose into radiator, hose was connected to hot water tank.
- Ran until water coming out of the Thermostat housing was clear
- Started up engine & ran until water was clear again
- Drained system & started repair. Remove and save drain petcock as a spare.
Once I had done what I could to clean up the cooling system, I started the repair – removing/replacing the old radiator. But I think good prep work is important.
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Replies
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Making some room to work
[b]
1. Remove two sections of the air-intake duct work.[/b]
Here’s an overview of the air ducts….Removing the air ducts…
2. Pull coil wire off of the distributor cap.
3. Remove the wire support that attaches to the Rad which holds some of the duct work
Making some room to work – cont’d
4. Remove plastic clips that hold the A/C lines to the back of the radiator.
5. Remove the A/C line hold down bolt next to the battery, Lifting allows it to move back
NOTE: As I take bolts out, I tag and label them, before setting aside. This way I can find what I need later, and know where the “extra” left over bolt goes!
6. Remove the power steering line from the clamp next to plug wires, allows move back.
7. Bungee cord the A/C and PS lines to pull them away (toward engine) to give room.
[b]
8. Jack up car to gain access from below. Chalk wheels, jack stands and blocks as back-up.[/b]
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.Breaking Connections & Getting Radiator Free
9. Break electrical connections for the cooling fan, temperature sensor and condenser fan.
*** This is imho the crux of the repair – breaking connectors****
If you have never seen the connectors, not sure how they work (release) and they are gooped up. Get them free and the rest is a piece of cake.
Breaking Connections & Getting Radiator Free – cont’d
Fan electrical connection – opened!
electrical connection on Temp sensor
What a clean one looks like…..
Breaking Connections & Getting Radiator Free – cont’d
10. Remove the Upper Radiator hose.
11. Remove the lower radiator hose.
[b]
12. Since this is a Standard Transmission there are no Trans cooling lines to fuss with.[/b]13. Remove the overflow hose from the radiator.
[b][color=#00bb00]
Pull the radiator[/color][/b]14. Remove part of the hood seal and fold it back. Just 4 clips!
15. Remove the 4 bolts that hold the upper radiator support to the front of the car
Pull Radiator – cont’d
15. Remove the 4 bolts that hold the upper radiator support to the front of the car
16. No need to remove the 4 bolts that hold the radiator mounting rubbers.
17. Remove the two screws on the support to the hood latch support.
18. Remove two clips that hold the hood latch cable to the upper radiator support.
19. Fold the upper radiator support back to the driver’s side, don’t tear the hood seal!
20. Pull out the radiator with the fans attached.
Swapping parts from Old to New
21. Capture the old lower rubber radiator mounts and place them back in place in car.
Oops! We noticed we have a problem – let’s stop and fix that!
Swapping parts from Old to New – cont’d
22. Set old radiator and new one on bench side by side.
23. Carefully transfer the fans over to the new radiator.
Note: this radiator came with imbedded threads, not inserted square bolts!
<font color="#ffffff]***Warning***[/color] was always taught: “Take care of your threads and your threads will take care of you!” Thus I wire brushed and used Naval Jelly to clean up any old bolts that would be reused. THEN I made sure to coat all bolts, nuts and female threads with a generous coating of “never seize.” [color=#ff00ff”>But mostly I used NEW bolts – easy to find Doorman bolts M6s rated 10.9 – at AZ.Swapping parts from Old to New – cont’d
24. Transfer old temperature sensor over. Clean it up.
25. I left the metal transmission cooler tubes on the new Rad – they had plastic caps on the ends. Would have preferred if there were blank plugs that could go in place of these tubes.
Detour – leave things better than you found them
26. Got into rust repair on the cross-member/ support.
OK here’s the new radiator with fans ready to be reinstalled.
Reassembly
27. Placed the new radiator back into the car, being careful to rest the bottom tabs on the mounting rubbers. Note: would have used New mounting rubbers IF I were doing a Concurs restoration or could find them without forking over an arm.
28. Replaced the upper mounting rubbers and the cross member.
29. Installed a NEW lower Radiator hose with new SS band clamps
30. Installed a NEW Upper radiator hose and one new SS band clamp and one NEW OE spring clamp.
31. Reconnected the electrical connections for the fans.
32. Refilled cooling system with standard green antifreeze and distilled water.
a. Used $1.50 funnel with electrical tape to seal radiator cap opening.
b. Followed Eric’s refill instructional video ( 2 cycles of Radiator fan)Notes:
• I think the crux of this repair is being able to break the electrical connections
• While I didn’t do it that way, I’d suggest installing the lower radiator hose before placing the new radiator back in the car. Also, it might be possible to make all three electrical connections from above as the radiator is going in, rather than fooling around from below.Step-by-Step Process…. no pictures
Radiator Replacement – 1989 Honda Accord Lxi
Background
OK, so here is how I replaced the radiator on my 1989 Honda Accord, 5-speed, Lxi, with the fuel injected A20A3 engine. Hope this isn’t preaching to the choir or so grossly redundant as to be an annoyance. Eric’s videos on the radiator replacement on a vintage Civic and his Accura Vigor, are helpful. This repair was more like the Civic, so hope this adds to depth to the knowledge base for anyone that comes along in the future? This is the least I can do to pay back for this great resource.
I was rather slow and deliberate with the process. Asked a bunch of questions here, watched Eric’s radiator videos and took my time buying parts (finding the cheapest/good ones).
I ended up buying a Denso radiator because Denso is one of the OEM manufacturers. Also bought new upper and lower hoses and new clamps. The thermostat was replaced after the water pump repair and before this repair.
Oh and I had already taken the lower shield off. I might do a step by step on that later when I put it back on.
Flushing Cooling System
So first step, for me, was flushing the cooling system to remove any built up gunk. [the thermostat repair suggested a fair amount of hardening of the arteries (calcified deposits) inside the cooling system. No point in installing a NEW radiator with junk in the engine and then flushing the system – only to run any dislodged gunk through the new radiator!I bought a quart jug of Zerex, Radiator Super Cleaner. The instructions were a pain with many steps:
• Drained the existing coolant
• Refill cooling system with water (used tap water)
o Followed Eric’s refill instructional video ( 2 cycles of Radiator fan), This also insures water circulated through engine
• Drained cooling system.
• Added Radiator Flush and water to refill cooling system
o Followed Eric’s refill instructional video ( 2 cycles of Radiator fan)
• Ran car for several days to get the recommended 3-6 hours of engine time with the flush solution circulating through out.
• Drained cooling system.
• Refill cooling system with water (used tap water)
o Followed Eric’s refill instructional video ( 2 cycles of Radiator fan)
• Flushed system with tap water.
o Removed the Thermostat
o Inserted hose into radiator, hose was connected to hot water tank.
o Ran until water coming out of the Thermostat housing was clear
o Started up engine & ran until water was clear again
• Drained system & started repair. Remove and save drain petcock as a spare.Once I had done what I could to clean up the cooling system, I started the repair – removing/replacing the old radiator. But I think good prep work is important.
Making some room to work
1. Remove two sections of the air-intake duct work.
2. Pull coil wire off of the distributor cap.
3. Remove the wire support that attaches to the Rad which holds some of the duct work
4. Remove plastic clips that hold the A/C lines to the back of the radiator.
5. Remove the A/C line hold down bolt next to the battery, Lifting allows it to move back
6. Remove the power steering line from the clamp next to plug wires, allows move back.
7. Bungee cord the A/C and PS lines to pull them away (toward engine) to give room.
8. Jack up car to gain access from below. Chalk wheels, jack stands and blocks as back-up.[b][color=#008800]
Breaking Connections & Getting Radiator Free[/color][/b]
9. Break electrical connections for the cooling fan, temperature sensor and condenser fan.*** This is imho the crux of the repair – breaking connectors****
If you have never seen the connectors, not sure how they work (release) and they are gooped up. Get them free and the rest is a piece of cake10. Remove the Upper Radiator hose.
11. Remove the lower radiator hose.
12. Since this is a Standard Transmission there are no Trans cooling lines to fuss with.
13. Remove the overflow hose from the radiator. Pull the radiator
14. Remove part of the hood seal and fold it back. Just 3 clips!
15. Remove the 4 bolts that hold the upper radiator support to the front of the car
16. No need to remove the 4 bolts that hold the radiator mounting rubbers.
17. Remove the two screws on the support to the hood latch support.
18. Remove two clips that hold the hood latch cable to the upper radiator support.
19. Fold the upper radiator support back to the driver’s side, don’t tear the hood seal!
20. Pull out the radiator with the fans attached.Swapping parts from Old to New
21. Capture the old lower rubber radiator mounts and place them back in place in car.
22. Set old radiator and new one on bench side by side.
23. Carefully transfer the fans over to the new radiator.Note: this radiator came with imbedded threads, not inserted square bolts!
***Warning*** was always taught: “Take care of your threads and your threads will take care of you!” Thus I wire brushed and used Naval Jelly to clean up any old bolts that would be reused. THEN I made sure to coat all bolts, nuts and female threads with a generous coating of “never seize.”24. Transfer old temperature sensor over. Clean it up.
25. I left the metal transmission cooler tubes on the new Rad – they had plastic caps on the ends. Would have preferred if there were blank plugs that could go in place of these tubes.Detour – leave things better than you found them
26. Got into rust repair on the cross-member/ support.Reassembly
27. Placed the new radiator back into the car, being careful to rest the bottom tabs on the mounting rubbers. Note: would have used New mounting rubbers IF I were doing a Concurs restoration or could find them without forking over an arm.
28. Replaced the upper mounting rubbers and the cross member.
29. Installed a NEW lower Radiator hose with new SS band clamps
30. Installed a NEW Upper radiator hose and one new SS band clamp and one NEW OE spring clamp.
31. Reconnected the electrical connections for the fans.
32. Refilled cooling system with standard green antifreeze and distilled water.
a. Used $1.50 funnel with electrical tape to seal radiator cap opening.
b. Followed Eric’s refill instructional video ( 2 cycles of Radiator fan)Notes:
• I think the crux of this repair is being able to break the electrical connections
• While I didn’t do it that way, I’d suggest installing the lower radiator hose before placing the new radiator back in the car. Also, it might be possible to make all three electrical connections from above as the radiator is going in, rather than fooling around from below.This last part if for fun…. I recorded all of the parts I used and prices paid. Was quoted $400+ at the repair shop.
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