[Gene]

[quote=”college man” post=126658]Glad you got the connections off. 🙂 keep us posted on your progress.[/quote]

My apologies again – it took me a while to get it together and report my scr3w up with the connectors.

Once I got the connectors free, the rest of the job fell into place and went fairly smoothly.

Connectors off
Black boxes with heater core & evaporator out
Switched out the heater core
Cut out and replaced the evaporator
Reinstalled black boxes
Reinstalled dashboard
Switched out the ignition lock cylinder (had been problematic)
Buttoned everything up – done!
Everything works and
Oh, and no left over parts!!!!

er, actually I have yet to connect the new HC to the system for a couple of reasons:

1) While the HC was leaking several years ago I used several of those “leak fixer” fluids. Yeah, they worked – for a time. So now all of that stuff is still laying around somewhere in the cooling system. I’m not interested in running that “stuff’ into the new HC. So I need to do a high level system flush. I propose to use Zerex Super Cleaner. However, that requires me to drain the antifreeze, fill the system with tap water AND the Zerex and run the car for 3 to 6 hours at operating temperature. Because the forecast here is for nights in the teens I wasn’t real thrilled with leaving a cooling system sitting with just water in it during those temperatures. I did that once… with a Pinto years ago and a cracked block! It was an important “lessons learned.”

2) One other thing I remembered from the initial HC leak was a leak in one of the hoses from the Thermostat to the pipe that leads to the HC. Oh yeah, that got “fixed” by the “leak fixer” too. So if I am going to do a flush/cleaning of the system, I suspect that leak will reappear. Therefore, I have ordered a set of hoses to replace the existing ones. Now I wait for the hoses to be delivered and the weather to be favorable. While I haven’t seen any leaks or other problems, as long as I am cleaning up the cooling system, might as well change the thermostat. I bought a NOS Ford OEM thermostat and new upper and lower radiator hoses. It is dangerous doing a repair on one car as the knowledge leads to similar things on another car!

I will say that in replacing the heater core (and evaporator) I took over 250 pictures and made careful notes. I used as a guide several posts over on the TCA site. One of the most detailed write-ups there however was scribed weeks after the repair and many of the notes say, “I’m not sure” or “I have forgotten” or other things that left me hanging at critical points. Also the dude was pulling the entire dash to replace it and I found a partial removal or displacement was all that was needed.

Bottom line –
There are 7 bolts that hold the Gen 2 Taurus dashboards to the car.
For the heater/blower ducts (black boxes), 3 bolts in the engine compartment and 5 in the passenger compartment including two “hidden” bolts.
The steering column could be moved but is easily removed and reinstalled
The dash doesn’t have to come all of the way out, just pivot on connections on the driver’s side.
One doesn’t need to remove ALL of the electrical connections behind the dash:
[ul]

[Gene]

Thanks to all who contributed here and tried to help me out! The info here has become a very good resource for these connectors. I hope others, in the future, will be able to find this information.

OK, so I’m an idiot! I got frustrated by some car parts and let that get the best of me. My apologies.

So my story… I decided to give the quick connects (QCs) one more try and if that didn’t work, cut them off. (Hey, I planned on replacing the evaporator anyway and the accumulator/drier apparently is a required replacement once it has been opened.)

So I head out to do battle. I am laying on the engine in order to reach the lower quick connect. (The one I haven’t yet tried.) Slip the blue tool in place, do the push pull thing, and all of a sudden I’m looking at a green O-ring! WOW! Now it takes quite a bit of pulling and wiggling to see the second o-ring and eventually the pipe is apart. Then the light bulb goes on!

I realized that the whole fitting I was trying to take apart needed to move more than 2-inches! The other fitting, the one I have pictures in this thread above, is attached the the accumulator/drier and that firmly bolted to the firewall. DUH! So out with the wrench and take things loose. Once I did that I shoved the metal tool into the QC and tried the old push-pull routine. Now it was not easy, no not easy at all. I had the whole car rocking from the tugging, but the QC yielded and then eventually the o-rings gave up the fight.

So yeah, if I had unbolted the accumulator/drier it might have worked the first time. I didn’t note any solvent inside the tubes near or on the o-rings, but they did not yield without a darn good fight.

So THANK YOU to all who contributed here in my time of need and frustration. I appreciate the kindness and help. I apologize for my ignorance and frustration!

Attachments:

• HeaterCoreReplacement162b.jpg
• HeaterCoreReplacement163b.jpg
• HeaterCoreReplacement164b.jpg
• HeaterCoreReplacement165b.jpg
• HeaterCoreReplacement166b.jpg

[Gene]

LOL! OK, the Demon Ford then!

Well so much for the 98-lb weakling theory….

Here’s the plastic tool fully embedded into the the “quick connect.” And no clicking sound, no release of the “quick connect!”

What is the proper incantation to banish the Ford Demons? Does it involve a sawzall? :silly:

btw- here’s what the broken open fitting looks like from another car doing the same repair. Am I attacking the proper side of the quick connect?

Attachments:

• HeaterCoreReplacement003a.jpg
• DrierLine.jpg

[Gene]

Thanks again for those good suggestions and that nice video!!!

Now I hope I don’t sound bad here…..I believe I have been doing all of what has been suggested.

Hey, I have gotten the plastic tool to go 3/16-in+ into the quick connect. There is no clicking sound, no sound or feel of anything moving at all. I have inserted and rotated the tool 360-degrees around the axis of the tubing. No clicking sound, no feel on any movement internal to the connector.

I keep trying to get these connectors to do things they way it “should” work, but they are not doing what they should.
Perhaps the connectors are damaged some how, corroded, stuck or have demons? 😆

[color=#00ff00]So what does one do when the “other than normal” situation occurs?
What are the ‘outside the box” solutions when “business as usual” doesn’t work?[/color]

My kingdom for a solution! :cheer:

[Gene]

Thanks to all for the ideas and suggestions! Much appreciated!

So now I have done the following:

• Liberally sprayed the connections with PB Blaster. Several times over 24 hour period.
• Used two different sizes of the metal sizzor tool, using vice grips to hold it closed.
• – pried tool into quick connect.
• Used two different sizes of the plastic tools – White and black. No other sizes would go around this nearly 1-in tube. Got the white tool to insert in fitting.
• While tool(s) were inserted into “quick connect” I pushed toward the tool on the other side (other pipe)
• – shaking by pushing enough to shake and move the entire car.

So for something that is suppose to be a “quick connect” that takes no time or energy to disengage, I’m stumped. Sure looks like this is not a “normal” situation as things aren’t working as they should. Either that or I’m dumber than a “quick connect!” *&^%$# This is SO frustrating!

[color=#ff00ff][b]
So what to do?
Is there a technique for recalcitrant “quick connects?”[/b][/color]

As the car guys would say the bottom of a river or lake is looking like a viable option…. :silly:

Attachments:

• HeaterC.jpg

[Gene]

FWIW this was a Bosal muffler. Perhaps that is why the Walker equivalent costs 50% more?

I can always drill a new hole in the bottom and plug this one. Unless that isn’t advisable?

[Gene]

[quote=”Summer_Night” post=125530]
For condensation – Mufflers get kind of hot. any condensation would burn off and maybe that hole is a steam outlet since steam rises.[/quote]

Hey, just trying to figure this out and understand how things work. Hope my ignorance doesn’t annoy.

Why wouldn’t steam go out of the tail pipe with the rest of the gases?

But gosh, I was thinking about the cold days like today. When I get in the exhaust system is under freezing. Is the water vapor that is produced able find its way out of the exhaust right away? If I take a short trip of <5 minutes to the store, will the exhaust get hot enough to burn off any potential condensate?

I'm just wondering.

[Gene]

So the final part of my “Thank You”

Here is the part installed back in its “natural habitat!”

Attachments:

• Whatisit.jpg

[Gene]

So the final part of my “Thank You”

Here is the part installed back in its “natural habitat!”

Attachments:

• Whatisit.jpg

[Gene]

OK, My post is up! Best I could do for a step-by-step repair description.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/kunena/10-Repair-Central-The-How-To-Forum/55913-radiator-replacement-1989-honda-accord-lxi-1-14

Thanks again to all who helped and to Eric for this nice resource! Could not have done it with out all of you!!!

[Gene]

OK, My post is up! Best I could do for a step-by-step repair description.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/kunena/10-Repair-Central-The-How-To-Forum/55913-radiator-replacement-1989-honda-accord-lxi-1-14

Thanks again to all who helped and to Eric for this nice resource! Could not have done it with out all of you!!!

[Gene]

This last part if for fun…. I recorded all of the parts I used and prices paid. Was quoted $400+ at the repair shop.

Attachments:

• RadiatorPartsDiagram.jpg
• CoolantTechBulletin.jpg
• DensoInstallationSheet.jpg
• HosesPartsDiagram_a.jpg
• PartsList-RadReplace.jpg

[Gene]

This last part if for fun…. I recorded all of the parts I used and prices paid. Was quoted $400+ at the repair shop.

Attachments:

• RadiatorPartsDiagram.jpg
• CoolantTechBulletin.jpg
• DensoInstallationSheet.jpg
• HosesPartsDiagram_a.jpg
• PartsList-RadReplace.jpg

[Gene]

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 cake

10. 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.

[Gene]

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 cake

10. 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.

[Author]

Replies