Went out Monday and saw a puddle under the front of the Truck. The radiator was leaking at the seam between the Bottom Plastic Cap and Aluminum Core. A quick call to my Buddy at the garage and he got a replacement for me at a cost better than I could do at the local discount parts store.

Now the install was not nearly as easy. This should be a fairly quick 45 to 60 minute job as there is just not that much to do. Everyting went great until I tried to disconnect the Tranny Cooler lines at the bottom.

What ape put these on???? After knocking the first set of corners off the compression fittings, I resorted to Penetrating oil and 3 hours of "wait time". Then I succeeded in knocking the second set of corners off ( I'm running out of corners that this point as these are only Hex heads.)

More penetrating oil, more wait time and then the propane torch to heat them up a bit. I did not really care about the plastic cap at this point!!!.

Well after a couple of heat cool cycles, the largest pair of Vice grips that I had, and by using the Leaf spring as a foot placement so I could really Hunker On Down, I got both to move a 1/4" at a time and finally come off.

Brothers in Powerstroke BEWARE!!!!! This 45 min radiator change -out took over 6 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

D

 

Stuborn hose gets cut and replaced. If they're that stubborn, they're rotting, and subject to leaks after you remove them and put them back on.

I hope you cleaned off the penetrating oil before you broke out the blow torch.

 

The hoses were not the problem. The tranny lines are "hard aluminum tubing wth "sealed" connectors on the ends. I relly did not want to have to replace them.

Penetrating oil smoked but did not "flare-up". It would just have been a little more heat. I was more concerned about the ATF fluid in the radiator...

D

 

Can you say "Flare nut wrench"