how difficult is replacing the radiator?

jj- · Post by **jj-** » 04 Feb 2010, 16:21

I have a 96 850 Turbo Wagon with a leaking radiator. The leak is near the upper hose the connection, which looks like the normal place the radiator leaks from reading the forum. I am wondering how difficult is this job. To give you an idea of my experience level, it's pretty low. Thanks to this site I have done the brake pads and rotors, the ABS module fix, the odometer fix, and a variety of other small jobs. What do you think--should I try to tackle this? BTW, I am currently unemployed, which means I am low on funds and high on time.

In addition, are there any other things that should be replaced while I am in there? I imagine I should replace the hoses. Anything else? Thanks!

Post by **confused_al** » 04 Feb 2010, 17:24

Not that difficult at all, a couple of links you might find helpful;
http://volvospeed.com/Repair/Radiator850turbo.php
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... 2&p=113590

Post by **RobTheModd** » 04 Feb 2010, 17:37

Practically thinking would tell us,
a few hoses, and a few bolts. Lol

So yeah not very hard.

Post by **cattledog** » 04 Feb 2010, 17:55

I don't mean to through a bucket of water on your burning desire to tackle this job ...but,
Do you live in a warm climate(sorry I didn't notice)
Time factor in a cold garage, being the first rad. of this style may take you extra time.
There are a few(at least 5) critical small detail omissions from the rad R&R on the first link. It's a very good write up, so please no offence meant.

There are" breakable spots" along the way that can be a PINTA. And they need to be done correctly or the task is going to cost extra money and time, one in the same for a flat rate mechanic.
How much money do you have to spend on the job?
How much time do you have to spend on the job.?
Do you need the car for transport?
Do you have a fair amount of tools?
Does your A/C work now?
There's a start, ah?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 04 Feb 2010, 19:00

Cattledog hit on one very critical issue which is the lower mount on the (US) driver's side. Crap washes off of the battery (sulphuric acid) and rots the bolt. The nut is a captive nut but it is just press fitted in and when the threads on the bolt are buggered up it breaks the press fitted captive nut free and it is Dremel time.

If you can get some vice grips on the nut before you start you might be able to pull it off but it kinda takes two people to do it, one to hold the vice grips from the top and the other to try to remove the bolt from the bottom. If you happen to have a mig welder tacking the nut in place will help.

...Lee

Post by **confused_al** » 04 Feb 2010, 19:19

cattledog wrote:There are a few(at least 5) critical small detail omissions from the rad R&R on the first link.

You are right on these critical details. I found the instruction I used 2 years ago, hope helps a bit more.

850 Radiator Removal and install-1.pdf: (731.29 KiB) Downloaded 420 times

Post by **holler1** » 04 Feb 2010, 19:24

If you've never done this job before, expect to spend most of a day on it to do everything carefully and get everything back together. If you have a digital camera, take pictures of all connections in "before" state, including the fan connectors-the fan and housing need to be removed before taking the radiator loose. Well in advance of the job, spray PB blaster liberally on the bolts that hold up the rad on either side (the ones that Ozark Lee warned about). Get the radiator and hoses. Check the places where the oil cooler (turbo model) and trans cooler hoses connect to the radiator to see how rusty the connectors are-you may want to spray those. These connectors need to be removed carefully so as not to mess up the special clamps- note - don't shove the clamps all the way off the side of the hose- open the clamps slightly and pull the hose end out away from the radiator fitting. Check hose clamps and get new ones if rusty. When you get ready to take remove rad support bolts, support the AC condensor first using zip ties.

I took a lot of pictures when I did mine if you need any. The Volvospeed ones are good as far as they go, but they don't cover the entire process.

jj- · Post by **jj-** » 10 Feb 2010, 12:11

Thanks for all the advice. I'm grateful.

I'm in Nashville, and it's been cold and snowy and rainy lately. I don't have a garage to work in, so I decided to just take it in and have it done for me. It hurts, but I think it's the best option given the timing. Thanks again.