How to: replace a radiator

[liberty84]

First of all guys, i am no mechanic just a guy that enjoys working on cars over the weekends.

Changing the rad is not hard at all, but it can take some time, i didnt know and precedures or steps, I just started to take stuff apart amd it seemd it worked for me.

Ok First thing i did was disconnect the Upper Hose, Lower Hose the reservoir hose.
upper and res.

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lower

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Next, i removed the electric fan
2 10mm bolts that are on the in side and unplug the wires

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Ok with the fan out now you need to remove 4 (2 on each side)10mm bolts (note that i have a 05 sport model with the 42rle with the external ****** cooler)

there is one on each side of this

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and theres is 2 on the lower side as well, (the ones holding the rad for the ac and ****** cooler) i used an extension and did it thru the grill, i find it a bit easier

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now it should look like this and to give you and idea of were the bolts are
left side

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right side

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By now the radiator should be loose and the ac rad and the ****** rad have some clips where they sit in place.
The old radiator has some platics so it seats in place, i removed those while still having it inside the engine bay
2 on the side where the 2 10mm bolts were

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and 2 at the bottom

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once you have that done, its time to take it out, tjkj had advice me in taking the battery and tray out so it would be "easier" to take out the rad, i found it imposible to so with out removen the battery traynono.gif

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so i learned....and i did as i was told

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and it came right out

Every autoparts i went to had the kind of radiator that has the ports on the inner ****** cooler, so those ports you will have to plug them ( IF YOU HAVE THE EXTERNAL COOLER LIKE ME THAT IM EQUIPPED WITH THE 42RLE).

So i just made some plugs with electrical tape stick'em in and cut them

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Heres the old rad and the new one

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And to put the new one is just the same steps just backwards


NOTE:
My KJ has the external cooler, as far as i know its because i have the 42rle transmission (please correct me if wrong guys).Now me having the external cooler, and trying to fit a rad with the internal cooler, i thought it would be just the fact that i dont need the plugs.....well thats not all, the old rad had some clips so the ****** cooler will stay in place

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, and since the new rad has the cooler inside...i DOESNT has the clips so i had to hold it some how...

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the was the best i could do cuz it was allready getting dark

well there it is guys.

I would like to say thankx to ever1 that help me thru this, and help me to get the KJ running again.

O one more thing, when somebody with experince in the field gives you an adivice to help you or they tell you how to do things.....listen to them, it will be so much easier cuz at the end you are going to end up doing it anyways

 

[osufans]

FYI, so I'm having the same problem with the right radiator part number for the external ****** cooler. I was told I needed part #2482 instead of #2481. I should have mine in tomorrow, so I'll update this if that is indeed the correct #.

 

[*BabyGirlJJ*]

Radiator part number

FYI, so I'm having the same problem with the right radiator part number for the external ****** cooler. I was told I needed part #2482 instead of #2481. I should have mine in tomorrow, so I'll update this if that is indeed the correct #.

Can you help me figure out what the part number is (official dealer number) for my radiator in my 2003 Liberty!?? I am at a loss and can't find it anywhere apparently Any guidance is appreciated!!!

 

[timetheft]

Good post. Just finished changing mine. I also have the one with the External cooler. It took me a little bit to find the radiator bolts behind the rubber. I did get in out and on with the battery box still on there. However, I took the grill and metal plate with belt diagram off.

 

[mcdeaglesandwich]

Changed mine this weekend. easy peasy

I was sweating doing this for weeks but finally tackled it. It took 2.5 hours which was way less than i thought. the hardest part was pulling it out once i had it loosened. I didn't take out the battery plate but i did remove the front grill because I happened to have a torx bit. I also lossened the support bar with all the stickers(belt specs fluids etc).

FYI several youtube videos and the Haynes service manuals say you need to drill out rivets holding the hood latch which is totally un necesary. the vertical bar which holds the hood latch can simply be unbolted.

 

[CalcityRenegade]

I was sweating doing this for weeks but finally tackled it. It took 2.5 hours which was way less than i thought. the hardest part was pulling it out once i had it loosened. I didn't take out the battery plate but i did remove the front grill because I happened to have a torx bit. I also lossened the support bar with all the stickers(belt specs fluids etc).

FYI several youtube videos and the Haynes service manuals say you need to drill out rivets holding the hood latch which is totally un necesary. the vertical bar which holds the hood latch can simply be unbolted.

Some also state you have to remove the front bumper too, Glad to hear you do not have to do any of these because my rad has a tiny leak and needs to be replaced.

 

[Snail Farmer]

I did it the same way he did. Just be careful, because there are clips in the grill that "hook" under the bumper. Just take your time and work them out carefully so they don't break.

 

[nohitter64]

I just spent a couple of hours swapping out my radiator in my '06. I wound up taking the battery tray and the metal bar with the belt diagrams out. All in all it wasn't bad, about 2.5 hours. Here is my sole issue: I could only put 8 quarts of HOAT fluid back; the reservoir is full. The specs say 14 qts. I took it for a drive around the neighbor hood, blasted the heat and no change. Anybody have any thoughts?

 

[CzarKJ]

I just spent a couple of hours swapping out my radiator in my '06. I wound up taking the battery tray and the metal bar with the belt diagrams out. All in all it wasn't bad, about 2.5 hours. Here is my sole issue: I could only put 8 quarts of HOAT fluid back; the reservoir is full. The specs say 14 qts. I took it for a drive around the neighbor hood, blasted the heat and no change. Anybody have any thoughts?

From what I have read it is normal not to get all the original out. I just did mine as well. I only got 9 quarts in when I filled it up.

 

[jeep99]

OK, replaced radiator today in an '03 liberty. Old rad did NOT have in-radiator ****** cooling, has it in front of rad. Replacement rad. has an internal ****** cooling tank. Do I have to plug the holes or just leave them open?