Ajb83 0 Posted December 9, 2009 I've been losing coolant and having trouble with the fans, crack pipe and thermostat housing.... which thanks to the 'Definitive VR6 cooling guide' i manage to trace all the problems, replaced yellow sender, and the radiator thermo switch and while i was replacing the thermostat housing did the blue sender too as it only a couple of quid... All problems solved.... Previously the car had been losing coolant and i had a little bit of steam coming from under the bonnet, since i knew the thermostat housing needed doing assumed it was that... however after replacing it the steam and coolant loss got worse, which i assumed with my dodgy workmanship, but i've checked it out and everything was sealed correctly.... Traced it to the radiator which has sprung a leak... why does everything go wrong at once! I've read up on it and seems that to replace the radiator I have take the front end off. I've looked at how to do it on the forum and i'm comfortable i can do it, but on inspection bolts that havent been undone for 15 years aren't gonna shift and the screw heads on the headlights etc have rusted up and there is no hope of getting them out... Don't have a drill so i can't drill them out... Am i gonna have to take it to a garage or is possible to do it without taking the front end off? i don't care if its a right mission, replaced thermostat housing and crack pipe which people suggest taking the front end off, without taking it off, it was difficult but possible... So can i? Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dukest 0 Posted December 9, 2009 yes, it can be done, i watched a garage do it for mine, takes a fair bit of patience and wiggling around though! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ajb83 0 Posted December 9, 2009 Thank you very much, that was the answer i was looking for! I'll post back up here when i've given a go, if it worked or not! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ajb83 0 Posted December 9, 2009 Also, does anyone know how much i would expect to pay a garage to do it, just labour? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dukest 0 Posted December 9, 2009 expect about an hour and a half/ 2hrs max Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mariojoshi 1 Posted December 9, 2009 Yes, absolutely can be done as Dukest says. Just need to take the battery out to give you more room. It is indeed a case of wiggling the rad around a bit, but should be OK. If you can loosen some of the slam panel bolts, it might give you a bit more room Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aki 0 Posted December 9, 2009 i popped the upper half of the inlet manifold off too just to give a bit more room as i didnt fancy damaging my shiny new rad andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philmo 0 Posted December 9, 2009 So much easier with bumper & slam panel off though. Also provides the opportunity to de-rust everything up front and get plenty of Waxoyl in! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ajb83 0 Posted December 12, 2009 Well an update, its definately possible and pretty easy... Although i'm sure if can get the front end off it would be easier, but it still wasn't hard.... Would have taken 3 hours i recon, but for the the cheap eurocarparts radiator(£103)! ended up taking 6! had some weird brackets on it which wouldn't let you put the fans back on, so out it all came again and i attacked it with a hacksaw and hey presto it all fits again! anyone know why it had them? 3 on top, 3 on the bottom all at driver side end? Anyway it all fitted back nicely and then came the plumbing back in, top hose on fine, bottom went on a bit to easily, it seemed really loose, i swear the hose connector thingy at the bottom is smaller than it was on the old one, either that or i stretched the hose when disconnecting it (it was really difficult to get off! on real tight!), but i'm pretty sure its smaller... so as tight as i get the jubilee clip, its not tight enough and leaks a little...... I live in a flat so it pain in the arse, especially with the daylight hours up here in liverpool! its no biggy though, back down to my parent for xmas next weekend and they have a big empty double garage. i've got some silcone e-proxy stuff which i understand will help the it seal? so it should all be done next weekend! bad bit is i have to drive it 300 miles! It'll be alright i think, the leak really is marginal, a few drops at full heat over a quarter hour.... Did break a few bits though, can't unsrew the headlights (screw heads totaly rusted) so couldn't get the flap at the front of radiator so i couldn't get it the rad out, so snapped it off, and the fan cover, same deal..... next time the car is in a garage i'm gonna get then to drill out all the rusty bolts and replace! it would make doing stuff yourself so much easier! Overall, a good result, but buy a VW radiator! and save yourself all the issues i've had! Although not big issues, but definatley a pain! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
