2nd radiator?!?!

[Nellington]

I am trying to drain the radiator on my 2.4, I have removed the lower bash plate as per http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/workshop/coolant.htm instuctions. Bash plate came off without any bother at all, instead of looking like the picture on the this page my car has a bleedin great big chunk of metal in the way, looks like another radiator??

1) Should I get this out of the way to drain the system, if so how the hell do I do it without killing myself or the surf??

2) is there another way of draining the radiator without removing this??

Help!! Car in bits on driveway!! Blocking in the misses who needs to go to work soon!! ARRRGGGGG!!!

[BUSHWHACKER]

I am trying to drain the radiator on my 2.4, I have removed the lower bash plate as per http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/workshop/coolant.htm instuctions. Bash plate came off without any bother at all, instead of looking like the picture on the this page my car has a bleedin great big chunk of metal in the way, looks like another radiator??

1) Should I get this out of the way to drain the system, if so how the hell do I do it without killing myself or the surf??

2) is there another way of draining the radiator without removing this??

Help!! Car in bits on driveway!! Blocking in the misses who needs to go to work soon!! ARRRGGGGG!!!

Thats the air-con rad, plus there are two electric fans bolted to the engine side of it, remove the two hoses, mounting bolts and the electrical connections and lower it off the truck, as you're removing your air-con anyway aren't you?

[Nellington]

I wasn't planning on removing air-con but looks like I will have to now!!
Am I gonna fry myself undoing the leccie or should it be ok as the engine is off??

Thats the air-con rad, plus there are two electric fans bolted to the engine side of it, remove the two hoses, mounting bolts and the electrical connections and lower it off the truck, as you're removing your air-con anyway aren't you?

[BUSHWHACKER]

I wasn't planning on removing air-con but looks like I will have to now!!
Am I gonna fry myself undoing the leccie or should it be ok as the engine is off??

As long as the ignition is off it'll be fine.

You don't have to remove it, just the two bolts so that the front of the rad can be lowered, theres enough slack in the hoses to do this, or you should be able to reach the drain tap on the main rad from the top of the engine.

[kitesurf_phil]

The first time I drained the coolant on mine I didn't realise that there was a drain tap. I just reached down and undid the bottom hose.

My replacement rad doesn't have a drain tap, so I'll be using the bottom hose method for draining it in future.

If your air con is working don't remove it. As said above, the rad will drop down enough for you to get your hands in to do what you need to do.

[Slugsie]

My 2.4 has the same air-con radiator, and I never had to remove it to drain the coolant system. If you have long and fairly thin arms you should be able to thread them in and reach the drain tap without undoing anything.

[TonyN]

If you have long and fairly thin arms you should be able to thread them in and reach the drain tap without undoing anything.

This is the way. Turn the O/S wheel away slightly to give you room, reach in from the back and feel your way to the drain tap. You'll get mucky arms.

Also I have a small peice of 1x2" wood will a slot cut in the end to slip over the end of the tap, as the tap is often tight and you won't get a lot of leverage on it.

[Nellington]

I have lowered the Aircon fan so that I can get into the bottom of the Rad, no tap. Transpires the fitted radiator is not the original, it was fitted to replace the original which developed holes. As there is no tap/bung of any kind should I just remove one of the hoses??

This is the way. Turn the O/S wheel away slightly to give you room, reach in from the back and feel your way to the drain tap. You'll get mucky arms.

Also I have a small peice of 1x2" wood will a slot cut in the end to slip over the end of the tap, as the tap is often tight and you won't get a lot of leverage on it.

[stormforce]

I have lowered the Aircon fan so that I can get into the bottom of the Rad, no tap. Transpires the fitted radiator is not the original, it was fitted to replace the original which developed holes. As there is no tap/bung of any kind should I just remove one of the hoses??

yea just pull the bottom hose to drain the rad

[Nellington]

Ok, have managed to remove the clips but the large hose is stuck fast, is there a speacial way to remove these??

yea just pull the bottom hose to drain the rad

[Slugsie]

Ok, have managed to remove the clips but the large hose is stuck fast, is there a speacial way to remove these??

Usually with hoses like this they get stuck over time. You need to give them a bit of a twist to break the stick, maybe with a large pipe wrench or filter tool to help. Just be careful not to damage the pipe.

[Nellington]

To my massive anoyance I had to rapidly reassemble to let the misses get her noddy car out to go to work.
Will attempt this all over again later. yay.

Usually with hoses like this they get stuck over time. You need to give them a bit of a twist to break the stick, maybe with a large pipe wrench or filter tool to help. Just be careful not to damage the pipe.

[Slugsie]

To my massive anoyance I had to rapidly reassemble to let the misses get her noddy car out to go to work.
Will attempt this all over again later. yay.

Well, it would have been even worse if you had the hose off, and the radiator drained. That might have gotten you in a lot of trouble.

[Nellington]

Oh yes, big shouty slappy session would have occured.
Mind you, she did have the nerve to tell me it shouldn't have taken me the best part of 5 hours to drain the radiator (and even then not suceed), which adds insult to many injuries sustained in the process. She may be correct but that is not the point...........

Well, it would have been even worse if you had the hose off, and the radiator drained. That might have gotten you in a lot of trouble.

[stormforce]

women ah..you can't live with them and you can't live without them

Mine knows not to say anything when i'm doing something to the truck cause if it goes wrong i end up taking it out on her poor cow