while I jacked the car up to remove front bumper support I found someone AKA AH jacked the car up on the rad support it is bent up pretty good. I am wondering if I removed the bonnet and top of the rad cover could I move the rad back enough without actually draining it and get a bar and a sledge hammer to the cross member bending it back down , As I was trying earlier to adjust the bonnet it seemed to be hitting something flexing the bonnet as I closed it. any Ideas Folks … Owning a Jag means Never saying I have nothing to do.
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No. Unless you just might figure out a way to pull it from below.
On a lift. A hefty slide hammer.
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The radiator is an extremely tight fit, so I would say no. Having mine out a few times, here is what I do- disconnect hood struts at body, duct tape to underside of hood. Attach a string to the hood safety catch. Remove grille, remove 2 bolts on each hinge. Pad the cowl where the hood corners fit with a soft cloth folded into a pad. Pull on the string and lift the front of the hood, prop open with a strong pole; this gives plenty of access. Drain coolant, disconnect hoses. Loosen shroud assembly and move back over mechanical fan using a ratchet strap to hold back on left. Remove bleed pipe, clamps to a/c drier, rad top panel- at this point pull radiator straight up and out. Note that condenser stays in place.
If you remove the air dam and closure panel, the valance unscrews, giving full access to the lower radiator crossmember. Can’t recall if it bolts in or is welded…
The lower crossmember is welded in. Thanks for the info I didn’t want to drain the rad but it seems i have no choice .
Probably needs draining and refill anyway if using conventional green coolant; I time any radiator related service to the 2 year coolant change.
OK dumb question to refill do I just pour it into overflow tank? I presume also there is no petcock to drain Do I just pull off lower hose to drain it?
I use a 3’ long piece of copper tubing, bent into a “U” shape; one leg goes into the right radiator tank through the bleed tube banjo bolt hole and the other end into a 5 gallon bucket. I use a MightyVac hand vacuum pump to start the siphon and can usually recover 3.5 gallons, which is enough to remove the radiator with no spillage and allows reuse of the coolant if needed.
I fill through the crossover pipe with the expansion tank cap off and bleeder plug on the radiator removed until the expansion tank is full, install that cap. Then raise the front of the car a little and add until coolant comes out bleeder- then install crossover pipe cap and bleed plug loosely. Run engine until no air is coming out around bleeder plug threads. Never had an issue.
Well I just dropped the lower hose and drained about 1.5 gal of Antifreeze and removed the radiator , I was able to use a 3 ft long piece of 2x3 and a 10 lb sledgehammer and I managed to straighten out the cross-member I reinstalled the rad and topped it off through the overflow tank . Everything worked out great…
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Glad it worked out! Easy to bend, easy to straighten I guess.
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You haven’t topped the radiator correctly. Fill slowly at the center, at the crossover pipe, with the bleed screw on top of radiator off and the expansion tank cap off. When you see coolant at bleed screw replace and tighten the screw. Continue to fill until fluid is about three inches below cap at expansion tank and replace cap. Continue to fill through crossover until 3 inches below cap. Cap it. Run at 2000 rpm for 2 minutes with climate control on defrost and temp setting full hot. Check it again at crossover and service if needed. Then use the car. Check again when cool, such as next day. CHECK AND SERVICE at crossover pipe. When you open the expansion tank cap you break the seal for the atmospheric catch tank in the left wheel well.
Glad you were able straighten out the mounting crossmember
May not apply because I think he has the AJ6. Could be wrong?
Yipppeeee. The sweet taste of victory!!!
Carl
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don’t have a bleed valve on the 4.0 It took all the Anti freeze back into the expansion tank I only lost a pint or so during whole process.
Yeah, guess I had v12 on my mind
Good to hear.
I thought you had a v12 so I was talking out of school for your car. Sorry.
I also thought we were talking V12…
That’s a pretty beefy crossmember that was bent. I had to replace mine after the car was stolen and driven into someone’s house! Other than the hood, front bumper cover, underbody x-brace and some fender damage, the only structural damage to the car was that crossmember, which appeared to take the brunt of the crash!! (obviously lost a bunch of smaller parts and pieces, including the radiator)
Found a donor car and cut that sucker out myself. The welder that put it back in spent much more time than I think he anticipated for such a simple looking part.
I am glad you spoke up Jim cuz I was about two. More than a few v12s have been ruint by improper air bleeding. I was relieved to hear this was a 6.