Hey everyone! My name is Paul, and today I'm changing the radiator in my rav4.
In my last video, I discovered a shitty Autozone radiator cap wasn't limiting pressure, and broke my radiator.
This time I'm not gambling with auto parts store parts and I bought the original Toyota radiator.
With the engine cold, it's OK take off the radiator cap. There isn't much coolant in here.
The radiator drain petcock is on the driver's side, under the car. I'll let that drain for a while.
The exhaust manifold has 6 nuts holding it on. This is a header and catalytic converter for a Camry.
I modified it to make it fit the rav4.
The stock exhaust manifold is cast-iron and you need to remove the alternator and support bracket.
I get to skip these steps. if you want to see more about this header, check out episode 9.
The lower exhaust gasket gets crushed to make a seal, so it's a good idea to replace it every time you remove the manifold.
The gasket from Autozone is good. No need to order it from Toyota.
The upper gasket is also from the auto parts store. It's made of two sheets of metal and it's still in good condition.
The fan shroud bolts take a 10mm wrench.
That bolt snapped off! oh and this one too!
I'll unplug the radiator temperature switch on the right side of the car, then take off the lower radiator hose.
Then break off this rusty fan shroud bolt, then break the 4th, and final bolt on the bottom of the radiator.
Unplug the fans.... they're still not ready to come out.
I didn't care about the fan shroud bolts snapping off but these bolts thread into the unibody.
The radiator support takes a 12mm wrench and the condenser takes a 10mm.
Now just do the other side and move on to the hoses.
I'm taking the overflow hose off, then the upper radiator hose.
I can pull the radiator forward for easier access to the hose.
The left cooling fan has 2 bolts on top and the right fan has just 1.
I'm also taking off the nut and bolt that hold the hood latch support.
This piece goes straight up and down and holds the hood shut. Now I can get those fans out.
The shrouds are very big, so this wasn't easy. As you can see, the lower radiator supports are bad.
I'll need to get new ones.
Just a thought - this piece of cardboard will protect the radiator while moving it. Not sure if this is useful.
In my last video, I found coolant leaking behind the exhaust manifold.
Let's start by taking off this heat shield. These are called coolant bypass hoses.
The white marks on the right hose are evidence of a coolant leak.
I'll take the hose clamps off, then rotate the hoses to loosen them.
You can make it easier by cutting the hose with a razor.
I ordered the new hoses and clamps online from Toyotapartsdeal.com
These are original Toyota parts. The hose clamps come with a red tab that keeps them open.
Just pull it off when the clamp is in the right position. Very cool.
Now just put the heat shield back on, and I can move on to the radiator.
The lower radiator supports feel like they're made of very hard rubber.
The switch turns on both cooling fans if the coolant in the radiator is too hot, or if the connector is unplugged.
I'm not sure if I should trust a new one from Autozone, and a new switch from Toyota is $100.
I'll keep my old one since it still works.
This is my new Toyota radiator. The switch had a small O ring but I didn't order a new one,
so I put silicone on it to make sure it won't leak.
They sent me an automatic transmission radiator, so I'll just plug the cooler lines.
I checked the numbers, and I think Toyota doesn't sell manual transmission radiators any more for this car.
Make sure the pins in the bottom of the radiator slide into the supports.
I replaced the stock cooling fans with these nice Flex-A-Lite fans, and made custom brackets.
Watch the next RAV4 video if you want to see more about the fans.
The fans have 3 mounting screws on top and 4 on the bottom of the radiator.
I modified the hood latch support to make it bolt on from the back instead of in front.
Now I can bolt on the upper radiator support and reinstall the condenser bolts.
I got new bolts and brackets from Toyotapartsdeal.com
It's time to install the lower radiator hose. This is a new clamp from Toyota. Just pull off the red tab when it's in the right place.
Don't forget to plug in that fan switch. If you leave it off, the fans will stay ON all the time.
I removed the intake duct and overflow tank so I can install both fans together.
I'm reinstalling the upper radiator hose. When you replace the radiator, you should also get new hoses.
I changed mine recently in episode 4.
When the engine heats up, the coolant expands and pressure goes up.
At 13 psi, the radiator cap opens, and extra coolant goes through this hose into the overflow tank.
I'm reusing the exhaust manifold gasket and I have a new one for the down pipe.
Now it's time to put the exhaust manifold back on. This takes a 14mm wrench.
Don't forget to plug in both oxygen sensors.
The gasket gets crushed while I tighten these bolts, so it's important to tighten each one evenly
and check them all a few times. I filled the overflow to the full mark, and the radiator all the way up.
With the engine running, I'm squeezing the upper radiator hose to get the air out of it.
I can get most of the air out of the system like this.
With the engine running, look for leaks. I don't have any, so I'll go drive the car.
I need to go long enough for the engine to warm up and the thermostat to open.
Turn the heater on. When it blows hot, you can go back home.
The test drive went well and I don't have any leaks. I'm letting the engine cool down a bit and
then I'll double-check that coolant level.
And that's it! I'll see you guys in the the next video.