Thankyou so much for this! I was nervous replacing a radiator because ive never seen this before but popping them out was easy!!!! And for those of you re-installing the lines to a new radiator you can leave the clips in on the new radiator and simply push the lines in they will click into place! Every other video always skipped showing this i appreciate you!!
Oh, so cool! You just left the clips in and pushed. I wish I would have tried that but I just put the lines in and put the clips back on. Thanks for the reply. Sadly, the buick in the video is long gone. One of my favorite vehicles!
@@JoeCubicle yes, the only reason i knew to leave the clips in and push was because a mechanic told me i could when i asked him about it! I looked up this video to make sure i was doing it right and with the knowledge from you both this was a cake walk xD ive been putting this off for so long because of that reason and its nothing lol
Thanks for the nice comment Josh. I don't know about the "Best" video on RU-vid... but... okay. Just kidding. When you say a 'comedy routine', are you referring to a video by a car mechanic that wears clown shoes? Because there is a video of the same thing in this video but you have to watch over 12 minutes before he points out what I did in a minute. That video was the motivation for kicking out this quick/short video.
@@JoeCubicle not that video in particular. It just seems like everyone tries to act and be funny instead of getting to the problem and answering it quickly
I'm pulling a radiator from a 2004 Isuzu Ascender (rebranded GM). When I saw the way that was put together, I just got so stressed. I feel much better now after watching your video. Now I know I can do it.
I am replacing the radiator on a 2000 Bonneville and ran into a problem. Long story short, this video REALLY helped! I didn't know the fittings came off that easy. Thank you sir!
@@JoeCubicle The next day I went back to the junk yard to retrieve the fittings and once i got home, I cleaned up the trans line connectors and everything installed just fine. And I was about to try a whole different radiator. I should nhavbe known, based on working on the fuel system, that GM loves quick-connects.
A side note dealing with this: there is a washer that goes behind the connector. DON'T LOOSE IT!! I didn't put mine in, and when I tried to connect the tube, I pushed the tranny cooler into the radiator and emptied all of the coolant out for the system!! 😳 Of course it HAD to be the bottom connector!! 🙄
Thank you for saving my sanity! I could not see the frigging clip. I knew there was supposed to be one I needed to remove to get the raditor out but because of the tight fit I simply could not see it. Thanks again!
Thanks man, I appreciate the comment. There is one (maybe two) guy who does something radiator-ish or something close and at the end of his vid he shows how to do it. I got it from him but wanted to make it quick and get to the point. His vid is like 6 to 9 minutes. He does car repair stuff, his user name has 'clown' or 'klown' in it and he wears clown shoes. I kid you not. Other than the shoes he does not act clownish at all. So there you go.
This is helpful, but it is tough to get the clip out. Really a struggle. Also, when you replace the line, the new line must be all the way into the radiator fitting. The bulge on the line must be entirely in the fitting. I had to use more force than I expected to get the new line all the way into the radiator fitting. Then, the clip will go back on easily if properly aligned. Finding the right spot can be a challenge. The real challenge to this job is getting to the radiator fitting, which involved removing the passenger side headlight and partially remove the shroud above the radiator. But we got it done. Thanks for your help.
That makes me feel great man, I'm so glad I could suffer to save others time! ha ha. Really, this damn thing cost me some time and put me out, I had to borrow someone's car to go to work one day.
That stupid thing cost me an extra day! When I found out what to do with it I was relieved and upset at the same time. Then I decided to make this video!
Exactly what i was looking for. Thank you so much!!! Right to the goddamn point, no long hellos or showing the engine bay for 5 minutes. Good job man! And the camera wasn't shaky? My god man, your going to heaven.
You know... the absolute SECOND I got that thing figured out I thought "I'm gonna make a quick-n-dirty video on this". Your and other comments actually make my day! How did the rest of the job go? In case you think you're slick... I am here to tell you I can whip your butt in total radiator replacement timewise! Why do I know this? Taking the dang thing in and out 3 times due to screw-ups. When I was done I was thinking about opening a school dedicated to 2001 Buick LeSabre radiator replacement!
Thank you man. I got a new radiator that came with larger attachments and I had to remove the quick connect and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to do that your video showed exactly what I was looking for.
I just had a top 5 worst days at my job of 20 years and your comment made my day better. Thanks for watching, I'm so glad I could be part of the solution! MAGA (Making Automobiles Great Again)! ha ha
Great video. It pays to pull back on those lines when your done to make sure they are tight. This is the same application for the oil cooler lines if you have them. Pull back good and hard but not rough several times. You'd be surprised at how much oil runs through them at idle. I know. Better you find out its loose in your driveway vs. the highway.
Got it!...The secret to the clippers to grab it from the very edge of the opening in the fitting… Don’t try to fish it out from the middle of the opening go to the very edge. This might be obvious, but it certainly wasn’t to me!
It's NOT a c clip, it's a Jiffy Tite clip. They make a specific tool just for that and makes removing the line much easier. And it prevents the clip from flying off.
You are correct and correct. I had a cheap plastic one-time (maybe few-time) use and was not shown how to use it. Part my fault, part the guy selling me parts. Either way... Made my Car Great Again! Thanks for the comment.
FOR GM VEHICLES- You can also use this tool from Amazon to get the clip to open in the jiffy-tite fitting. That way you can remove the line and the clip stays in the jiffy-tite fitting. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZW8PDC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks for the nice comment. How did the overall job go, all good in the end? Sidenote from my world... two days ago my son and I replaced his front left brake caliper, pads, and rotor. It was the first time I've unscrewed/reattached a brake line and bled it. We saved $500+ by doing it ourselves. I'm still grinning.
JoeCubicle The repair turned out great! Doing it yourself is the best way, for sure. Less expensive, newknowledge/experience, and the quality work you expect. The old saying goes, "if you want something done right, you sometimes have to do it yourself!"
JoeCubicle the rest was a breeze. This was the only hose I had an issue with. Thank you a lot. Also please check out the videos on my channel as you might find them interesting. Thanks again JoeCubicle.
This is a Good one. WTF that's it!?! Had Me for 15Mins try to remove the Nut that won't Budge. 🤦♂️🤦♂️.. Who else was trying to remove the 19mm Nut and Totally Failed?
You are more than welcome! Thanks for the comment. The old neighbor got his house painted for free through some govt agency for some govt agency reason. The color choices/schemes were limited due to it being free and all governmenty, his wife hated it as she used to have a painting business but she only did house interiors. Oh man... so many stories.
I'm glad the video helped. This was one of those things that after you figured it out... you realized it was simple from the start and it pisses you off taking so long to figure it out.
thanks Joe its colder than a well diggers ass out there an you saved me a lot of time I know I would have thought up some new cuss words no doubt thanks
RIGHT ON! That makes my day. I know what it's like to spend WAY too much time on something. I hope everything else went alright. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks, I'm glad to hear it. This job took me 2 days because of this issue and something else. I bet you now I can replace a LeSabre radiator faster than anyone in Omaha NE!
That stinks! Because I goofed my replacement twice I basically did the job three times. The last/final time was 43 min from start to finish. Not sure if I'm proud of that time or not being it took three tries. Sorry to hear it took you so long but I'm glad you watched/commented on my video, together we can achieve more!
I couldn't remember how to release the line, I changed my radiator several years ago now I need to replace one of the lines, I love my 2001 lesabre but the way they routed the wire for the radiator can was under the lower trans line, all of a sudden I'm getting a leak, the wire is actually pinched under the steel line, rubbed away the insulation but didn't short out, what it did do was create a rust spot somehow on the line where it's rubbing causing a pinhole, I put some JB weld on it and it stopped the leak, the zone had the lines so I decided to fix it permanently.
...thanks for the video, I have a 2004 Buick Rendezvous, and it is leaking from the lower Transmission Oil cooler line/hose. When I first inspected the leak, water was shooting out from under the fitting. I went and got a salvage yard replacement, because I figured it had a crack, or something. I have never taken one of these radiator units out, and at the time, I didn't know how to remove the transmission oil cooler hoses. . I figured it out, while taking the replacement radiator out at the salvage yard car. That's when I noticed, that inside the radiator core, is the Rod or bar (made of aluminum) which the two oil cooler lines are bolted to, from the outside. The outer line connector/fittings, when screwed from the outside, seal the radiator from inside. My question is, do the Inner rubber seals go bad? I have not been able to locate a part number, and you can not disassemble the radiator end cap, to add new seals. I think that's what is wrong with my original radiator, the inner rubber seal has gone bad. I wish I had seem this video before going to the salvage yard. lol
So I'm having the issue of an oil leak in both the top and bottom oil cooler lines. Are the o rings replaceable or better of getting a new radiator? (this is for the Engine oil cooler lines/Driver side) on a 6.0 Chevy Silverado. The trans oil lines look ok, no leak. The leak is a drop every 5 seconds, both the lines are seated all the way through. Thanks in advance.
I don't know Angel. Sorry, I'm not a mechanic and this fix was so long ago. But I would say, if you can replace it easily, go for it. Consult a professional too.
U say reinstallation is just the reverse order - but I beleive I’ve heard other people say new radiators come with c-clip already installed & you just push trans-fluid line in tell a snap-click -wat do you think ?✋🤔
I was wondering if you could help? I’m going to replace my radiator now my question is when I remove the cooler line before reinstalling it do I put the clip in and then pop the line in or do I put the line in and then put the clip over it after?
You are very welcome. What are you working on? Tell me about it. This Buick LeSabre is no longer roaming the streets sadly. August of 2018, just shy of a quarter million miles the engine went BONK! Every time I see a LeSabre out in the wild I want another one!