Removing radiator from condensor on a 5.0? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Removing radiator from condensor on a 5.0?

beach

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Coyote F150
Just saw this section. On a 00' 5.0, how do you remove the radiator from the condenser? I have all hoses off, all bolts out, shroud off, as well as the lines removed like for the trans etc. Unscrewed the bottom bolt that holds/guides the two lines below the radiator. Only thing that should be holding it in is the clip on the bottom passenger side. But in the manuals and online I keep seeing remove the "clips", but I only see one clip, not "clips"?

Am I doing this right, I have that clip compressed and pulling, or trying to, the radiator forward to unhook off it to pull it out....but I'm yanking like hell and its not budging.
 



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You're doing it right. I know there is a clip on the passenger side, and I thought there was one on the driver side. I wish I could give you details, but you just have to get some light in there to see how it unclips. Once it's released, it should slide out. I can't remember now if it slides up and off the clip, or straight out from it. You have to watch the AC lines, which keep the condenser from moving too much.
 












I'll check tomorrow, if I look at that truck right now I'm gonna kick the front end in. I think Ford has drunk engineers working for them :confused:
 






Yep, you're on the right track. :D I did the same thing. It's really easy once you can SEE how it's supposed to come apart. REAL EASY!
 






while its out, I break those plastic clips and use zip ties to hold them together when re-installed... makes it easier next time
 






while its out, I break those plastic clips and use zip ties to hold them together when re-installed... makes it easier next time
I was honestly thinking of that as well, and was about to ask if I break that clip if I could use zip ties to hold it. Would be a lot easier to cut the ties off.
 






Here's the prob, and Haynes and other ones don't mention this. Unless I'm doing something wrong? Looks like it cannot be removed without taking the two ac lines off, yet no mention of that in any manual I've looked at or online. They make it seem like exactly what I did above and you can just pull it right out. Unless, again, I'm doing something wrong? And these lines are under pressure, the passenger side one I uncapped just a bit to check and you can see where it sprayed and then I quickly capped it.

DSC01121.jpg

DSC01120.jpg
 






um yeah those are under pressure, its the refrigerant for your ac system, if you disconect them you will purge the ac system to the atmosphere and that is a NO NO
plus make a HUGE mess and you will have no AC until you charge the system again ($$$$)
Chiltons / Haynes dont mention this sucker because they always miss stuff, they likely used one Gen II explorer to make their book and it was probably a v6
 






um yeah those are under pressure, its the refrigerant for your ac system, if you disconect them you will purge the ac system to the atmosphere and that is a NO NO
plus make a HUGE mess and you will have no AC until you charge the system again ($$$$)
Chiltons / Haynes dont mention this sucker because they always miss stuff, they likely used one Gen II explorer to make their book and it was probably a v6
Yeh now not sure what to do, truck isn't drivable as is lol. I have other parts off it I was replacing anyway. I don't know how any manual doesn't mention this, or others online I found on removing the 5.0 radiator. Now not sure what to do?
 






get the radiator seperated from the ac condensor, it will come apart, I just dont remember how LOL
OR
evacuate your AC system and plan to have it re-charged, you can buy a self AC evacuation thingy at most good auto parts/ tool stores (Harbor freight)

The radiator clips to the AC condensor on two sides, you may have to pull the whole thing back jsut a bit to gain access to both clips OR remove your grill/trans cooler/plastics and go at it from the front

If you are replacing the radiator look at your new unit, does that help you see how they clip together? I think the radiator actually has some plastic side thingys that go on it before it clips to the condensor... let me go look through my 5.0L engine pictures....
 






get the radiator seperated from the ac condensor, it will come apart, I just dont remember how LOL
OR
evacuate your AC system and plan to have it re-charged, you can buy a self AC evacuation thingy at most good auto parts/ tool stores (Harbor freight)

The radiator clips to the AC condensor on two sides, you may have to pull the whole thing back jsut a bit to gain access to both clips OR remove your grill/trans cooler/plastics and go at it from the front

If you are replacing the radiator look at your new unit, does that help you see how they clip together? I think the radiator actually has some plastic side thingys that go on it before it clips to the condensor... let me go look through my 5.0L engine pictures....
Yeh I'm trying to pull, but it seems those lines are whats holding it, I feel like I'm going to break something or those a/c lines. As there is a lot of tension. This is my 1st time working on a Ford V8 and can't believe how much of a pain its been for even simple things. How the heck have I work on the Porsche and other vehicles no problem, and I'm stuck on a "simple" Ford V8.
 






learning curve thats all
took me 2 hours to get the dash of my wifes FJ apart first time, now it takes 12 minutes
 






Well now I can budge that clip more, and the bottom seems to want to come out easy. But I can't get it all the way out of the clip, its being held me something at the top or front....has to be those lines :mad: , I can't see any other clips or anything else that would be holding it.
 






the radiator has plastic thingys on the side of it that must slide up about 2-3" before it will release. The lines are going to the ac condensor, you want the ac condensor to stay in the truck

You did undo the transmission cooler lines from your radiator correct?
Have you tried pushing up from under the truck? yOu may be able to see whats going on better down there
 






the radiator has plastic thingys on the side of it that must slide up about 2-3" before it will release. The lines are going to the ac condensor, you want the ac condensor to stay in the truck

You did undo the transmission cooler lines from your radiator correct?
Have you tried pushing up from under the truck? yOu may be able to see whats going on better down there
Yeh I just saw that, thos a/c lines have a black clip sorta on each side, the passenger side is off. Its the driver side and can't figure out how to get off, thats where its binding at. Yeh trans line holder was removed at bottom. Uploading pics right now.
 






Here's that top clip/connection point, can't figure it out though. The passenger side was easy as that bolt is out and it just pops away. There's no bolt for the driver side.
DSC01125-1.jpg


And here you can see at the top whatever that connector/holder above is too, and you can see another one thats lower.
DSC01126-1.jpg
 






so did you get it? when you do you get to post the pics for future people with the same issue, careeful this is addicting!
in 10 years you may have 19,640 posts
 



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Geez, all of us remember it being a pain in the neck, while none of us remember exactly how it comes off. I'm thinking it's and up and back motion. Up off the lower piece, and out toward the engine. I'd go look and try to jog my memory, but my back is in bad shape today..... HOWEVER, I just remembered that I have the old radiator in the shed. Be right back .... (which means in about an hour at the rate I'm walking today).
 






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