I took the plunge and used Lars Grimsrud's Tech Tip to remove and clean my radiator. I replaced upper and lower coolant hoses, as well. The Tech Tip is right on the mark. It took me a few hours to dismantle as I sorted things out.

Some notes:

1. The clips on the low coolant sensor (green wire & plug below the upper transmission line) are likely to be brittle on an old car (all of those in this forum!) You can actually remove just the wire and rubber cover and leave the sensor in place. If you bust the clips (like I did) it is GM part 10054615. See photo below...one clip broke completely off and the other was cracked most of the way through.

2. The lower coolant hose on a convertible is NOT the same as that on a coupe...and not all parts shops carry the 'vert hose. Check online catalogs...you'll see the difference.

3. In addition to cleaning my radiator as described in the Tech Tip, I used the soft brush and soap on the front and back of my A/C condensor, as well. A surprising amount of grit and sand kept piling up in the bottom of the shroud every time I hosed it off from the back.

As always, many thanks to those who post tech tips and provide quick feedback to first-timers!

The broken coolant sensor:


The view from the top...between radiator and condensor:


The pile of debris at the bottom of the shroud after pulling the radiator:


The compost pile that I removed...and this doesn't include the stuff I sucked up with the shop vac. Worth noting that the crescent wrench was NOT in the plenum:

 

darn i thought you gained a tool

 

Did my '88 about 2 months ago. Best 2 hours of maintenance time I've spent on the car in the last year. It was about half full to the top between the condenser and the radiator. Dropped me around 10 degrees on average, except for the stuck in traffic thing. 228 the fan comes on, and 213 it goes off.

Anyway, here's a pic of what came out of mine. It had passed through the vacuum so the mass was greatly reduced. Still, it's pretty impressive the amount of crap that was in there.

I used a Coke can for scale.



BTW, if you haven't tried that Black Cherry Vanilla Coke, it's really good. Unless you mix it with Captain Morgan, then it's great!

 

Wow that is alot of crap in between there! This is a problem my vette has never had.

 

Jesus you blokes get alot of garbage out of that space!!! In both my 87 and my 94 ive never got more than a couple leaves and thats it!! Im buggered if i know how you got the cigarette butts up in there!!!

So xccter... What would it be like mixing that Coke with Chivas Regal mate?

 

That's a heck of a place to be smoking cigarettes.

 

What a mess!!!

 

Which lower hose option has the bigger bend?

I just bought one, got completely ripped off because it was an emergency repair and it barely fit my 85 Z51 coupe. The curvature was too small to fit over the cross brace and bracket so I had to remove part of it just to get back on the road.

 

BTW, if you haven't tried that Black Cherry Vanilla Coke, it's really good. Unless you mix it with Captain Morgan, then it's great![/QUOTE]
Hmmm, wonder how it would be with Jack Daniel's

 

From Eckler's website, I copied the following photos:

coupe lower hose:


convertible lower hose:


The convertible hose number was NAPA 8417. The cross brace may be higher or beefier in a convertible, requiring the extra deep bend you see in the photo. Some online catalogs offer them... NAPA hose fits just fine.

 

I just pulled the radiator due to a leak and discovered a pile of leaves and trash in front of the radiator. I am surprised it cooled at all. I would recommend doing this on the C4's. It took me 30 minutes to remove. I am convinced it will run much cooler.

 

I bought that "coupe lower hose" for my 85 z51. It does not fit very well. There's a factory camberbrace in there and some angle brackets on the front corners that require the high arch hose.

 

I have seen several of these "radiator trash" posts and I can only conclude that there must have been a design change somewhere along the line, because I can clearly see the area between condenser and radiator on my '94 -- looking through holes in the side of the shroud -- and could even get a thin suction device in there if I had to. But except for one little leaf, there isn't any trash in there at all, just a patch of long-term road grime scuzz on the radiator surface which was sucked in by the fan since it is right in front of the fan's air draw path.

Anyway, reading about all the trash being collected by others makes me a little nervous -- am I missing something?

Hot weather steady-state highway temp 185F, up to 190 or so on long hills, 205-210 in slow traffic or at lights.

 

Just stay away from leafy areas, trees when they she, and no dirt roads. Your car should stay cleaner longer.
Also, turn off your air conditioner on dirty areas, such as alleys or grassy places. THe extra fan speed or extra fan will pick up a lot of crap.