Daily Archives: August 16, 2015
We’ve Been Re-Radiated . . .
After coffee and donut holes Jan and I headed out about 8am for the 105 mile trip down to our son Chris’ house, where we were going to install a new radiator in our 2004 Dodge Dakota toad. Well, he was going to install it while I watched and supervised.
We knew it was going to take us awhile because with our leaky radiator, we could only go about 35 miles before we had to stop for 10 minutes or so to let the engine cool down so I could add more water. I had six gallons worth of water jugs which I figured would enough, and it was.
We did make three cool-down stops along the way, finally getting to Chris’ about 10:45. And of course we got right to work . . . by going to lunch.
Well, we had to let the engine cool down, right?
So Chris, his wife Linda, and Jan and I drove over to one of our favorite Mexican places, Barcenas, and even better, it’s right outside the subdivision. After eating up and catching up, we next drove over to the nearby O’Reillys to pick up the new radiator.
All nice and shiny. And not leaky, I hope.
Of course it all starts with the getting the old one. Part of the problem that my truck actually has 3 radiators, (Well, four if you count the small one for the power steering. But it’s not in the way.) And two of them were blocking us from the getting the main one out.
Down at the bottom, and only about 10 inches tall, is the radiator for the automatic transmission. Then behind that one is another larger one that’s the radiator for the air conditioner. The small one can be disconnected, but there wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver, but Chris finally got the lines off and that radiator out of the way..
The AC radiator could not be disconnected without losing the the Freon, but Chris finally got it pulled forward enough to unbolt the main radiator and pull it out. (For some reason the lighting here makes the truck look like it’s been in a wreck.)
Then of course you do it all in reverse, putting it all back together.
After Chris got everything hooked up, but before he put all the covers and cowling back on, we filled it antifreeze and water, and fired it up to check for leaks, both water and transmission fluid. Of course Chris did his usual great job and not a drip was to be seen.
Thirty minutes later it was all buttoned up and we were ready to roll.
It actually didn’t take as long as I thought it might. Chris started working at 12:30, and we did the leak test at 2:45pm. And by 3:15 he was washing up.
Of course this is a guy that took a hulk of a boat that had been laying out in a field with a TREE growing out of it, and turned it into this.
Not only did he rebuild and re-fiberglass the hull, he also rebuilt the inboard engine and transmission.
In case you’re keeping score, it’s a 1977 16 ft. Century Arabian, with a Ford 351 Windsor (Mercruiser) engine, and a Velvet Drive inboard/outboard drive unit.
The new radiator cost me $192 w/tax. I had been quoted between $500 – $750 for a shop to do it.
It’s nice to have a kid who’s handy with tools.
__________________________________________________________
Thought for the Day:
A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving. – Lao Tsu (570-490 BC)
asdfasdf
