Timing Belt...Radiator Removal?

[Apostle]

I'm doing my timing belt, and I was wondering if anyone here has been successful doing the job with the radiator still in place. I checked the TSRM and it says the radiator has to be removed, just wondering if theres a way around it. There seems to be enough room to work with but I just want opinions.

Thanks

 

[CTsupra]

Save yourself the bloody knuckles, cursing, damning, stress, broken parts.. see a pattern here? Take the rad and fan out.

 

[Nick M]

Not needed with the right tools. I am guessing you don't have the right tools.

And when it comes time, don't put a breaker bar on the crank bolt, and operate the starter motor.

 

[mazzer]

take it out. it's easy, just potentially messy.


remember ,coolant is poison .so , if you have pets..

 

[jgcable]

It takes 20 minutes to remove the radiator. You will end up putting a hole in it trying to get everything off the front of the motor if you don't take it off.
The crank bolt is insanely tight. Something like 195ft lbs. I used a 3' breaker bar while jamming the flywheel with a really large screwdriver.
It will also be hard to get the fan off of the waterpump with the radiator in place.

 

[Nick M]

For those that use grunt, the crank pulley is held with what is called a strap wrench.

 

[Captain]

Save yourself the bloody knuckles, cursing, damning, stress, broken parts.. see a pattern here? Take the rad and fan out.

I've done it with the radiator in and thats exactally what happened. It was a thick rad too...

 

[pb92supraturbo]

If you do remove it, be careful not to accidentally hit what’s in front of it - the condenser. I almost hit mine while pulling off the crank pulley when it suddenly released. Next time, I'll leave the crank pulley bolt threaded it a few turns to catch it.

 

[Poodles]

It takes 20 minutes to remove the radiator. You will end up putting a hole in it trying to get everything off the front of the motor if you don't take it off.
The crank bolt is insanely tight. Something like 195ft lbs. I used a 3' breaker bar while jamming the flywheel with a really large screwdriver.
It will also be hard to get the fan off of the waterpump with the radiator in place.

Yeah, and 15 minutes of that is draining the coolant...

It's very easy to do...

 

[gelboy1015]

I just did it a few weeks ago.. much easier to take out the radiator so you have more space..

 

[Justin]

And when it comes time, don't put a breaker bar on the crank bolt, and operate the starter motor.

WHy do you say that?