Correction, date on radiator is 2020, not 2000.

> On Mar 28, 2023, at 1:39 PM, Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
> 
> So folks, 
> 
>        Things don’t always go perfectly.  
> 
> But, so far my most recent mess ups seem to be working out ok.
> 
> I was excited to find a South African radiator from 2000.  Hoping it is one of the rare good ones.  The unit was triple packed and had the most desirable radiator name on the outside. 
> 
> So, I wanted to get everything done so a friend could help me bleed the system.
> 
> Mistakes began to happen.
> 
> I put on the hoses in advance and as a expert stopped in I asked him about the sensor install and he installed it. 
> 
> I then positioned the radiator with fan shroud in place and got it onto a wide jack. 
> 
> I double checked position and location of wires and fan and sensor plugs. 
> 
> New bushings on the radiator and time to put into place. 
> 
> I raised very slowly and kept checking for wires and anything else that might be caught or out of place. 
> 
> Slowly, slowly, check, check again.
> 
> Then a sound, a sort of metal crick.  I looked everywhere for the source.  And then noticed, the temp sensor sticks out of radiator  and was under the metal of the van. 
> 
>        My heart stoped.  I lowered the jack a bit and moved the radiator to clear the sensor. 
> 
> I felt all around it and all seemed good. 
> 
> I had thoughts of a destroyed radiator. 
> 
> What to do?  Well keep going.  Hope for the best. 
> 
> Slowly continued and then put in the lower brackets all seemed good.
> 
> Attach  the two rubber hoses and pipes.  I marked the position of each  with tactile markers.
> 
> I added coolant back and massaged hoses and then pressurized getting a gallon in.  I opened the radiator bleeder and then put a couple pounds of pressure in the tank and got more coolant into the system. 
> 
> But then I noticed coolant at the front.  I looked and realized the lower bracket was pressing against the hose clamp screw.  Had this messed up the hose? Or worse cracked the radiator plastic.
> 
> I lowered the bracket and adjusted the clamp to a better position. 
> 
> Re check.  Still a leak. 
> 
> Then I realized. Maybe the radiator bleeder?
> 
> I closed it and put a few pounds in.  No leaks. 
> 
> Later we bled the system and hit a bump when my friend messed with the bleeder. 
> But, system was likely fully pressurized. 
> 
> No leaks from sensor, no leak from front hoses and connection areas. 
> 
> So, maybe these blind person errors didn’t do the serious damage I was afraid of.  
> 
> But, only time and a fully running system, and a fan turning on and off will see. 
> 
> Fingers crossed. 
> 
> I try so hard to be careful but sometimes bad luck and no vision get me.
> 
>        But, more often then not, good luck and care get me through.
> 
> So, darn it, mistakes happen.
> 
> Now to get that new rear bleeder on and see if I’m good to go.
> 
> Eric Caron