Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #25 – March 24, 2015, 06:44:20 pm I'll probably look into pulling the fuel cooler, oil cooler and CAC as well as the panel. It doesn't look that hard. Thanks for all the suggestions! I got in touch with Sunshine Cooling and they are looking at my photos. I just have to make sure they have room for me to park. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #26 – March 24, 2015, 08:07:02 pm "I'll probably look into pulling the fuel cooler, oil cooler and CAC as well as the panel. It doesn't look that hard."I'm in the process of having my radiation pulled for the second time in a month. Removing the radiator took a journeyman mechanic and his helper 4 hours (both times). This included removing the CAC, fuel cooler and the hydraulic cooler. The radiator is very heavy since it is made of copper, not aluminum. You will need a heavy jack device like a tranny jack to lower the radiator. Also, you will have to drop the radiator straight down, so you need to lift your coach more than can be provided by the air bags. You can get a good feel for all that needs to be done from Barry's write-up on his radiator replacement which can be found here:Radiator Replaced on a 2003 U320 Cummins M-11While I consider myself a very handy person and do much of my own work, there is no way I would tackle a radiator removal.While I'm referring to a 2003, I would imagine it is basically the same as for your coach. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #27 – March 24, 2015, 09:41:46 pm Our radiator is definitely all aluminum. It was custom made by the people who (hopefully) will be repairing it. And the point isn't to remove the radiator but to remove stuff near the radiator so that the weld points are accessible. I wouldn't be dropping the radiator itself. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #28 – March 26, 2015, 02:26:08 pm I think the place that made the radiator is going to fix it. Hopefully. They haven't called me back but they should be qualified to weld it since they weld a bazillion of them per day. The picture attached is my solution to get the coach there... Before you laugh, they are 2 1100lb ratchet straps, the first of which had no trouble lifting the radiator assembly and taking the weight off the bracket. The second one is just for safety. The only risk is if it walks off the bottom of the radiator (or worse breaks off the drain plug) but I'll be pulling over often to check. There is not a lot of lateral force at all so it hopefully it will stay put unless the whole assembly bounces all over the place.I believe now that the top weld never broke on the bracket either, only the bottom. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #29 – March 26, 2015, 02:54:28 pm Rube Goldberg would admire your fix. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #30 – March 26, 2015, 03:14:30 pm That should get you there. Red neck engineering at it's finest! Good luck with the repair.see yaken Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #31 – March 26, 2015, 03:52:03 pm Appears it all went wrong starting with the Cummins shop that started the Rube Goldberg circus, this is exactly what I wanted to avoid and why I purchased the complete assy. from FOT Parts, had installed by Bo @ Bernd's, did not remove any panels, but did drill out the rivets holding the grille so the fuel cooler could be removed, then dropped the entire assy. down and out.Mine was not leaking, but had lost a large percentage of the fins on the inside and the hydraulic motors were leaking slightly, so was all rebuilt, new hoses etc. I now sleep comfy and can worry about other issues as they come down the pike, but this one is done.Dave M Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #32 – March 26, 2015, 04:17:33 pm Who made the radiator. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #33 – March 26, 2015, 11:57:54 pm If I'm not mistaken, I believe there are significant electrical precautions to be taken before welding on our motorhomes. The issue is to avoid frying sensitive electronics in the engine module, etc. Can someone elaborate? Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #34 – March 27, 2015, 04:16:15 pm The radiator shop decided I need to remove the radiator so my fix isn't going to last very long. I am deciding right now whether to tackle it at our "service friendly" campsite or ask Paul Yasbeck to do it. I need to get a feel for how heavy the radiator is empty. It is all aluminum so I suspect it is manageable when drained. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #35 – March 28, 2015, 01:08:27 am One good note, when the radiator was removed and the end tanks removed, the inside looked NEW, no signs of acid, build up of sludge nor rust. Was pleased the care I have taken on the cooling system looked so good once opened up. The secret is, I have done nothing except maintain coolant level with the recommended ELC coolant. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #36 – March 28, 2015, 09:43:27 am On our 2001, MOT installed a radiator with what i will call with a frame already attached and on it. That total unit was heavy, i watched two guys and some kind of small lifting device help move it into place. It was supposedly a direct replacement unit but they found that one support bracket at the rear of the coach had to be modified a bit. They removed the side panel but when replaced i saw nothing that needed repainted.The removed radiator, in my parlance, simply seemed to have deteriorated around the end caps. One leak led to the discovery but when fully visible it seemed to me a leak could have become a massive failure, the coolant running out all at once. I probably over thought that!I do wish my coach side panel was hinged like later models so i could inspect and clean easily. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #37 – April 01, 2015, 09:06:03 pm Our side panel is hinged and the coach lifted on the bags enough to come out the bottom with the safety blocks in place. They used a big transmission jack. Mine (2002) has a bracket that surrounded the radiator and supported it. I dont know when that changed. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #38 – April 06, 2015, 02:37:27 pm Does anyone have any advice on removing the radiator side panel? We don't have the hinge like some people do. The current plan is to drive to the radiator shop and remove the radiator in their parking lot, something which they said would be fine to do. They are going to repair the radiator for free. They said the radiator is all aluminum and weighs just under 150 pounds. I am thinking with the access of the side panel removed plus I have a floor jack and blocks I can probably get it out if I'm careful. I'll just need a piece of wood to support the bottom.But in order to remove the side panel I'll have to slice the paint and remove the screws but what is underneath? Bolts or is it bolted from the rear? I see rivets from the side. If anyone has pics of the assembly removed that would help me know how to attack it.To me it doesn't seem like an insurmountable task. Besides the side panel there is only the fuel cooler oil cooler and CAC in the way. There is tons of clearance to get to all brackets on either side, possibly because we have a tag axle. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #39 – April 06, 2015, 02:38:13 pm Quote from: Johnstons – April 01, 2015, 09:06:03 pmOur side panel is hinged and the coach lifted on the bags enough to come out the bottom with the safety blocks in place. They used a big transmission jack. Mine (2002) has a bracket that surrounded the radiator and supported it. I dont know when that changed. I don't think yours changed. Cummins put a custom radiator into the coach for a previous owner. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #40 – April 06, 2015, 02:40:56 pm I wonder if this 450 lb. Low Lift Transmission Jack might help with the job. I have to make a Harbor freight run before I do the job anyway.I just went out there and looked again. It looks like the best way would be to drill the rivets holding the grill to the side panel. Then drill out rivets/remove screws holding the sides to the fender/rear cap, then remove the bolts that point upwards into the body. Not sure about those. Then I assume I need to pull back the trim in order to slide the frame out. Once I have all that out and remove some other bits I should be able to rotate the CAC out and make it work. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #41 – April 14, 2015, 08:47:38 pm I feel like you have left us hanging ... any update on progress, were you able to get the side panel removed? Great to hear that the shop was going to repair the rad it for free Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #42 – April 14, 2015, 11:34:28 pm I got lazy. Then I got sick. The whole family has the worst cold/flu ever. We're a week in and yesterday I sneezed so hard I gave myself a migraine. My poor son was a vomit fountain for a day. It's the kind of cold where you lay down and the pressure on your sinuses is so bad it feels like a 30 pound cat is sitting on your face. We're at Fort Desoto right now. My "special fix" is holding just fine. My thought is to wear out our paid reservations until May and then do the work then. In the mean time the flex connector for the exhaust broke :-P LITERALLY always something. A low hanging branch also tore the antenna off for our wilson sleek so had to order another one of those too. Parts arrive tomorrow to clamp the two good halves of the exhaust back together. I am going to fix the exhaust with a sealing repair compound and a band clamp. The break is clean and not rusty so I think it was just a stress crack that spread. It should hold for quite a while until I decide to redo the exhaust with a flowmaster setup.I am still curious if anyone can comment on whether the large bolts that go up into the walls are required to be removed to remove the fenders/radiator side panel. I'm just going to dig into it and hope for the best but I hate doing things without a manual. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #43 – April 15, 2015, 12:02:16 am Sorry, I should have chimed in a while ago on this removal for you as I have done it when I took the CAC out to repair it.First use a sharp blade to cut thru' the paint and caulk along the trim strip and remove that strip at the joints (it may be a long piece)If you have the same vertical trim piece we have that covers the end cap joint you need to take the lower part off. Mine is held together with the lower section with another strip behind so once those screws are out you may find a short trim falls off the back-no worry. Under the trim strip are some bevel head philips screws that do the holding of panel. You also have to remove any screws on both vertical ends of panel and there may be some underneath that hold some belt shield in place. Just take all these off and the odd strenghtning bracket screws.This should allow you to lift panel off and put aside. If you have the small cooler on CAC remove all bolts and place this rad' aside. The CAC is held by bolts and first remove the large clamps that hold the air tubes to it and this CAC should just lift out. It is not heavy but have someone help as it needs a bit of moving around to get out. The radiator is now open and easy to remove supports etc etc as needed.From start to finish it should only take around an hour or so. The replacement is just a reverse of this. Really very easy, just make sure you have all screws etc out before pulling on panel. This is also an excellent time to clean and protect all the parts you cannot get to when all is assembled.Hope this helps.JohnH Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #44 – April 15, 2015, 08:47:51 am Quote from: piku – April 14, 2015, 11:34:28 pmI got lazy. UH, please do not use the word lazy. No one on this Foreforum is lazy. Some do suffer from "Voluntary Inertia" from time to time, but no one is lazy! Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #45 – April 16, 2015, 02:12:45 am Exhaust fixed. Turns out I fixed it with what was there and broken. It traveled down the exhaust and I didn't realize it at first. That was a nice 5 minute job. Quote Selected
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #46 – May 03, 2015, 09:30:10 pm So we're at Sunshine Cooling and I started to remove the radiator and I have to say, the idea of removing the side panel is just plain dumb. The rivets are ridiculous and do not want to come out even after being drilled out. I scratched up my paint just to realize the best way to get the radiator out is straight back. I took off the rear "foretravel" skirt and a single bar and viola, enough clearance to slide the radiator. Even if I got all the rivets out I am not sure that panel will want to come out. It is stuck fast to the docking light on the one side and there is a lip on the other side so it almost looks like it has to be pulled straight down to come out, something which does not look like it wants to happen.So I just drilled the rivets for the grill and pulled that for some accessibility.If anyone has any ideas for finishing up those rivets I am all ears. I drilled the ring off one side and on the other side there is a washer like appendage which I was able to pry off some of them. This still however leaves a metal tube firmly stuck in the middle. I suppose I need to use a bigger drill bit but I'm really trying to not tear up the fiberglass. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #47 – May 04, 2015, 10:33:12 am Got everything out and then they told me the welder called out sick. Oh well at least I have my house with me! Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #48 – May 04, 2015, 01:14:00 pm " and I have to say, the idea of removing the side panel is just plain dumb."Well I guess it comes down to skill of using the right drill etc. Those panels are simple to take off and give lots of access to the area, but whatever suits you I guess!I replaced the rivets with the spring clips that slide over the edge of the fibreglass and then used a stainless screw so the grille is easier to remove in the future.FWIWJohnH Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure Reply #49 – May 04, 2015, 02:43:47 pm MAXCRAFT 7728 U-Clip and Screw Assortment, 170-Piece - Hand Screw Clamps -...This kit was very handy when I replace all of the rivets. Quote Selected 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.
Topic: Radiator Mount Bracket Failure