Yes, you fill the transmission via the dipstick hole.

 

What do you mean Prestone 50/50? like did you have to mix it with water?
I will be changing mine today. I just hope everything goes smooth

 

Tip on coolant;

Some coolants are pre-mixed. Ready to pour.

Some are concentrated and will require a 50-50 water to coolant mix.

Read the description and directions on the jug.

 

Mine just went Sunday. antifreeze all over the engine bay!

Can't complain. It lasted 164k miles...

Hairline crack under the Nissan logo on top of radiator. Purchased $109 Spectra from Autozone. Super simple replacement, especially when 6 speed. No tranny lines

Used 50/50 so I didn't have to worry about the mixture and distilled versus tap water, etc.

 

thanx to op for this thread and help from my twin my new rad is on. wasnt hard at all took an hour just got to replace a hose on the bottom.

 

After I replaced my radiator a couple of weeks ago, I was still smelling antifreeze. I replaced the old radiator cap last week and now no trace of antifreeze smell.
Guess I should have known to change the cap when I changed the radiator.
All is well.

 

This is great! I am replacing my radiator this weekend and great to see this write up. I know I would have missed the tranny lines to I am REAL glad that I saw this.

Thanks!

 

Had a crack in my radiator, near the hose, couldn't see because it was covered. I went to Advanced Auto after finding a coupon and purchased a new one (w/out fans) for $87.00 another $10 for antifreeze.
Removal and installation was pretty simple. Thanks for the step by step w/ pix.

 

I just finished installing my radiator.. it was the easyest thing iv done..
Great write up, thank you!

 

One thing missing from the writeup (at least on the 2K Max): After I disconnected all of the bolts and hoses holding the fan assembly in I couldn't get it out. It was stuck on something. After about 10 minutes of pulling I noticed a wire harness connected to the bottom of the fan assembly that isn't visible looking down. After disconnecting that it was easy.

 

ok so ive scanned thru this this thread and got some good info but im a lil confused on my order of flushing/ radiator swap.

heres what happened. i bought a ****ty ebay rad for my 03 6mt, bolted it in, topped it off with toyota red. recently before doing.my spacers install, i had no heat so i drained out all the red((or as i thought)), replaced w a 50/50 mix and sealed my system. fixed my heat issue.

done my nwp spacers the next day, while i was inthere i discovered a nasty fluid around the edges of my reservoir. i opened the radiator cap, looked like a gallon or red baby shiit in my radiator. i havent drove the car since.

ordered a koyo rad and new cap. now heres my question. how can i be sure to get all the old crap out of my motor? i dont want to do the distilled water deal. think i can toss the shot radiator put the new.one in , add good fluid and be safe?

and if i flush it by tap water to get the crap out, how do i get that water out before i put in new radiator and 50/50 fluid thats already mixed.

and yea the gunk is.from mixing.two different fluids. i need to know the best way to flush conpletely before the koyo goez in. thanks

 

androids have touchy cramped keyboards sry for thr typos

 

yo anyone?

 

There are two drain plugs on the cylinder block. http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/maxima/2002/MA.pdf see Changing Engine Coolant.

 

Well, I've finally done something somewhat auto savvy in changing out my radiator...it was leaking a little on the top piece where it looks like the top 1" of the radiator is CRIMPED together. Anyway, this write-up was perfect. A couple things I noticed:
1. The radiator I purchased from Autozone was made for BOTH auto and manual..i saw the two pegs sticking out of the new one that weren't on my stock one and freaked for a sec until I called Autozone. He said most all new ones are made for both.
2. Those plastic pegs holding the splash guards on bottom were the HARDEST part by far! We finallly figured out how to get them back in..they are two pieces, and you have to sort of separate them in order to make them work into their respective holes better. Not sure if they are all the same, but I took out 3 pegs holding each to the front bumper, then undid the 3 bolts holding to frame and left the last peg toward the back of the car and just spun the guards aroudn to where they weren't in the way.


I ran mine for about 10 minutes, top hose got really hot, but I still noticed coolant near the top of the radiator where the cap would go, as if the coolant level never dropped...is that bad? My top hose was very hot to touch, and temp gauge was running normal temp? Any thoughts? Thanks to this forum, I got a new tool set AND saved some cash for what this would have cost at a mechanic.

 

Those peg/rivets are pains in the *****. I have a special tool that pulls them out easily.

As for your cooling system bleed, set the heater to max hot, and then idle the engine on level ground and keep adding coolant as needed with the rad cap off. When the cooling fans come on and you get some strong heat blasting out of your vents, you're good. Close up the rad cap and then pour some extra coolant into your reservoir a bit past the MAX mark because as you drive, the system will usually take a bit more coolant from there.

For air bleeding, I use a funnel kit made by Lisle where it comes with an adaptor that fits our rad opening, and then the funnel holds coolant while allowing air to burp out. It's a great tool that many mechanics have/use.

 

I just did what OG poster did, filled it up to where i could see coolant near the top..left cap OFF, started the car and let it idle for about 10 minutes..I forgot to check fans, but upper hose got hott, and gauge was good so I just cut it off and after cool down put the radiator cap on(I didn't add coolant as I said earlier the level did not appear to fall much). I can only assume there was still alot of coolant in the engine so maybe it didn't pull from the radiator? I drove it around tonight with no issues that I could see. Temp gauge was on normal level, no drips/leaks. Is there anything else I need to do?

 

Typical purging means running the engine until the radiator fans start, leaving the radiator cap open so it can burp, you will see air bubbles. Typical Toyota procedure.

On Honda Acura, there is a burp valve on top of the intake hose (top side) where you open to let the air out.

 

So is there a test I can do to make sure I don't have a bubble? I drove to work today no issues(20 miles each way).

 

Should be able to remove the radiator cap and run the engine until the cooland temp starts to climb. Otherwise check in the FSM.

 

Thanks for the write-up! Made the job super simple.

 

I don't see it in here but are the radiators for the 6mt and automatics the same? I have a 2k3 6mt needing a radiators and was wondering if there are differences between the auto and manual radiators

 

Check on courtseyparts.com or give Rusty a call at Gunn Nissan. See thread >> http://forums.maxima.org/dealership-...ntonio-tx.html

 

Thanks for the info but I still wanted to know if the manual and automatic cars have different radiators.

 

Either car can use either radiator, you'd just need an auxiliary trans cooler in an auto with manual radiator.

 

Great writeup! Just did this today on my 2000 Max (139K miles), after the top tank started leaking. Used a Spectra from Autozone, plus new upper and lower hoses and clamps.

I'll have to call the stealership on Monday just to find out how much I saved.

Some additional thoughts:

-In hindsight, like some others above I think I might have taken out the cooling fan assembly as the first step. I didn't realize until after the fact that it was only two top screws holding it in. It might have been easier getting a grip on the tranny lines from the top, vice laying on the ground. (My neck is a bit stiff this evening...)

-In addition to four large hose clamps, make sure you purchase two small hose clamps for the tranny cooler lines if needed. One of mine was brittle and I broke it getting it off, so had to make an additional trip the the AP store, costing me 30+ minutes. I actually munched up the hose a bit, and ended up cutting off half an inch of the hose. There's plenty of hose length left if you need to do this.

-You can just pull the tranny lines up higher than where they enter the transmission to prevent drippage. I had very little come out...it might be because I was parked on an incline. ???

-When starting up the car the first time after initially filling the radiator, I suggest leaving the cap on when you start it, then immediately walking up front and taking it off. When I started min the first time, an air pocket made some coolant spray out, making a bit of a mess. I had just cleaned things up...grrr. No big deal.

-Leave off the splash guards until *after* you've done your test drive and checked for leaks. No leaks for me, fortunately.

 

Quick follow-up:

1. Dealership quoted $650 to $700 to replace, using an aftermarket radiator (even they said a OEM would be ridiculously-expensive). Glad to save $400 bucks or so.

2. After three days of driving, I smelled the tell-tale odor of antifreeze. Turns out that the hose clamp on the top hose where it entered the engine had worked itself loose.....grrr. I decided to order t-bolt style clamps from Rockauto instead of these cheapies. These are a bit wider, and seem much more secure, given they have a locknut. Folks in other forums also seem to favor the spring loaded clamps, since they expand and contract with temperature. But the t-bolt style can be put on without having to take the hoses off, and I sure didn't feel like doing that again.

3. You might want get a couple of extra small clamps for the overflow tank hose. Mine leaked slowly after reassembling. They are the same size as the tranny lines.

4. Finally, found that the new cheap radiator cap didn't have a good seal... I could see steam coming from it, just after replacing the clamps. Replaced with a Stant brand....seems fine now.

Given the leak and cap issue, this was a bit more of an adventure than I had anticipated. But don't worry, Chewie, she'll hold together. Just want 2-3 more years out of this puppy!

 

How much for a new radiator??? I need to know since mine is leaking?

Thanks in advance

 

Forgot to add its a 2003 maxima and its leaking from the top of radiator. What else should I replace and is it worth it... Depending on cost.

 

goto the group deal section $109 for the rad and get a new set of hose clamps

 

Did this over the weekend. Hardest part was bleeding the system.

 

Sorry to reopen this thread, but I need to do this for the '03 I just bought and noticed a lot of you vouched for the KoyoRad. I came across one on eBay for $83 with free shipping and was wondering if one of you can make sure this is right one. It says it is compatible with my vehicle, but doesn't match the number I got from the Koyo website. I just want some verification before submitting the order to find out a few days later it isn't the right one.

Here is a link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_1554wt_1139

Thanks all!

V/r,
awsgrayrd.

 

Look in the group deal section for the radiator.

Link below:
http://forums.maxima.org/group-deals...t-pricing.html

 

I appreciate the help RR5! I was able to contact the seller from eBay to verify. He was able to verify through his dealer and let me know within the hour.

The radiator will not be in for a couple days, so in the meantime I'm getting everything else ready. Coolant, new hoses and bushings. Should I be changing the thermostat as well, hard? Keep in mind I'm at 135k.

Thanks!

V/r,
awsgrayrd.

 

Well hopefully this radiators gets in by today or tomorrow so I can knock it out before the weekend is done. I have already bought the new hoses through Advance Auto and had to order new bushings through the dealer which should be here today.
Like mentioned before, the car is sitting at 135k. Wondering if I should replace the water pump and thermostat, while I'm at it? I still keep in contact with the seller, but he isn't sure if the water pump was replaced at 100k. He only put on a few thousand miles while here on shore duty and sold it because he was being transferred. The car wasn't over heating and the cooling system wasn't clogged. It just so happens it's the OEM radiator and it's leaking at the notorious Nissan stamp!

Let me know what I should do? If I should replace the thermostat and water pump, what brand should I stick with?

V/r,
awsgrayrd.

 

I just replaced mine today with a Koyo. It only took about an hour total.

However, the front page should be updated with the fact that

1: The original screws that hold the fan unit to the radiator DO NOT fit the Koyo.

2: The correct size is 6mm x 20mm fine thread screws. You could get by with shorter, probably no shorter than 6mm x 12mm. Maybe this will save you from having to walk through Home Depot with your radiator! (Yep! that was me)

 

great info! i believe i just ordered same radiator as u, so ill need this

 

Good radiator . The screws form Home Depot are only like $1.50

 

Thanks for the good pics and instructions. Very easy job. 2.5 hours. I used a Murray radiator from O'Reilly. The fan shroud fit perfectly to it. I let the transmission fluid drip out on purpose just so I could put some new fluid back.
Oh, I filled the radiator too full the first time and the system kept purging coolant around the cap. I emptied a bit out and filled the overflow to the correct level and the leak around the cap magically stopped.
Given how cheap and easy this is no one should hesitate to try it on their own.

 

Good write up. My radiator is being replaced today at 240k miles. I went with the TYC for $61 off of Amazon.com . It is a Koyo radiator, came in a Koyorad box. I saw op's you tube video, too. Between that and this, this job is mostly a breeze.