When replacing the front exhaust manifold, is it necessary to remove the radiator?

I have a cali spec 99 i30 auto and converting it to fed spec requires the removal of the front exhaust manifold.

I'd hate to have to remove the radiator with all it's coolant and transmission fluid.

 

Yes. Absolutely. Good time to change your coolant and hoses/clamps. Preventive maintenance in a way. You also need to drop the cross member but that may be just for the rear.

 

no, it is NOT necessary....but it makes it 100% easier to mess with. At the least remove the fan shroud. Also, you dont have to drop the crossmember either.

 

makes it easier to gt to manifold etc.

 

Not necessary but absolutely should be done, especially if you've never changed your coolant, etc. It's just a couple of hoses and hose clamps. No big deal.

And you do have to drop the cross member, but I think that's only for the rear header. When I did mine, I didn't see anyway of getting it out without dropping the member.

 

done it many times without dropping crossmember, both 3.0s and 3.5s, shorty headers, obx, stock, you name it, theyll fit through there

 

Did the Cali to fed swap you do not need to remove radiator

 

The coolant system is the most neglected thing in the engine bay, do it anyways even if you don't need to because chances are its never been done in the cars whole life. People don't touch the coolant system until they have to and by then its usually too late.

 

how did you?!

 

Ok thanks all. I will remove the fan shroud but I REALLY don't want to deal with the ATF as I will have to so so later this week but can't do it all at once. I'll go ahead and change the radiator fluid.

Doing the work at someone's house so it will have to be done in one day. I already have 8 quarts of Mobile 1 synthetic atf fluid, filter, gasket, tranny cooler, transgo shift kit and aem tranny temp gauge to install in one day when I deal with my tranny.

 

Just unbolted the header from the precat and precat from the exhaust and took it out piece by piece. It was a long time ago but I think they fit out the bottom. Jack the car up.

 

Well no wonder why you didn't remove anything (rad/member).

I have a lift and tools, it was much easier to just remove the radiator and member and the whole header in one shot.

Sure I could have split it up like you, but that takes extra time. The FULL header will not come out without doing so or getting rid of the rad/member from what I remember when I did this job. The front might be okay with just the rad being removed, but I believe the back one needs the member out in order to drop down without much issue.

I was going from Cali to Fed.

 

^^I will be doing soon. But i agree, i would def choose Ilyak's way. I picture it being so much easier.

 

Fortunately, the rear stock exhaust manifolds are the same on the cali and spec so I don't have to touch that or remove the crossmember.

 

That is true. I initially went to SS AutoChrome parts, from stock Cali. but then I ended up selling those and going to stock Fed. So I did the job twice. I remove the member and radiator both times. Easy as cake.

 

did you just confuse me and that guy? lol

look, im all about time, easy means nothing to me if there is a quicker way. If that means not removing the passenger side axle to drop the tranny (which ive done) ill do it. If that means not compressing springs to take the assembly apart and letting it all fly everywhere, thats what i do cuz its 100 times quicker.(plus its a pretty cool sight lol) If that means pulling the engine and tranny out together when doing a engine swap thats what i always do, auto/5 speed either way. and you know what, the rear header comes out without taking extra time to drop the crossmember. The WHOLE rear header. The crossmember being there does not bother anything. But you are correct, it may be easier. But i hate extra unnecessary steps lol.

 

I just did it today. Just removed the fan shroud and unbolted the 2 bolts at the bottom. Pulled the exhaust manifold and pre-cat from the top. The o2 sensors and all bolts came off like butter except for one of the &^#^$&*@#~! catalytic convertor bolts.

It unscrewed halfway then snapped. I can probably get it with 2 teeth. I can either cut off the remaining bolt and drill a hole or get it as tight as I can with the 2-3 teeth and fill in the hole with weld.

I wish that there was a way to undo the stud from the catalytic converter. I would undo it and just replace the stud or just add a bolt.