Second Jedediah Smith Trail 1824 — 1826

Day 5: August 26th, 2010 Pittsburgh (Radiator Removal)

Slowly, I get used to the new time zone. I wake up again around six in the morning. Around seven I get up and get myself ready. Also today I have three eggs as breakfast. Because I have already bought everything yesterday, I can drive directly to David today and start working immediately.

However, I must wait after my arrival until the truck has cooled down before I can start with my draining job. Therefore I will first work on the wiring for my new oil temperature gauge. To my surprise, this Scotch tape has glued extremely well and I am almost not able to get my three gauge cluster off the dashboard.

Eventually, the tape gives in. Then I start thinking on how I have wired everything up. First I think that I might have forgotten to include the additional wire for my new gauge. But then I see that it is there — what a relief! Otherwise, I would have had to open the whole cable harness again!

After I have installed the gauge, I start my search for the other wire end. First I think that it is on the passenger side. But there is nothing to see. Therefore I must unscrew now everything on the drivers side. After searching for a while I find the wire and push it with the assistance of Silicone to the outside. Seems like I would need to buy a new Silicone soon.

The wire almost reaches all the way to the passenger side. Then I must place the end there. The rest will be done with the wire running from the temperature sensor. This is my next task and I resolder to my new wire. Unfortunately, I only have a 16 gauge and no 18 gauge anymore. This is almost too thick, but it still works.

Then I start working on the radiator. First I read my repair book. This job seems to be not too difficult. First, the upper half of the fan shroud must be removed. Then I must continue on the hoses. To somehow have a better control control of the water drainage, I also remove the front cover. Now I am able to see better at the parts. But it seems that working from above is the best approach.

So, now I start with the big lower radiator hose. First, I slightly loose the clamps and let the coolant water slowly flow out. Then I slowly open up the clamp a bit more and more. Anyways, there is still some water taking its own course. But all in all, things are going better than expected.

Then I start working on the upper radiator hose and the second smaller hose. Finally, the lower radiator hose must be removed, where I am almost not able to reach it. It’s also impossible to remove the lower fan shroud. The only thing I can do is to bend the cover (it’s just plastic) as much that I am just able to reach the nut with my wrench. This is how it works.

But it is closed extremely tight. Hopefully, I will not tear it apart! But it works! Slowly, the screw gives in. Now I must only remove the last big radiator hose on the top and I made it. Carefully, I take the old radiator out that not all the insects are falling down.

At the lower end is a huge collection of them and the whole radiator is full of mud. It’s amazing, that there was still a little bit of air flow! Now I know, why it was not really cooling anymore!

Now it’s time to work on the fan. There are only 4 screws. But they give me a hard time. You cannot really turn them, because you will turn the engine with them. So, the only chance is to knock with a hammer carefully on the wrench. Lucky me, this works out and I am able to lose the screws one by another. Then I am able to get this part out. After this, I immediately put the screws back in.

Now it’s time to start the assembly. First, I take the new lower radiator hose and push the spring from the old one in there. Then I add the cover and put new cable ties on. Unfortunately, the ones I bought are all too small. But I have two bigger ones in my set. However, the engine is so close at the driving belt that it is almost impossible to get them in a position where it is not hitting the driving belt! Which idiot has built something like this?!

But maybe, originally they have these special clamps and not these standard hose clamps. They will consume less space.

Now it’s time to work on the radiator. I assemble my adapters, but something seems not to be right! I would need a 1/4" extension to move on from the radiator adapter. This is something I don’t have right now. I search desperately on how I could arrange this. But it is impossible to find a solution.

I hear that Lisa is back home and I walk to the house and ask her if she could ask David or if she could take me up to Cranberry. She quickly calls David, who already planned to get back home right now. After a long search he is able to find such an adapter. But this one does also not fit! This bloody part is a hose connector with threads on both sides!

And there is also no chance to get this problem solved with the stuff I currently have. First I think that there are 1/4" connections at my radiator. But these are the original 5/16" connectors for the transmission, as it should be. But these are Flare and not NPT. And the big problem is to find male Flare. Everything you can get in stores are female.

David doesn’t has the time to take me to Cranberry, he is still at work! I always thought that he finishes working around half past five. But reality is now different. So I call Helen. She is currently at her Mom’s house and is already leaving. She drives over to David and picks me up together with Norma who has helped her to clean the house.

She takes her back to her car, then we drive over to Pep Boys. There I search the whole shelf. But I am not able to find an adapter which will fit. At least I can take my transmission oil with me. Then we drive over to Home Depot. But they have absolutely nothing in 5/16" size. Unfortunately, Helen does no longer want to drive around and we drive back home. I look up at the Internet, where I might be able to get something that fits. The car part stores have nothing, also Lowe’s.

Finally, Trader Horn looks like they have something in the direction of what I am searching for. But Helen doesn’t want to drive me again around. I should just take her car and drive by myself. This is something I don’t really like. But I have no other choice. So I drive over there by myself.

Indeed, they also don’t have the parts I need. But I am able to rework a part in a way that it will fit. However, I will need some other parts that everything will fit. So I quickly drive over to Home Depot and buy the rest. While I am already there, I also get big and small hose clamps. And because I am already on my way, I also buy some 18 gauge wire at Walmart and also the big cable lugs, which I had to take out of David’s box.

Then I am driving back home. In the meantime it is already half past nine and I am eventually able to get a shower. Now it is way too late to go out for dinner. So I only quickly have a sandwich and do my bookkeeping — and also take care of my wounds with some disinfect. Around a quarter to eleven I am going to bed…

The next day is in preparation…