Alright guys! Today's project!!!
1984 F-150
300 Straight six
Bulldog 4speed
Four wheel Drive
Styleside that identifies as a Flareside
Who had a leaky radiator?
This guy.
Who had a huge bada$$ aluminum Wizard racing radiator for a 5.0?
Also this guy.
Who got a wild hair and decided to stuff it into his '84 F-150?
This dumb masochist.
What you'll need to go through the pain I did:
(A) 1x - 28" Flex radiator hose 1-1/2" Dia
(B) 1x - 18" Flex radiator hose 1-1/2" Dia
(C) 1x - 23" Flex radiator hose 1-1/2" Dia + 1-3/4" dia
(D) 1x - 5.0 Radiator (if you don't look at it and cuss yourself for your stupidity, it's not big enough)
(E) 1x - 160° thermostat (yeah, it's probably a little low)
(F) 1x - 1-1/2" ID exhaust coupling
(G) 1x - Jegs 10570 Dual fan relay kit
(H) 2x - 10" electric fans (7.5a ea)
(I) 1x - 6 Pack Beer
(J) 1x - Fan clutch removal tool
(K) 4x - 1-1/2" sized hose clamps
(L) 2x - 1-3/4" sized hose clamps
***Before you begin I recommend attaching your electric fans to your radiator to save trying to fight it in the engine bay.***
*Start off by ripping the old radiator out and chucking it across your driveway like He-Man
*Then get a beer (I) and walk over to it and remove the radiator cap you're going to need later. We're gonna reuse it if we can.
*Remove your fan, if you're unlucky and have a fan clutch then go borrow the tool from O'Reillys.
(p.s. if your truck is older than I think '88 you shouldn't have a fan clutch unless some jagg-off P.O. did something like swap engines or use the wrong fan assembly, I say this from experience)
*Flip the rubber footers on their side to make your new radiator tall enough.
You may have to go look in your driveway with the old radiator because it was probably stuck to it and you just tossed it out like a female child in 1990s China.
*Spray the rubber gaskets on your upper radiator hold downs with glass cleaner so it's easier to get them tightened down straight.
*Set your shiny aluminum radiator (D) onto your precariously flipped rubber footers, making sure to line one up perfectly with the lower fill neck on the radiator just so you have to fight it later.
(That was sarcasm, don't do that, drink a beer (I) instead and do it right the first time)
*Grab your weird two piece radiator brackets and start to secure the top of the radiator.
*Now cuss because your new radiator slopes down on the sides of the top and it's a pain in the rump to get them tight *AND* straight.
*Hook your upper flex hose (A) to your radiator and thermostat housing, securing it with clamps (K) and question if it'll clear the hood. (it should)
*Drink another beer (I), go take a leak.
*Take your 1-1/2" exhaust coupling (F) and use an angle grinder with a cutting wheel to cut steps/teeth into the whole thing, taking care not to cut throught it. Make it look like the chest of that K1llmonger character from black panther.
*If you buzz your finger with the angle grinder and rip your fingernail off, this is a fine time for another beer (I), if not, drink one anyways and proceed.
*Join the 1-1/2" ends of your remaining two hoses (B) (C) (K) (L)
*Rout the joined hose and secure (B) (C) (K) (L)
*Make sure you give it a flick and recite "That ain't goin nowheres"
*Fill your cooling system, using this time to reattach the heater hose that you probably forgot about. I showed mine with water the first go around to make sure I didn't have any leaks because water is free and antifreeze is not. I'm going back later and filling it with antifreeze after I've replaced my thermostat housing in a couple days. In the meantime I'm running a coolant flush to clean all of the passages out nicely.
*Now comes the fun part. Wiring. You should have two beers (I) left. Save them.
*The Jegs kit (G) I used came with very..... detailed instructions. And by detailed instructions I mean a single sheet of paper that half of which was taken up with a picture. Puzzle it out and do your wiring. it's honestly pretty simple. I bypassed my Thermoswitch the first go round, because I am going to replace my thermostat housing and I'm not going to thread it in there twice. I personally ran my wiring to switches on the dash because I like having manual control over my fans, but the instructions in the kit tell you how to wire them without using external switches.
*Once you're done with the wiring drink beer 5 (I)
*This is the point that separates boys from Men. If after five beers and a couple hours of d!cking around with your truck you're not fit to drive then don't. Fire her up in your driveway and check for leaks, let that thermostat open up and burp.
*once she's gotten up to Temp and hasn't leaked and his burped and is holding pressure, you're done. pat yourself on the back and drink your last beer. (I)
I hope this is brought smiles to everyone's faces today, and I also hope it gives somebody direction if they happen to have a incorrect radiator lying around and want to save a few bucks!
1984 F-150 "Brownie" 4.9, Granny 4speed, 4wd, Flareside
Locked
