Has anyone removed the cooling stack?

[thoner7]

I need to replace the fan clutch on my truck. This is a REV model with the extended snout and geared fan drive, so it is different than most.

I need to remove the radiator to get to the fan clutch., and I need to remove the Oil cooler to get to the radiator. The Oil cooler does engine Oil, transmission, and power steering . So after removing it, I then need to refill engine oil (no biggie) and transmission oil and power steering oil, then bleed the power steering system. The workload seems to snowball.

I'm wondering if anyone has unbolted the oil cooler from the Radiator and slid the radiator out, without disconnecting the oil cooler. I'm hoping that there's enough slack in the oil lines that I could suspend the cooler from the rafters of my garage.

PS - whats everyones go to engine oil in these things.

 

[Mainsail]

I pulled mine to get the radiator out to take it to a radiator guy for repair. It's a lot of work, but not too bad. I did it by myself.

If you do end up pulling the stack, stop at Harbor Freight and pick up some of these.

 

[Bulldogger]

Agree on using vacuum line caps, or whatever your local source calls them.
In my HMMWV there is ZERO slack in the lines to the cooling stack. Sorry, but yours is probably the same. Standard drain and removal. It's messy, and bleeding the air in the steering and fan after refilling was a pain, but it's straightforward at least.
BDGR

 

[thoner7]

Agree on using vacuum line caps, or whatever your local source calls them.
In my HMMWV there is ZERO slack in the lines to the cooling stack. Sorry, but yours is probably the same. Standard drain and removal. It's messy, and bleeding the air in the steering and fan after refilling was a pain, but it's straightforward at least.
BDGR

Did you completely drain all the oils?

 

[Mainsail]

Did you completely drain all the oils?

I did not. I capped the hard-lines and the hoses as soon as they were disconnected. Topped up the fluids after.

 

[Mainsail]

When you're solo, the engine hoist helps with getting the hood off safely, as well as pulling the rad out once it's loose.

I did not pull the big fiberglass tub, just unscrewed the rad from it and left it in place. I think the manual wants you to pull the tub and rad as one unit.



I should have pulled the snout:

 

[Bulldogger]

Did you completely drain all the oils?

As best able, yes. I was replacing the transmission/oil cooler as part of the task, so I just drained everything. I would have liked if I could have kept the steering cooler and lines filled, but it managed to leak.
BDGR

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

Ok, so for everyones knowledge moving on, the ECV/REV have the ability to clean under the 2 radiator stacks, there is a kick stand at the top and the bottom is hinged on brackets, the factory hoses on all sides have ample extra hose and fitting to move the top cooler, the radiator is suspended over the top of the geared fan drive and blade. You can replace the blade and viscous clutch without pulling everything, but franky, it’s slow going and I probably wouldn’t recommend for the novice, it’s much faster to just pull the hood “5mins” and have the room needed to perform your work.
the splash shields have to come off obviously as well, the “snout” unbolted and swung away, it’s not hard, also…replace the upper and lower radiator hoses while you are in there.

 

[thoner7]

Ok, so for everyones knowledge moving on, the ECV/REV have the ability to clean under the 2 radiator stacks, there is a kick stand at the top and the bottom is hinged on brackets, the factory hoses on all sides have ample extra hose and fitting to move the top cooler, the radiator is suspended over the top of the geared fan drive and blade. You can replace the blade and viscous clutch without pulling everything, but franky, it’s slow going and I probably wouldn’t recommend for the novice, it’s much faster to just pull the hood “5mins” and have the room needed to perform your work.
the splash shields have to come off obviously as well, the “snout” unbolted and swung away, it’s not hard, also…replace the upper and lower radiator hoses while you are in there.

I was planning to remove the hood, but can I just hinge the oil cooler out of the way?

I’m also curious how you’d do it without removing anything? From underneath maybe?

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

I was planning to remove the hood, but can I just hinge the oil cooler out of the way?

I’m also curious how you’d do it without removing anything? From underneath maybe?

like I said…its not necessarily for the novice mechanic, the TM has the radiator removal process.

 

[thoner7]

Well I got the radiator out and the fan clutch swapped. I’m really hoping that takes care of my issues.

It didn’t come apart or go together like the TM showed. The tm shows the fan clutch bolting on from the top down, but it actually bolts from the bottom up.

After doing it, I’m fairly confident I could have replaced the fan clutch without pulling the radiator. if you remove the top passenger side corner of the radiator shroud, I think that would be enough clearance to reach in and access the necessary bolts. You can see most of them from under the truck as well.