hello all

I am in the middle of a radiator replacement...It will be about another 2 weeks before the install...I have a real good look at everything up front right now....especially the cooler lines...is there any tell-tell sign to look for on the cooler lines for possible replacement...the water pump is ok...less than 2 yrs old, no leaks...I already inspected and replaced all other coolant hoses except for the lower hose which will be replaced and the dreaded hose under the supercharger..still deciding on that one...anything else I can check out while the front is wide open?....chime in please...no matter what it is.....thanks in advance

 

look for bulges and rub marks for any thin spots . bulges tend to appear at the or near the hose clamps .
also there is a swivel joint in the trans cooler just adjacent to the lower radiator hose coupling at the radiator end .. common to leak so check that .
it would be wise to replace the DCCV Valve . common to fail and take out the circuitry in the R-CCM , remote or climate control module .
and a good time to change both serpentine belts and idler pulley bearings .

one note . you will have to bend the alloy A/C pipe beside the radiator bottom hose outlet out of the way
to remove the radiator , if you don't want to degas the system .
and then bend it back again when re-fitted .
it only takes a little tweak . but be gentle .

 

I'd suggest 2 things:

1. Flushing out the heater core.
- Start by flowing water backwards through it to dislodge sediment.
- Then forward until it flows clear water. (be careful not to spray hard. Be gentle with the water pressure and flow rate)

2. I'd also clean the AC condenser.
- Straighten any fins that are completely smashed and blocking airflow. They don't have to be perfect. Just get an air gap between all fins as best you can
- Gently wet the fins with a hose. Re-wet 5 mins later. This is to soften debris (bugs)
- Spray the fins from the engine side with a hose with only moderate pressure. Just enough to dislodge debris
- Make a solution of water and dawn dish soap and spray down the fins thoroughly .From both sides as best you can. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Rinse all soap and melted debris off of fins.
*** there are special cleaners for this but I just use water and dawn dish soap. Its far cheaper and doesn't hurt the rad fins or piping***

 

update

thanks to all those that replied...I took everyones advice and checked accordingly...all trans lines looked great..no swelling or drips even...replaced bottom rad hose just because...the rest looked and felt good...plus I already changed a few...the dccv valve had been changed by previous owner in dec 2016 ...looked great...flushed heater core and checked ac condensor....only problem I found was the intercooler pump plug was corroded on 2 pins...I cut and spliced them..my pump had been working but not at full capacity I believe..finally I did the trans fluid check and ended up putting a pint of fluid in.....about what I figured..not too hard once I got the car high enough and leveled out...the cooling system has never pressurized so nicely now since I have owned the car...the rad leak was there when purchased...just barely a mister then...and I found my 10mm socket I dropped about a year ago...all in all a very successful repair for 300 dollars radiator and fluids....a few cuts on my hands but oh well the satisfaction of doing the work overrides that...the hardest part I think was fishing the cooling fan out...that is where most cuts came from...thanks to all again