Removing radiators for rebuilding... This job sucks too!!!

[RickB]

Hi all,

I am trying to get the radiators out of 1981 MCI9 and the mounting bolts on the bottom of the radiator are spinning the nuts. Is there anything I can do besides cutting them off? I certainly can't see any obvious way to get a wrench on the blower box side of the bolts. They are hidden within the rubber mounts. Any ideas??

Also, anybody know why I keep picking the suckiest jobs to do myself on this bus??? Glutton for punishment I guess.

Between the squirrel cage/ blower gearbox and this job I'm about ready to take a hostage.

[Sammy]

Cut 'em off, order new bushings and bolts.

[grantgoold]

Cut and save yourself the anger! Replace with stainless and you will never worry again. $5.00 worth of bolts and nuts is simply not worth the frustration. A good friend of mine who is a mechanic at a large manufacturing facility taught me the valuable lesson of "site clear" anything that can easily be replaced!

Have fun tomorrow!

Grant

[NJT5047]

Cut those bolts off and move on. 
About those hostages?  Have you looked at the Fox News babes? 
About any of them would make a great hostage.  Even the fat ones are mega-babes!   Your wife may have a problem with them...what the hey?
Are you replacing the seals around the radiators...or do you plan to service the rads?
I'd have those things checked while they are out.   That'll be one (two?) less item to worry about later. 
You may wish to consider silicone hoses and new constant-tension clamps while you're doing the work.  At least it'll easily come off for repairs. 
Good luck, JR

[buswarrior]

I can't remember exactly what I did, but I tore it all out and re-used/fabricated something out of stuff on hand to put the new to me rads back in there. Got pictures of the open cavities, not of what got me to that point...isn't that always the way?

Cut those fasteners off and get the job done.

And then I used spray foam all the way around to seal it up for the fan.

Call me a heretic, but there's no air going around the sides of my radiators!

It'll dig out when I need to remove them next time.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Rick,

Like everyone else said... Cut them off and get new ones..

Wait until you get to the top spring straps!

Good Luck Man
Nick-

[RickB]

Nick, I did get the top bolts of but I am probably gonna need hernia surgery in the next week. I had a three foot extension on my ratchet and it was still really hard to get them out.

Question, when you guys say cut them out the only tool I have to do this with is a grinder with a cutoff wheel, I don't have a torch so will my grinder work??? Also where do I get new rubber bushings? I figure I can make something out of snowmobile motor mounts or something else if they are no longer available.

As to the person who asked whether or not I have any air leakage around the radiator. Suffice it to say that I found a family of 12 squatting in the spaces around my radiators and the leaks around my back door seal were not much smaller.The PO obviously didn't get the whole negative pressure concept. Thanks to Brian Diehl for the diagnosis there. I say thanks now, but last night I was thinking all kinds of not so nice things about Brian as I worked my tail off. (Just kidding Brian). The first radiator I am pulling actually looks fine but seeing how the other one is leaking and they have a great radiator guy at Central Diesel in East Bethel I am pulling them both and having them gone through.

Thanks for all the sound advice (stainless nuts and bolts, silicone hose, etc..) I will definitely heed your advice.

Spring is a 'comin kids....

Rick

[belfert]

At least MCI has two radiators instead of one giant one like a Dina.  The radiator weighs at least 150 lbs and is almost impossible to remove and replace with the engine in place.

I would recommend Borgen Radiator in Minneapolis for radiator repair.  Borgen will even pick up and deliver if you don't have a vehicle big enough.  That is where I had mine worked on.  It originally went in for cleaning, but they found lots of pinholes plugged with stop leak.  I bit the bullet and had the core replaced.  My cooling is great now.

On edit: I forgot to mention that Borgen seems to mostly do larger radiators like in our buses.  I don't recall seeing many small radiators there.

[grantgoold]

I saw almost a 10 degree difference once I rehabed all the seals around the radiators. I went to an industrial rubber outfit, showed them what came originally around the squire cage and radiators. They "upgraded" me with better stuff. Came back, replaced everything, including stainless bolts, and then painted the surrounding metal with POR-15. Looks and works great! Before I did the upgrade I could put a piece of paper on the exterior screen and there was little suction. Today, it trys to pull the paper through at about 8 inches away. I am thinking about fabricating some air scoops to finish the job.

Good luck!

Grant

[luvrbus]

Rick, I would forget about silicone hoses and go with Gates green stripe with silicone hoses you will have cold water leaks even when using the expensive torque clamps.I paid as much as 10 bucks for each clamp and never could stop the cold leaks and antifreeze costing 16 bucks a gallon now I didn't want any leaks and green stripe solved that for me.Jim Shepard on this board worked for Gates may be he could give us some advice on hoses.   good luck

[Old4103]

Clifford,

I have had good luck stopping those cold water leaks when using silicone hose by cleaning all the old crud off the metal and putting a bead of gorilla snot on it.
It seems to work about 95% of the time, and if I ever need to remove the hose I don't have to fight it to get it off.

Just my way.

Dallas

Rick, I would forget about silicone hoses and go with Gates green stripe with silicone hoses you will have cold water leaks even when using the expensive torque clamps.I paid as much as 10 bucks for each clamp and never could stop the cold leaks and antifreeze costing 16 bucks a gallon now I didn't want any leaks and green stripe solved that for me.Jim Shepard on this board worked for Gates may be he could give us some advice on hoses.   good luck

[luvrbus]

never tried the snot Dallas but have paint and wire brush one other thing I didn't like if follow the manufacturers guide line they need 3/8 to 1/2 in above the clamp then that part flares out over of time and looks bad.I will try the snot( is that the 3M yellow stuff) on my pickup it is leaking now thanks       good luck

[Old4103]

Yup, it's the 3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive, Yellow.

Dallas

[RickB]

Well I got one out... too bad it's gonna snow like the dickens tomorrow or I might have been able to get the other one done tomorrow. Wifey helped but it was still heavy.

As far as the silicone hose comments, if the whole point of doing this is to keep it from sticking together why would I put an adhesive on it? I'm sure I must be missing something here.

This is gonna be a bear when it comes time to reassemble all this. Lot's of fabrication, expanding foam, etc...

one more question: Does the intake for the engine always come out right next to the drivers side radiator? Seems like the air intake system and the cooling system are competing for air.. What say you folks???

Thanks from the dude with alot of grease under his fingernails...

[buswarrior]

Hello.

Fred Hobe has pictures of cutting a hole in the siding directly above the air cleaner to stop the fight.

The harder the engine has to breathe, the hotter it will run.

I've got mine cutout, still have to make it pretty.

happy coaching!
buswarrior