Radiator & CAC Replace

[Diplomat Don]

I thought this info may be helpfull for someone who needs a radiator or charge air cooler (CAC) repair. (Rear Radiator)

I discovered a leak in the upper rear corner of my radiator (driver's side) last summer while we were on a trip. Apparently, this is a problem area for some of the the older Monacos. I searched for a new radiator when I got home and asked for help here. As usual, "Rex", who seems to be able to find anything, found a whole new assembly on EBAY. A guy in Indianna bought about 20 of these assemblies when Monaco closed back east. It included the entire radiator and charge air cooler frame, shroud, charge air cooler, radiator and trans cooler. It came as an assembled unit on a pallet. It was $675.00 delivered. I had shopped around and the best I could find for a custom built radiator was almost $3000.00.

I finally got the energy up to tackle the job yesterday. I got some help from "Gordon 66". He had just installed his new engine fan and gave me some info on how he got his CAC out.

DISASSEMBLY - I removed the rear mudflap and the engine screen under the coach. I then took off the center section of the rear bumper (6 screws and 2 bolt/nuts).



Once the bumper section was out, I removed three white trim panels. One on each side and one on the top the radiator opening.



There are two 4" wide metal straps on each side of the radiator. Pretty much everything bolts into these straps.



The straps were the most timely to remove. Once they were out I disconnected the CAC hoses and loosened three bolts on top of the CAC that holds the shroud to the CAC. The CAC now has to be slipped out by moving one end down and then outward.

I removed the radiator hoses and then the radiator. Once the radiator was out, I removed the shroud (the largest of all the items). For ease, I also removed the fan blade so that I could easily change the fan belt and radiator hoses.



The above photo gives you a good view of the belt tensioner in the lower left corner of the photo. A 1/2" drive rachet or breaker bar is all that's needed to remove the belt. The 1/2" drive fits in an opening on the tensioner and lets you take the pressure off. I've been carrying a new belt for years as a spare and pulled it out to replace the belt. Lot of good it did, it was the wrong belt. I lucked out and Napa had one in stock ($59.00). I had already ordered 2"ID silicone hoses on line. I ordered three generic 90 degree turns with 12" legs and one piece of straight hose 24". This worked out as replacements for the stock hoses.

Here's what I found out. Once disassembled (5 hours by myself) I found that my original set up positioned the radiator into the metal frame by just letting it lay on top of the metal framing. A piece of foam rubber was placed on top of that and then the CAC was layed on top of the foam rubber.

On the new assembly, they installed rubber cups on the lower and upper frame of the radiator support to hold the radiator in place.....a much better system. The only concern I had was that the radiator was going to sit about a 1/2" higher with the rubber cups. I checked all of the measurements and found that the frame work on my 2005 radiator assembly and the 2009 assembly were identical, except for the rubber cups. They made up the difference by making the radiator a 1/2" shorter. Basically, Monaco has not changed that radiator and CAC assembly in about 6-7 years if not longer.

This new support for the radiator should keep it from shaking/cracking the joints.

After repalcing the hoses and belts, my brother-in-law stopped by to help with assembly, especially lifting the CAC back in. It took us 8 hours to put everything back together.

This job was not difficult, it just had a ton of things to disassemble. I found it faster to pull the shroud and fan for the purposes of changing a couple of hoses and belts.

Hope this helps someone who may need to do something similar.

Here is the link to all of the photos http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showga...00&ppuser=4015 In one of the photos you can see that in both lower corners of the radiator it's clogged with debris. Each year I crawl into my bedroom closet opening and use long pickups to clear the debris in the shroud and then rinse the radiator. The shroud design causes junk to build in these corners where you can't see it. Next year I'll know to use a wire hangar size rod to fish down in those corners.

[Gordon66]

Good job Don. Good detail and description.

[Yaj]

Thanks Don!
I'll be doing the same thing in the next month or so. I still want to get a water pump and theromostat to but in while I have everything apart. The pictures give me a good idea as to what I have to do.

[walt2137]

As usual good write up with pictures and think of the cash you saved with the E bay purchase and labor, you owe your self a big steak dinner.

[MonacoMama]

Walt...I guarantee you- Diplomat Don WILL get that steak dinner!
Great right up as usual, Don...but you know I will again complain about these teeny tiny pictures that us "Old Folks" cannot see!

[Diplomat Don]

The first photo started out big and then shrunk . Sooooo....I provided the link to all of the pictures .

[LeeB]

Don- I have to ask are you keeping a file of your projects? I don't need to change mine out right now but who knows I may someday....

Lee

Awesome Post BTW

[hardy1000]

Thanks Don, great write up.

[Barlow46]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeB Don- I have to ask are you keeping a file of your projects? I don't need to change mine out right now but who knows I may someday.... Lee Awesome Post BTW

Lee,
I am probably using the "dinosaur" method in saving information that I think I might need in the future. Here is my method. First I highlight the material (post) and using the "edit" menu, I "copy". Next I open my email program and create a new message. I send the email to myself and make sure I use "Monaco" in the subject title. I do this as I have created a "smart mailbox" in my email program and the mailbox is titled "Monaco Coach". Anything that I send to myself with "Monaco" in the title automatically goes to this "smart" mailbox. After I put in the title, I go to the message body and "paste" what I have copied from the original material that I want to save. Everything shows up in my newly created mail message including pics. I then hit "send". The mail immediately shows up in my mailbox and it also shows up in my "smart mailbox". When I open the mail, everything is there including pics and links. So, when I want to refer to "radiator", I look in my smart mailbox and see that I titled the mail "Monaco Radiator". There are probably more sophisticated ways to do this but it works quickly for me and it also comes to my Iphone for reference when on the road.