The Chevy Cavalier hit the showroom floors for the first time in 1982. The last year for the Cavalier was in 2004; in 2005 by the Cobalt replaced it. Replacing the radiator in the 2000 Chevy Cavalier is not a difficult process, and you can save considerable money by doing it yourself. Just remember to dispose of the antifreeze responsibly at your local auto parts store. There are two types of radiators, one for an automatic, which has transmission cooler lines, and one for a standard transmission, which doesn't. Make sure to specify which radiator you need.
Instructions
- 1
Open the hood. Remove the plastic radiator support cover by prying the plastic trim fasteners up with a screwdriver and pulling them out with the needle-nose pliers. Detach the fan from the radiator. There are two plastic clips on the top and one on the bottom right as you are facing the radiator. There is one 10 mm bolt on the lower left that you must remove with a socket. Lift the fan shroud up to detach the top clips and place it away from the radiator, close to the engine.
2Remove the two 10 mm bolts in the top rear of the radiator support that has the radiator support clamps. There is one on each side of the radiator. Remove these with the socket and pull the support clamps out from under the support.
3Remove the single 10 mm bolt securing the air conditioning condenser to the radiator, using a socket. Place the drain pan under the drain plug. Open the drain and remove the radiator cap to hasten the draining process.
4Remove the lower and upper radiator hoses using the pliers to squeeze the clamps to loosen them while you pull the hoses off. Remove the two transmission cooler lines by turning the line nuts counterclockwise with the line wrench.
5Tip the top of the radiator toward the engine enough to clear the radiator support and lift the radiator out of the car. Look for the two rubber feet on the bottom of the radiator. They may or may not stay in place on the car's support shroud. If they are still in place on the frame leave them there. If they came off and are stuck to the bottom of the radiator, peel them off the old radiator and place them on the new radiator before installing it.
6Install the new radiator with the rubber feet into position and place the support brackets over the top sides of the radiator. Move the top of the radiator back under the support and align the holes in the support and the support brackets and install and tighten the two bolts.
7Align the hole in the condenser bracket with that on the radiator and install and tighten the single bolt. Install both transmission cooler lines and turn the nuts clockwise to tighten them with the line wrench. Install the lower radiator hose.
8Lift the fan up and hook its top clips in the top of the radiator. Lower the clips in place and install the single 10 mm bolt in the bottom left of the fan shroud. Tighten it with a socket. Install the upper radiator hose.
9Install the top plastic cover over the radiator and support shroud. Push the plastic trim fasteners into their holes to secure them. Pour the gallon of antifreeze into the radiator and fill it the rest of the way with water. The system holds less than two gallons of coolant, so the mixture will be close enough to a 50/50 mixture of water to antifreeze. Actually it will be closer to 60 percent antifreeze, which is fine.
10Start the engine and allow it to run until it has reached normal operating temperature. Watch for the coolant level in the radiator to drop, indicating that the thermostat has opened. This will eliminate the air in the system. Fill the radiator the remainder of the way with water and replace the radiator cap. Check for leaks.
