Hello brave and fearless video fans (and happy tax day).

How many of you have looked under an engine hood and swallowed hard at the tangled mess before you?  I am going to assume for the sake of argument that it is most of you.  If you dream of doing your own car restoration, car repair, or you just want to do your own car care, this video will help you to breathe easier.  This video makes the initial peek under-the-hood  manageable and it does so in a way that is so simple I should have thought of it myself!

The main objective of this particular video is a do it yourself remove radiator session, which will include radiator draining to get the auto car radiator fluid out so you can remove the empty radiator and get to the engine.  (And following the video’s simple directions will help you when it is time to install radiator again later.)

The video demonstrates some of pre-work that needs to be done before pulling the radiator out in order to work on the engine.  The radiator, and lots of its neighbors and buddies, need to get out of the way before you do the engine work.  First, we see how to start draining the radiator and while that is taking place, we are advised to get out the car’s repair manual – that thing in the glove compartment that I have long had a lack of appreciation for.

We are warned that the engine schematic is NOT likely to match the actual “real world mess” under the hood, but we are told that all we need to do is to find one hose, wire or piece at a time.  Disconnect it, and label it clearly with a piece of tape, noting what it is, where it is in the repair manual drawing  and what it has been disconnected from.  Other great suggestions?  Video tape as you go along for when you need to reassemble.  Take photos for the same reason.

– Best of luck, Susie

Hello again, auto repair lovers and those of you who are just plain curious about what’s under the hood.  If you need a pat on the back before you begin a do it yourself radiator replacement project, this video is a great place to start.  You won’t learn anything to help you with the actual task, but it can help to psych you up as you get ready to tackle the job.

The gentleman in this video – Chris – is about to pull out an old radiator and put a new one into his 1998 Honda Civic.  For someone who doesn’t know what he is doing, he has a lot more confidence than I would have.  I have no idea where his cavalier attitude comes from because he freely admits that he isn’t a mechanic and that he is going to rely on his auto repair book to guide him through the process.  This is certainly not the way I would go about it for the first time, but I have to admire his enthusiasm.  I were being filmed for this radiator video about an installation, I’d want someone by my side to point here and there and give me some direction.   Faced with a leaky radiator under his hood and a new Honda Civic Radiator replacement by his side, Chris experiences none of my qualms as he prepares to launch forth following the install radiator chapter, which I hope comes equipped with a few good photos.

I can only wish Chris the best of luck.  I think I’d rather learn live from a friend – or anyone else willing to guide me through removing a leaky and on-its-way-out radiator, let alone installing a new radiator.  But as I said in the beginning, the attitude that Chris has might be contagious so check this out before you get started – particularly if you are a radiator novice.

- Susie