Q: How do you remove and install a radiator on Ford F-250?
A: Drain the radiator using the draincock at the bottom. Remove lower hose and clamp, upper hose and coolant reservoir tube. If automatic transmission, remove cooler lines carefully. Plug disconnected lines. Remove fan shroud and possibly fan. Remove upper radiator brackets or screws. Lift radiator straight up and remove. Installation is reverse. Handle with care to avoid damage. Check hoses for replacement. Fill with coolant, start engine, check for leaks.
Q: How to repair Aluminum core radiator on Ford F-250?
A: The cross-flow fin-and-tube design radiator in later model F-Series and Bronco vehicles has a vacuum-brazed aluminum core and nylon end tanks. The nylon tanks are molded with mounting brackets and attached to the aluminum core using tabs bent over the tank edge, creating a seal with an O-ring gasket. To replace or fix leaks between the tank and core, a home mechanic can follow these steps: open the tabs without excessive deformation, lift the tank, remove the O-ring gasket, inspect the core's seal surface, check and lubricate the new O-ring, position the tank on the core, clamp it with two clamps, tighten the header clamps to compress the O-ring gasket, squeeze the header tabs against the tank using locking-type pliers, conduct a leak test at 21 psi, and address minor leaks by further squeezing the tabs.