In preparation for removal of my radiator fan I am about to remove the bumper beam, that aluminum structure behind the bumper skin. Is there any room for adjustment such that I should make witness marks before I remove it, or is the tolerance in the fasteners sufficiently tight that there is no need to? TIA

 

Nope....just unbolt and go.......some of the bolts are kinda hidden.
Also be sure to have a place to lean/hang the AC condenser....don't disconnect it....just unbolt it....and move it out of the way!

 

Next question - some time ago, in preparation for this undertaking, I purchased those two extension bolts that allow you to move the radiator and a/c condensor forward far enough to remove the radiator fan, but I no longer recall the instructions as to how exactly to do this. In particular, one of the bolts is longer than the other. Can someone point me to the how-to for this? TIA.

 

You can just unbolt the condenser....and swing it off to the side....and let it rest on a box or something by the drivers side....both the lines on the same side....just be sure to support it....I'm not sure how you would use the bolts.....
As for the radiator.....there are 2 pins sorta...you push those out...and release the clips on the bottom of the rad...and you can push it back out of the shroud a bit....

 

He's talking about putting the car in service mode. You need two 8mm bolts approximately 4 inches long.

 

could you explain "service mode"--

 

Yeah....forgot...but to swap out the rad fan...there is no need to go to full service mode.....you can do it by just sliding the rad back a bit...and swapping the fan....thats how I did mine...full service mode is useful for many tasks.....

 

I have the MFE bolts; just not sure how to use them.

 

did you have to remove the rad hoses? still dont know what service mode is--

 

In my recent entanglement into alternator replacement, the radiator hoses can be crimp removed with a pair of slip join pliers. Squeeze and pull towards you.

use the new 4 inch bolts where the 2 inch one came out.... there are 4 nuts and one bolt holding the aluminum subframe on. Take the bolt out and replace it with your new bolt and pull the rest of the 10mm nuts out, then pull the whole lot forward...

dont forget to put a drain pan underneath for the extra coolant, you will definatly need it. I paid $14 for mine at advanced auto parts, but anyone should have one.

Wayne

 

is this Service Mode you speak of just a convenience to move the radiator forward a couple of inches to allow more clearance?

 

the bolts just hold the MFE from bending any remaining hoses