Intro, prep and mandatory nagging

Should be a piece of cake on a normally aspirated car; on a turbo model, it's a royal pain because they attach the oil cooler to the radiator.

If the hoses haven't been changed in forever, you definitely should consider doing it now, while you have access to them.

You have to remove the lower splash panel on the passenger side - no way around it, it's the only way to get to the bolts that hold the oil cooler to the radiator.  Run the front wheels up on ramps or jack and support with stands.  Remove the splash panel (10 mm bolts on my '94).  Maybe the middle one too, but I didn't think it was necessary.

 

Removal

Position a bucket under the lower radiator hose, passenger side, underneath (try to catch the coolant because you're going to have to lie down under the car).  Loosen the clamp (probably more accessible from the top) and remove the hose. Remove the upper hose (driver's side, top) and let the coolant drain.  Remove the itty bitty hose (left side, top).

Remove the fan control switch (pre-95 models).

Remove the 10 mm bolt that secures the radiator to the frame (top center)

Remove the 10 mm bolt that secures the radiator to the inter cooler (right beside the other one).

For this step, I had to bend the lower radiator hose back and stow out of the way - be careful if your hoses are old (inspect while you're at it; if soft or cracked, replace).  I also found it pretty much a necessity to remove the intercooler hose to make some room.  From underneath, loosen the two small bolts that secure the oil cooler to the radiator (7 mm socket on a 3" extension worked for me - 7/32" socket will work too).  No need to remove them, just loosen enough to slide the cooler up.

Remove the 7 mm-headed bolt that secures the oil cooler to the radiator at the top.

Disconnect the two electrical connectors at the fan motor.

Remove the two T25 bolts that secure the boost control solenoid to the fan housing.  The nuts may turn underneath, in which case you'll need to grab them with fingers or pliers.

Pull the oil cooler up as far as possible (it will barely move, thanks to AC hoses).  Slide it off the two mount screws.  Lift the radiator up and tilt it up on the right side.  It tends to hang on the lower left mount, and that damned oil cooler gets in the way.  If you wrestle with it just right, it will come out.

 

Prepping the new radiator

Remove the fan in its housing - two T-25 screws and a 7 mm bolt - then slide the tab out of its capture point.  On my radiator I had to transfer the two Tinnerman nuts and the rubber mount from the old radiator to the new.  The thick part of the mount goes forward.  Press and pry the thinner part in using a screwdriver and brute force.  You'll also have to transfer the two small bolts that secure the bottom of the oil cooler to the radiator - run them all the way down, then back them off about 1/16 of an inch to accept the oil cooler. 

My new radiator also had two extra ports that had threaded nylon caps in them (auto trans oil connection ports, I bet).  I put some blue Loc Tite on them and tightened them down.  Dunno if Loc Tite works on nylon, but it seemed like a reasonable thing to do.

 

Re-installation

Move the oil cooler as far out of the way as possible and install the radiator.  Re-engage the oil cooler and install the top bolt.  I didn't bother tightening the bottom two bolts - the damn cooler will stay put without going through that hassle, but you decide for yourself.  MAN, that whole oil cooler thing really ticked me off.  Can you tell?

Reconnect everything -

Start the engine, look for leaks, check everything.  Let it warm to normal operating temperature, then check the coolant level again.