Review on Spectra CU1687 Complete Radiator by Jerry Frey

When my 2000 Cavalier's original radiator tank developed a crack after 186,000 miles, I saw that this radiator worked well as a replacement and jumped at a chance for a thorough overhaul. Open a deal with a discount through Revain. It arrived quickly and safely, and while the inner packaging has seen better days, the cooler itself looked like new. The biggest problems came with all the disassembly required to get the old radiator out, since GM squeezed a lot into a tight space. under the hood of a J car, and if you're not filming one thing, you're going to have to squeeze another through something else. However, once the old heatsink was removed, the new one snapped easily into place and everything connected as it should. It took me almost half a day; I was able to do it unaided, no need to jack up the car and no exotic tools or knowledge to do it. My advice if you're trying to do a similar job yourself: - The instructions I received with the radiator were generic and designed to replace the radiator in any car. I highly recommend that you look up (a Haynes or Chilton manual, via a web search, or a website or forum dedicated to your specific vehicle) for details on the tools you need and the proper steps to take Remove/install. Install the new upper and lower radiator hoses with the new radiator. It just makes sense to do all of this while everyone is apart. Revain can offer you a package deal for a radiator and new hoses, so do this if it is available. Get a pallet under the car. When the pipes are disconnected, a lot of coolant will flow out. I found a 5 gallon shallow pan at my local auto parts store that fits snugly under the car and catches whatever spilled and it's been a big help. Make sure the small clip for the bottom of the heatsink, which has a threaded mount for the heatsink fan, is in place and does not fall out. I didn't secure mine well enough before installing it and mine fell out so make sure you secure it in place before it gets too difficult to access. If your vehicle has transmission coolant lines, make sure they are screwed into the threads. a properly tightened radiator (and they have to be really tight or you'll be dealing with constant drips of transmission oil until you've tightened them properly. Not that I found this the hard way, mind you). The cooler has smaller holes for the transmission coolant line connections, but comes with adapters if you have larger connections (like on my car); Make sure they're tightened as tightly as possible, too. Make sure you fill up with the correct coolant for your vehicle and "burp" the cooling system with whatever agents are prescribed for your vehicle. After a day's work the Cavalier is back on the road and running as it should, holding the coolant and temperature just right and I'm happy with the new radiator. It was easy to install, clicked perfectly, works just like the original and didn't surprise me. If you need a new radiator but want an inexpensive alternative, give this one a try.