I need to replace the cracked radiator and am really frustrated with one of ATF cooler lines connected to the radiator (the 1st one from the right if you look down to it, standing at the bumper). That line seems to have 2 brackets welded onto it and bolted to bottom side where the radiator fan bottom bolts are (see attached link, item #5).

1998 Honda CIVIC|AT ATF COOLER HOSE

I have verified those 2 brackets indeed attached to the ATF line by having my son tried to pull the radiator up while I tapped at the bracket from underneath & sprayed the bracket with WD40, hoping it's just a dirt issue but it won't budge.

I read everywhere and watched on youtube that how to easily replace the radiator that you just unplug this, unplug that until I ran into this problem. It seems that only way to remove the radiator is to unbolt the 2 bottom bolts attached to the radiator fan from underneath the car which you also have to remove the flash guard first to get access to it and you don't have much room to maneuver there. Is there another "easier" way?

TIA
Lanny

PS: I also have the Civic 98 service manual (page 10-5). Very easy to remove the radiator, the way the manual seems to suggest. No mentioning of the ATF cooler line bolted to the radiator fan.

 

It's a complete nasty surprise to find out such, considered no one on internet ever mentioned of this problem and I am sure I'm not the 1st one with it. So people beware, check from underneath of your car to see if your ATF cooler line has such bracket welded and attached to the radiator fan. If you do have one like mine, it's NOT easy to remove the radiator. F*** the designer of this piece of sh**. He could elect to make the bracket separated from the line and do the same job, but no. He has to prove that he is the stupidest designer.

 

That bracket may not be factory. The non-HX has no such thing there. The fan should not be bolted at all at the bottom. The things that look like bolts are actually drop in slots. Unbolt the top of the fan then pull it up. Remove the fan first then go after the lines.

 

I don't know if it's non-factory or not but here is the picture nonetheless. For this problem, you need to remove the under-guard right side bottom (no need to remove the left side) so you can get access to the 2 bolts at bottom holding the 2 transmission feed lines onto the fan.