Rokas

I bought a slightly crashed car.

One of the problems is that it needed a new radiator.

Now, you should know this car was in some sort of low speed accident and sustained damage to the front. What's weird is the way it got hit - almost like a log hit that one area and dented everything along with pushing stuff back. Mainly, the radiator and condenser along with the metal radiator support. Pics below. It scraped the bumper, dented the hood, took out the glass of one light, and the aforementioned.

Well, I took the radiator out to replace it and the condenser popped in its place. There's no longer room to put a new radiator. Now, what are my options?

Mechanic said don't take it out. He says it has sensors that will make the car run like **** if at all. Okay, well damn.

It looks to me like its broken anyway, and the car runs fine (with a radiator), so before I can get that replaced, how bad of an idea is it to bent the thing back?

Me and my wife need this car ASAP, even if I have to do something ghetto for now.

Any ideas?

I ordered the support too (the big metal bar at the front of the car that's all bent). Maybe when I get that in, things will open up? This is pretty frustrating considering I thought I was simply gonna replace the radiator.

Rokas

Pictures.
How the radiator got damaged originally was being pushed into the fan AT THE TIME OF IMPACT and it had moved back significantly, meaning it wasn't touching the fan any longer. And now this condenser.

First of all, is changing the condenser hard? I can work with fluids. Pressurized gasses, not so much.

If it's easy, I can do that. But again that takes time - mainly to receive the part - that I don't really have. If I have to, I have to, but I'm hoping for an alternative.

dicer

Your choices are to replace the bent metal and restore to factory dimensions like a body shop supposedly would do. Or use another vehicle to pull the bent metal back to shape as best as possible.
If you want the parts, radiator condenser and such to fit and the hood latch to work you need it all in the proper place. Pretty simple stuff to figure out.
You may want to c clamp a 2 x 4 or what ever and pull lightly and use the board to help bend it in the proper shape as its pulled. I'd just use a chain and a cheap comealong to do the pulling.
You need the radiator out of the way to do the work on the bent metal.

Rokas

Thanks for the advice.

I basically did what you said. First, I molded the support as best as I could to be as close to original dimensions as possible. Moved a couple small things out of the way and was able to use a crowbar positioned into the metal holes at the bottom, on which the radiator sits, for levarage to push the condenser back.

Long story short, it was still less space than before. That means no fan shroud for now. And I fabricated a support so the radiator doesn't hit the fan. It's pretty ghetto but my car is running.

dicer

Looks okay, maybe a bit more fooling with it. Does the hood close?

Rokas

It would if it wasn't bent. Like I said, the car was in a small accident and it bent up the hood and also the latch is a little out of place. But if you're asking if the hood would close if it was perfect - yes. The radiator or anything wouldn't block it.

It's been fine. And I just dropped my baby off at the mechanic to replace the power steering pump. All in all, with parts and all costs included, I got this car for $800 (300 + 500 in parts/labor). When I get the hood right, I'll be at 1000 - still at least 500 less than buying it running and for 1.5k, it would probably be a beater.

Thanks for looking, dicer, and for the reassurance. I'm a very anxious person by nature. I was SO careful with this thing - even ghettoing aluminum foil to stop PS fluid dripping onto the alternator before I got it to the shop.

Now that it's there, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. When I pick it up, that drive will be so enjoyable.

To most of you, this is NOTHING. However this is the first car I bought, worked on, and fixed by myself.

I se

dicer

You probably could have done the power steer pump yourself, it isn't too involved, and not real easy either, just takes some time.

Rokas

Thanks I appreciate that you said that. Yeah, I felt like I could have done it but there was no room for error. My wife's car broke down and we needed one ASAP so that's why I paid someone.

What does it involve? I'm sure there's a hose or two for the fluid, bolts, and you have to get it off the belt. Besides small details, is there anything else to it?

Dicer, you've been a good help. Can you look at my post about dash cluster not illuminating?

dicer

Disconnect battery first. Use a battery bulb (cheap tool) to suck out as much fluid as possible. Then I remove alternator, and of course the drive belt comes of first. Have to take out things like bolts holding the hose clamps, and of course the hoses come off the pump too. The pulley is removed from the pump to gain access to all the bolts, its pretty simple. That's about it. Then reinstall the new one.
You may be able to do it with out removing alternator, I just think its easier to get to bolts and high pressure line bolt.