Re: Coolant all over the road

["Eric H." <ejham@domain.elided>]

The replacement of a radiator is not hard. On a Milano, as I recall,
its just a couple bolts, disconnect the hoses and away she goes.
You'll need a metric socket set and a flathead screwdriver.

I'd STRONGLY recommend replacing the radiator hoses while you're into
things that far. And you might want to add some new hose clamps while
you're at it. These items should add only few more $$$ to the
procedure.

Filling the system is not hard -- although my way may not be the
'official' way. As you're assembling things, don't attach the upper
hose to the thermostat housing but connect everything else. Fill the
system using a funnel placed in the loose end of the upper hose. It's
best to run the car during the last part of the fill but not long
enough for it to warm up! After the system is full, connect the hose
and fill the overflow tank.

Check the tank level regularly for the next few days, filling as
needed.

In my experience, Alfas are very tolerant of low coolant levels,
although they don't do well when only steam is present in the system.
They hate low oil levels as they derive a significant portion of their
cooling from the oil flow.

Good luck!

- - Eric H., Clearwater, FL
1983 GTV6 -- Felicite -- who got a 'new' starter today and is very
proud
former 1988 Milano Platinum owner

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