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Swapped a radiator in a parking lot after my 2001 Civic overheated on I-5

I was driving back from Portland when the temp gauge pegged at the top near milepost 52. Pulled into a rest stop and saw coolant spraying from a crack in the plastic tank. Grabbed a used radiator from a guy on Craigslist for $40 and swapped it right there with just a socket set and a screwdriver. Took about 2 hours and a lot of cursing but it got me home. Anyone else done emergency repairs in weird spots like that?
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2 Comments
leoyoung
leoyoung2d ago
Nothing says fun like a roadside radiator swap on a Sunday.
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alice_wilson73
Nothing says fun" is exactly right, if by fun you mean lying on gravel with a wrench slipping off a bolt while a semi blows past you at 75. I did a water pump swap on a 2003 Civic once, and my knuckles still hurt when it rains. Hope you at least brought a 6-pack of something cold for the "fun" part.
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