I own a 1997 Volvo 850 (non turbo) sedan. I've noticed a leak recently, and confirmed a crack in the radiator today. I found this radiator Volvo Radiator 8603769 - Nissens 65535A - Free Shipping for a lot cheaper than this Your Shopping Cart | 0 items radiator. I was hoping if anyone could give me some advise of which way to go with purchasing a new one and if they recommend a certain brand or even a place that I should buy it. Lastly, is this a challenging job to replace it myself? Should I have it done professionally? Thank you for any information.

 

Your comparing a Volvo OEM with an after market part - Nissen is fairly well regarded _ I put one in my 850T about 3 years ago no issues. Also add FCPEURO.COM to your bookmarks. their web site has good info and you can even call for fitment questions and tips.

For the how to, check out RSPI's vid:


If you have the time and the tools, its fairly straight forward but as with 15-20 year old cars, some of the related hardware may need to be replaced - screws, clamps etc - consider doing the upper and lower hoses so plan ahead. Also you will want to use car appropriate anti-freeze such as Pentosin...

 

Check your local salvage yard, you never know what you'll find in there. I needed an Ignition coil for mine, found (what looked like) a brand new one along with cap, rotor, and plug wires. $30 for all.

 

personally, I'd avoid used radiators from a yard unless you need an emergency fix. An after-market Behr or Nissen can be had from FCPEURO.COM or EUROPARTS.COM for $130... Most yards will want $100 for a used! Same reason I would not recommend going to a radiator repair shop... At the end of the day, you either get a new part that's good for 10+ years or another used part that can go bad at any time...

 

Right, $130 is like 3 or 4 tanks of gas. Just get a new one.

 

I did my radiator a month ago and it was a pain in the ***! I had a broken mount. Upon attempting to remove the old one the "nut" that welded to the from broke from the weld. I ended up literally breaking the mouth to get the radiator out of the was and using grips to get the bolt out. I used regular nuts and bolts with washers so I hope it'll be easier next time its done. What should have been about a 2 hour job turned into a 6 hour job.

 

definately avoid used radiators. All the effort of the install can be redone in a matter of a year. In terms of parts, check out your make/model for any nuances (tabs/fittings). You can use a quality aftermarket like Nissan or shop factory parts (see tascaparts.com for the best OEM prices. I've done the Nissan replacement from FCP Euro in my 850T and its been good for about 8-10 years now with no install issues.