COOLING
Radiator
The wide finned heat exchanger at the front that cools the engine's coolant.
Identification & Position
- Part name
- Radiator
- System
- Cooling System
- Location
- Front of the engine bay, behind the grille, in the radiator support.
- What it does
- Passes hot coolant through thin tubes so air flowing across the fins carries the heat away.
- What it connects to
- • Upper radiator hose
- • Lower radiator hose
- • Transmission cooler lines where fitted
- • Coolant reservoir / overflow
- • Fan shroud
- • Radiator support brackets
- What is above it
- Upper radiator support and hood latch area.
- What is below it
- Lower support and air deflector.
- What is in front of it
- A/C condenser, grille and bumper.
- What is behind it
- Cooling fan and fan shroud, then the engine.
- Must be removed to access it
- • Coolant drained
- • Upper and lower hoses
- • Fan shroud
- • Transmission cooler lines where fitted
- • Radiator brackets
Show me how to take this apart
Dependency path — the order things must come off
Reveals the order of everything that has to be disconnected or removed to reach this part.
Symptoms & Testing
- Common failure symptoms
- • Overheating
- • Coolant on the ground at the front
- • Bent or clogged fins
- • Steam from the front of the truck
- How to test it
- 1. Pressure test the cooling system cold.
- 2. Look for stains and crust at seams and tanks.
- 3. Check for airflow blockage between the condenser and radiator.
Symptoms narrow the list of possibilities. They never confirm a diagnosis on their own — test before replacing anything.
Part Numbers
Enter the Ford part number for your exact configuration.
Enter the aftermarket cross-reference you intend to use.
Part numbers vary by engine, drive type and build date. Nothing is guessed here — enter yours from a verified source on the admin page so it stays with this component.
Difficulty & Time
Safety Warnings
- Never open a hot cooling system. Pressurised coolant causes serious burns.
- Coolant is toxic to people and animals. Contain and dispose of it properly.
Tools Needed
- Socket set (metric and imperial)Almost every fastener on the truck
- Pliers setClips, clamps and retainers
- Drain pansCatching oil, coolant and fluids
- Cooling system pressure testerFinding coolant leaks without running the engine
- ScrewdriversClamps, clips and covers
Orientation
Where to look for it
- Side
- Centre
- Front / rear
- Very front of the engine bay
- Above / below
- Full height of the front support
Related Parts
Real photos online
Opens photos of "Radiator" on other sites
- Google ImagesWidest mix of real owner and shop photos.
- Bing ImagesOften turns up different photos than Google.
- Owner forumsPhotos with the story of the repair attached.
- Parts catalogue photosClean studio shots of the part on its own.
- Video walkthroughsSee it in place while someone works on it.
These open other people's websites in a new tab. Photos there belong to whoever took them, so they are shown on their own site rather than copied into this app — and they may be a different year, engine or trim, so always compare against your own truck.