stevej Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 Greetings, I need to preface this by saying I have never been on a forum before and apologize for my lack of knowledge and/or etiquette! I hope I've found the right place. My son rear-ended a taller vehicle with our 99 legacy. Most of the damage is high with the radiator and core support metal being pushed back and broken fans. Belts, etc look good from what can be seen in reduced space. Motor starts and runs fine. With only 92K miles, I would love to fix it, but shop price is over $3,500 so will try on my own. I have looked at several You-tube videos to learn about removing and replacing the radiator once I am able to straighten out the metal supports. They make it look real easy, but NONE show the additional "core" that is in front of the radiator on this car. I have gotten lost in PDF manuals and don't really have more patience or time to waste. Can someone educate me about what this "front" section is and a bit about removing it/replacing it? It looks like aluminum fittings and single bolt connecting the metal tubing to it - larger diameter high on drivers side, smaller diam low on passenger side. I think just knowing what it is would enable me to do some more homework. Grateful for any input, Steve 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 (edited) That is the air conditioning condenser core. You may not open it without discharging the system with appropriate refrigerant recovery equipment. It is against federal law. If the system is already empty you can remove it to do the repairs then have a shop recharge after all leaks are fixed. Warning - the shop may have to replace the condenser core and if they do it will be all the work you are doing over again to remove the radiator to get at it. GD Edited March 27, 2018 by GeneralDisorder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 Thanks very much. This core seems to have fared better than the radiator core and appears to be intact...just don't think I can get things straightened out with it in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 I’ve rebuilt/repaired a lot of wrecked/totaled/salvage subarus. It’s easy. Just pull the front out carefully. Try to pull as much out as-is that you can don’t disassemble it. See how fa you get. Winch, come along, portapower, even jacks turned sideways or rope and a tree can be used if you want to get real ghetto. The core supports and headlight surrounds are flimsy and easiky get bent back to shape. Don’t worry about getting it perfect. You just need to get the body panels to bolt on and line up. The radiator is removed through the engine bay - f “behind” the radiator support, not in front so you shouldn’t have any need t remove the condenser. The condenser for the AC you can probably just leave it. Why do you feel it needs removed? Pulling the headlights is trickier as they want to locally deform rather than across a larger surface area like you usually want. I’m usually using a winch or come along and blocks of wood with towstrap to spread the load. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Post a picture and we can say more specially. Ive had totaled cars drivable in an hour or two before - pull, pull, pull - bolt on a new fender radiator headlights and hood and its drivable. Then get it lined up and fine tuned later. I’ve pulled hoods straight before too. Either to leave it that way on a rusty beater not worth Parts or for temporary use until a reasonable price used color matching one shows up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru Scott Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 This^ I've had a small 2T, Chinese bottle jack for over 30 years now that has straightened out more wrecks than I can count (I don't wreck them, I just buy them that way). That, and some 2x4 blocking will do just about anything. Just keep the pump side of the jack facing down when you're using it sideways, so you don't run out of oil. If you can find, or make a concrete or ground anchor, then use a chain to hold a frame rail down, you can jack up at the bend to straighten, or the opposite side to get rid of twist. A come-along is also invaluable, as is a BFH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 Thanks for all the good info! I planned on using my Jeep winch and some good old fashioned leverage to pull things forward....also have a few BFH's ready for the job. From the way things are pushed back, (and the bottom of the core support bent UP), it looked to me like the AC condenser would have to come out too, to be able to straighten supports, but I am happy to leave it. I also was thinking about ways to spread the load when pulling some of the thinner parts. It's good to know that i'm not crazy for trying this, although my family may disagree...but so much of the car is still good. *If the AC condenser needs to come out, can I just leave it out? Is there an easy (besides looking) way to tell if it is punctured? The headlights got pushed in through the supports, but wiring looks good. I am also kind of a cyber-stooge, so will see if I can get some help posting photos Really appreciate your input Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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