Part of the appeal of the Chevy Silverado is its rugged work truck aesthetic. Due to the heavy duty use it's likely to endure, you may find yourself performing some minor repair operations on your Silverado, such as replacing the radiator.
Drain your coolant from the engine block. One unique feature of the Chevy Silverado is that rather than opening the drain cock on the radiator, you can drain coolant more quickly by loosening two brass bolts on the bottom of the engine block with a 13mm socket. You'll find these just behind the exhaust manifold.
Remove the plastic radiator trim, and begin detaching hoses and wires. Use your pliers. A Chevy Silverado with an automatic transmission has two coolant lines from the radiator to the the transmission you need to detach, as well as the upper and lower radiator hoses. Also remove the coolant sensor wire, if you have one.
Unscrew the two bolts on top of the radiator holding it to the supports with a 10mm socket. Remove the four 10mm bolts holding the fan assembly to the radiator.
Lift the old radiator straight out, wiggling it slightly to make sure it clears other engine parts.
Install the new radiator, and reconnect every detached wire and hose.
Flush the new radiator with your heater on high. Make sure you follow the instructions on the flush treatment. Replace with a one to one mixture of coolant to water.
