The radiator in my 300D is plugged. The temperature rises when putting the engine under a load, even at high speeds. Idling in traffic is even worse. My mechanic Al quoted me a price of $450 for the radiator, and the local dealership quoted me a price of $505. These prices are for the part only, and do not include any labor. Partshop (or maybe FastLane) carries the radiator for $373.

I would really like to patronize FastLane (and save a bunch of money in the process), and I have a reasonable amount of experience of DIY mechanic work (I drove a Suburban), but I don't know if this is a job I can handle.

Is replacing the radiator a relatively straightforward process? And if I choose to do it myself, should I flush the block before doing so?

__________________
Ben

The MBs:
1976 300D (W115) - 330K and still going (sort of)
1991 300D 2.5 Turbo - Sold at 221K
1983 280SEL - Sold at 206K
1981 300SD - Sold at 232K