Cheapie Radiator & Leak

[legoms013]

I replaced my radiator 2 years ago thru a friend who owns a gas station...I paid around $130 for what was supposedly a good radiator. I installed it myself. Maybe I got hosed I dunno..


But, it is leaking now, from the right most,m lower corner where the metal is crimper/rolled around the side of the plastic end-tank. It only seems to leak when the truck is off as far as I can tell (is the coolant system pressurized after shut down?).

Any thoughts on why a 2 year old radiator is already leaking? It really shouldn't be, but maybe my friend didn't do me a favor after all.

 

[Big Jim M]

Yep!

I replaced my radiator 2 years ago thru a friend who owns a gas station...I paid around $130 for what was supposedly a good radiator. I installed it myself. Maybe I got hosed I dunno..


But, it is leaking now, from the right most,m lower corner where the metal is crimper/rolled around the side of the plastic end-tank. It only seems to leak when the truck is off as far as I can tell (is the coolant system pressurized after shut down?).

Any thoughts on why a 2 year old radiator is already leaking? It really shouldn't be, but maybe my friend didn't do me a favor after all.

Sometimes we are the windshield and sometimes we are the bug!
Big JIm

 

[Charles]

It's just an el cheapo radiator, that's all. I'll be needing a "third" radiator in my Jeep soon. The first original one did the same thing, I paid to have it replaced the first time. didn't get a year out of it before I drove through someone. So I got another new one. A little over a year and it's leaking in the same spots.

I'm debating on what to do, I know I'm not gonna pay someone to install a new one because they are gonna go with the cheapest one they can find, used or new. I'll probably look online and find a better quality one, if possible, and replace myself.

 

[legoms013]

bump.

is there a larger radiator I can swap in with a little modification? say a 5.0L v8 radiator?

 

[59bisquik]

I just swapped in a 4.0 Explorer 3 core all aluminum radiator. It was around 140 shipped from ebay. Its about 1/8 to 1/4" thicker that the stock unit. It works really well. I havent had it that long but I am happy with it so far. However, I do have the identical model in a 2 core configuration on my dune buggy. Its been on for over 2 HARD seasons and I have had no issues with it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Brand-New-3-Row-All-Aluminum-Radiator-V6-3-0-4-0-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQfitsZModelQ3aExplorerQQhashZitem5d2e3918bcQQitemZ400207452348QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Here is a pic of the 2 core model in my buggy...

In my B2 with my new saginaw ps swap.

 

[legoms013]

Thanks for that link! I am going to replace mine with that 3 core all aluminum one (after I verify it fits, but if memory serves me right then it should based off the listed dimensions).

Looks like it even has the transmission cooler line hook ups too.

 

[59bisquik]

Yup, it has auto tranny hook ups too!