Radiator issues

latief · Post by **latief** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:56 am

So my radiator is starting to crack on the top. i see some small hair-line cracks near the area where there is a serial number, and they are leaking every now and then + i can smell antifreeze, and that is not good..... the only good thing about all this is that the car barley looses any coolant, and the level is nearly stable.
I guess the Florida heat finally got to the radiator, and it is starting to age after 116,000miles

i have two questions, first, should i attempt to fix the radiator (Jb weld maybe)? i mean are they fixable or will it most likely brake from another location? i have no rust in the system as my cooler color is perfect.....

the second question is about pressure, is the cooling system supposed to be under pressure? and since a leak will cause a lose of pressure, how will that affect the car since the levels of coolant are not really dropping?

thanks

Post by **Diablo0** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:08 am

Pressure wise, yes the cooling system is a pressurized system. Pressure increases the boiling point of the coolant. General rule is that for ever 1lb of pressure the boiling point raises by 3 degrees. If the pressure isn't there you could run the risk of boiling over...

Post by **occasional demons** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:09 am

Generally the plastic isn't reparable, I would get some 3M structural adhesive or plastic weld epoxy and sand the area cleaning the coolant out as good as possible and apply the epoxy. The radiators are too cheaply made to reinstall the plastic tanks. so a new tank isn't a good option. The structural adhesive is around $20.00 but it is awesome stuff. It is what they use to glue cars together when welding isn't feasible.

latief · Post by **latief** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:22 am

Diablo, that will explain why my fan is kicking in faster these days, although i have no visible loss of coolent. so my car must be running abit warmer you think?

Occasional demons, my radiator upper part is metal not plastic. i guess that changed on the newer neons, mine is a 2000. would you still recommend this products?

another question, if i grab the upper hose and press on it, then let go, i hear air rushing through the radiator cap near the thermostat, is that a sign that i need a new radiator cap ?

thanks for the feedback

Post by **Diablo0** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:26 am

It could be... you might try pulling the radiator out and taking it to a shop to have them pressure test it to see if there is a good way of fixing it

You might be able to find a radiator in a salvage yard though

latief · Post by **latief** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:30 am

that was my next question, what is a good source for radiators ( new), i saw some stuff on ebay for about $100 shipped, but i always have a bad feeling with ebay.. yet locally new ones are around twice the price...

Anything i should take into consideration? also, it seems that radiator layouts differer from MTX to ATX and from ATX 3-speed to ATX 4-Speed, why? has that something to do with tranny coolers?

60trim · Post by **60trim** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:50 am

http://www.performanceradiator.com/ When my radiator leaked, I went to these guys here in Denver. They have plenty of locations around the US of A. Great customer service, warranty what they sell, and will replace it for free if it breaks due to normal wear and tear.

Post by **occasional demons** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:03 pm

If it's metal (prolly brass) then it can be soldered. Or at worst case a new tank, but a replacement radiator would prolly be less $. don't know how much tanks cost. (if it is available) Usually a recore is the same/more than a new radiator these days. But I would think a core cost more than an upper tank. But then again...

latief · Post by **latief** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:40 pm

OK, upon further research on this, there seems to be some radiators with the lower outlet at the passenger side vs. others where the outlet is in the middle, anyone know what the deal with this is ?

and i still don't get why an MTX radiator should be different than an ATX radiator, and why a 3 speed is different than a 4 speed radiator?

thanks

Panhead · Post by **Panhead** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:22 pm

i never heard of repairing a a radiator but i would just get a new unit.

Post by **racer12306** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:28 pm

You can also buy a cooling system pressure tester.

atx radiator has the trans cooler built in.

they could have changed the way the trans cooler hooks up between the 3 speed and 4 speed.

Post by **occasional demons** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:18 am

also the radiators are different depending where the car was made. There are at least 3 versions on that fact alone. why?

ask dcx. suppliers possibly, but a blueprint should have taken care of that. The 4 speed atx may also have a larger cooler. I imagine it generates more heat.

oklamopar · Post by **oklamopar** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:43 am

03neonSE wrote:i never heard of repairing a a radiator but i would just get a new unit.

Yes you can repair radiators. mostly only brass and copper are repaired now days. you can have new plastic tanks installed on radiators if they make them. most of the time its cheaper to just buy a new one.
Using epoxy works very rarely. Area has to be very dry and free of coolant and dirt.. reason it doesn't work is due to expansion and contraction of the tank.
Oh yeah I worked 7 years repairing Radiators.

Post by **occasional demons** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 11:50 am

oklamopar wrote:
03neonSE wrote:i never heard of repairing a a radiator but i would just get a new unit.
Yes you can repair radiators. mostly only brass and copper are repaired now days. you can have new plastic tanks installed on radiators if they make them. most of the time its cheaper to just buy a new one.
Using epoxy works very rarely. Area has to be very dry and free of coolant and dirt.. reason it doesn't work is due to expansion and contraction of the tank.Oh yeah I worked 7 years repairing Radiators.

That's the beauty of the structural ahhesive is that it retains a little flex. ( have never tried it on a rad., but it works great for glueing speaker boxes to a roof panel) The radiator shop that we deal with at work will only recommend plastic tank replacment on GM radiators. he said they are the only ones with tab sturdy enough to be bent back in place. the others have snapped off. but that could be just them. But don't know if the tanks are avail. either, other than used.