It just never ends:-(

[sly]

JB Weld Waterweld is some good stuff. It managed to patch the crack in my coolant crossover on my 93 with the PI swap.

Just gotta clean up the area and give it a little scuff with some light sandpaper. Kneed the putty for a bit and jamb it in the crack something fierce and it should seal it up. You may have to drain some coolant to keep if from wetting the location and preventing the bond, but considering that I did mine with a little leakage going on, I don't think that should be an issue. It does take a while to cure up though.

[gadget73]

A new radiator is about $150. I wouldn't pay more than about 20 bucks to fix a 30 year old radiator. If its developing leaks through the metal in one spot, most of the rest of it is about tissue thin and will start to fail in short order.

[IPreferDIY]

A new radiator is about $150. I wouldn't pay more than about 20 bucks to fix a 30 year old radiator. If its developing leaks through the metal in one spot, most of the rest of it is about tissue thin and will start to fail in short order.

Good point. Temporary fix at best.

[Toploader]

Picked up some plumbers two part epoxy, will kneed it together tomorrow morning after cleaning the entire area. It should work, I did that to my '67 Ford, and the tank never leaked till I junked the car almost 20 yrs later. And the $400 is for a new copper core with the original metal side tanks plus labor.

JB Weld Waterweld is some good stuff. It managed to patch the crack in my coolant crossover on my 93 with the PI swap.

Just gotta clean up the area and give it a little scuff with some light sandpaper. Kneed the putty for a bit and jamb it in the crack something fierce and it should seal it up. You may have to drain some coolant to keep if from wetting the location and preventing the bond, but considering that I did mine with a little leakage going on, I don't think that should be an issue. It does take a while to cure up though.

[IPreferDIY]

... I did that to my '67 Ford, and the tank never leaked till I junked the car almost 20 yrs later. ...

Now that's the kind of longevity I like to see. I'm wondering if it would be attributable to things being made better in the 'good old days' and/or whether you had a rigorous coolant flush schedule.

[Toploader]

Spoke with the radiator shop.......to recore my copper/brass radiator in standard two row would be $350, a high efficency 2 row core would be $395........r&r $100.00

A new radiator is about $150. I wouldn't pay more than about 20 bucks to fix a 30 year old radiator. If its developing leaks through the metal in one spot, most of the rest of it is about tissue thin and will start to fail in short order.

[sly]

Bah... just order up a radiator for a newer model with the aluminum core and plastic tanks. You may need a new top hose for that as well if it's not the same size, but it'll still be much more inexpensive. The hardest part is getting the bolts off the water pump pulley to get the fan off, but it's a pretty easy job after that. Just need a catch pan and more coolant for when you're done.

[Toploader]

Sly, b/4 I do anything, I will wait to see what effect the plumbers epoxy has on the upper trans cooler fitting.....if it stops the leak, so much the better, if not, well, I will have to see how much I will invest into a new radiator.......I do like to keep things as OEM as possible.

Bah... just order up a radiator for a newer model with the aluminum core and plastic tanks. You may need a new top hose for that as well if it's not the same size, but it'll still be much more inexpensive. The hardest part is getting the bolts off the water pump pulley to get the fan off, but it's a pretty easy job after that. Just need a catch pan and more coolant for when you're done.

[gadget73]

Those prices are far in excess of what I'd pay. It may be a better radiator but they'd have to prove to me that its worth twice what I could get a replacement for.

Still not so sure you have the original radiator anyway. All of the ones I've seen after 1985 have come with plastic side tanks and aluminum cores unless it was the police model radiator.


don't need to remove the fan either. The shroud will push back and lay on the front of the engine and you can sneak the radiator in. Its kind of a pain in the ass, but it will go. The GM split shroud design was a big win vs the single piece we got.

[Toploader]

radiators etc

~$g vs High Eff 3 & 4 row 2 page article and pics 4-17-13 Classic[1].doc

[pantera77]

Bah... just order up a radiator for a newer model with the aluminum core and plastic tanks. You may need a new top hose for that as well if it's not the same size, but it'll still be much more inexpensive. The hardest part is getting the bolts off the water pump pulley to get the fan off, but it's a pretty easy job after that. Just need a catch pan and more coolant for when you're done.

Yep, I swapped a newer plastic tank into my 85 for a whopping $90. Had to change the lower rubber pads and upper mounts though.



Rads on these cars are super easy. I swapped a new rad into the Battle Wagon in a parking lot 10 hours away from home when the rad blew the petcock and all the threads out.

[Toploader]

Trust me its brass/copper............I cleaned the area before I used the plumbers epoxy.

[Toploader]

Funny you mention shrouds, when the Avanti first came out it had one that completely surrounded the radiator.....then seeing how bad that was, the factory made one that we all call the horse collar

Those prices are far in excess of what I'd pay. It may be a better radiator but they'd have to prove to me that its worth twice what I could get a replacement for.

Still not so sure you have the original radiator anyway. All of the ones I've seen after 1985 have come with plastic side tanks and aluminum cores unless it was the police model radiator.


don't need to remove the fan either. The shroud will push back and lay on the front of the engine and you can sneak the radiator in. Its kind of a pain in the ass, but it will go. The GM split shroud design was a big win vs the single piece we got.

[sly]

+1 brain fart... no need to remove fan.