Exploding radiator - No, really - EXPLODED
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
Exploding radiator - No, really - EXPLODED
Anyone every seen anything like this? Any idea what would cause this? I just bought this '69 (today, and blew it up on the way home) and don't know much about it yet. Compression is good... ??
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
From: Ventura Ca
WOW!!! It may have had a leak and if the stop leak was added wrong it could have caused it, we had some one time that actually plugged a radiator whole I guess if it was clogged somewhere it could let go in a whole new way, that is bad.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,870
Likes: 47
From: Tennessee
I saw something like that when a guy put a gallon of gas in his radiator to " get er home " Wow ! That would tighten the sphincter while driving a new buy home !
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,300
Likes: 18
From: Las Vegas, NV
blown head gasket pushing exhaust into the cooling system would cause enough pressure for that.
That is one heck of a blown radiator though.
That is one heck of a blown radiator though.
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2003
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I had a 67 cheby station wagon do about the same thing. It's radiator was about as rotton as yours. I put a new radiator in it and had no other issues.
PS. I will add this, when you replace that rotton radiator with a new one, fill it up to about an inch below the opening (there are procedures on here for burping the air out) and see if you continue to get air bubbles\foam in the antifeeze. If you do, it is probably due to a blown head gasket or cracked head. That would over pressurize your cooling system. Then add an aftermarket coolant overflow kit.
PS. I will add this, when you replace that rotton radiator with a new one, fill it up to about an inch below the opening (there are procedures on here for burping the air out) and see if you continue to get air bubbles\foam in the antifeeze. If you do, it is probably due to a blown head gasket or cracked head. That would over pressurize your cooling system. Then add an aftermarket coolant overflow kit.
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 522
Likes: 0
Steam caused explosion in the radiator
Nice steam explosion, usually the cap lifts or a hose blows or a seam blows out long before a radiator blows apart like this. Great pictures. The radiator will make a good wall hanging in your shop. Good thing you were not bending over it when it blew. Take it to the local radiator shop and ask them to repair it.
Thanks for the pictures.
Thanks for the pictures.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 186
Likes: 14
From: Neosho, Missouri
I would second that guess. I had a 48 ****** jeep that did something similar just not as violent. It had sat forever, I got it running changed hoses and after running a little while I heard a pop then saw some steam. I found a small crack, got it fixed, got a new cap, put in a new thermostat then worked like a charm.
I bet that made quite the sound. Looks like a pretty cool truck and now you have a great story to go with it.
I bet that made quite the sound. Looks like a pretty cool truck and now you have a great story to go with it.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 668
Likes: 2
Yea, I agree with you on that. With the pictures you provided, there is no doubt the radiator is rotton. I think if you replace it with a "new" one, you will be fine. The junk yard radiators are probably as old as your original.
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Aviston, Il
For one, I would think that the radiator cap was stuck since it didn't vent off the pressure. There may have been another problem which caused the excessive pressure in the first place. I don't know how much would be created by simple temperature expansion.