Leaking Radiator!!
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Senior User
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Leaking Radiator!!
Well I was reading Akamacgyvers post about his 2 leaking champion radiators and thinking I hope mine last a good while. The very next day mine started spewing antifreeze. I don't have a champion, it looks like a ready rad but I'm not sure as it was on my truck when I got it. Does anyone have any suggestions on a decent radiator that isn't priced to go on the space shuttle??
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Poway, CA
I don't have any direct experience with it (I have a Champion right now), but I've seen one or two posts about this guy:
Spectra Premium/Radiator (C1165) | AutoZone.com
Might be worth a shot
Mike
Spectra Premium/Radiator (C1165) | AutoZone.com
Might be worth a shot
Mike
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Well I was reading Akamacgyvers post about his 2 leaking champion radiators and thinking I hope mine last a good while. The very next day mine started spewing antifreeze. I don't have a champion, it looks like a ready rad but I'm not sure as it was on my truck when I got it. Does anyone have any suggestions on a decent radiator that isn't priced to go on the space shuttle??
If it's a copper radiator, you should be able to just solder it. Otherwise, you can probably find some sort of epoxy to repair it.
Sure, it might be ugly... but it'll be /far/ cheaper than any other option, and even if you lose a couple of tubes(not sure where your leak is), it'll still work just fine.
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From: Denver, CO
Why not fix it?
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My old radiator finally took a crap a while back and was leaking everywhere. I spent the money, and I'm not afraid to say $360 for PRO radiator from rockauto.com. "PRO 8011166" installed it exactly a week ago today and did the whole deal, flush, coolant, the works. In the last week it has begun leaking around the seem at the top tank ... Same place as my old beat to death one... WTF??? Quality on everything is terrible. I'm checking into the 2yr warranty now so hopefully it works out.
1983 F-250 XLT reg cab custom steel flatbed, custom steel front bumper w/ warn winch, 33" BFG all terrains, 7.3L IDI, tuned injection pump, 2.5" duals to single 4" exhaust, gauge pods, C-6 auto with shift kit. p.s... yes it was converted from a 6.9L.
1983 F-250 XLT reg cab custom steel flatbed, custom steel front bumper w/ warn winch, 33" BFG all terrains, 7.3L IDI, tuned injection pump, 2.5" duals to single 4" exhaust, gauge pods, C-6 auto with shift kit. p.s... yes it was converted from a 6.9L.
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So far there hasn't been a quality replacement reported.
These 'what radiator do I get' posts have been becoming almost as common as the cold start/glow plug problems posts. Seems 20-30 years is when the OEM radiators are dying.
Only so much repair can be done to an old radiator, when the seams start cracking they're done.
These 'what radiator do I get' posts have been becoming almost as common as the cold start/glow plug problems posts. Seems 20-30 years is when the OEM radiators are dying.
Only so much repair can be done to an old radiator, when the seams start cracking they're done.
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My truck has the 15 5/8" core or whatever the heck it is and both of my radiators have gone bad in the same place. The old one really wasn't as bad off as I made it out to be in a sense now that the new one leaks 3x worse. I checked into the warranty on the new one and I can either have it replaced or get a refund since I'm still in the 30 days. Think I'm gonna take my old one to a professional fab shop in town that works on them and see if they can fix it. If it's worth fixing I'm sending the new one back for the refund. $360 for something that didn't last a week is BS.
1983 F-250 XLT reg cab custom steel flatbed, custom steel front bumper w/ warn winch, 33" BFG all terrains, 7.3L IDI, tuned injection pump, 2.5" duals to single 4" exhaust, gauge pods, C-6 auto with shift kit. p.s... yes it was converted from a 6.9L.
1983 F-250 XLT reg cab custom steel flatbed, custom steel front bumper w/ warn winch, 33" BFG all terrains, 7.3L IDI, tuned injection pump, 2.5" duals to single 4" exhaust, gauge pods, C-6 auto with shift kit. p.s... yes it was converted from a 6.9L.
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Senior User
Joined: May 2013
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From: Salem, OR
I got an aluminum rad about 6 mo ago. So far so good. It has an inlet about the size of a quarter w/a 0.7 bar press cap, no name tag on it. Some guy got it for his 6.9 and couldn't make it fit. I took about 1/4" off one of the mounting ears and it dropped right in. Big mistake, I left my old brass radiator at the radiator shop, it's only worth about $1.90/lb at the metal recycler. New radiator could have been free.
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Senior User
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Well I'm going to have to replace it and get it back on the road. Which means I will flush the cooling system, Which anti-freeze should I use? I have read all kind of post and they seem to go all over the place, I'm a little confused.
Fleet Owner
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From: Mi'kma'ki
Logistics Pro
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If you have a Tractor Supply Co. near you they carry Fleet Guard which is commonly used here. It comes precharged with SCAs so it keeps it simple.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Mi'kma'ki
fleet charge actually.(often mistakenly called fleed guard though lol.)
PEAK COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL | FLEET CHARGE | HEAVY DUTY COOLANT/ANTIFREEZE | FAQS
PEAK COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL | FLEET CHARGE | HEAVY DUTY COOLANT/ANTIFREEZE | FAQS
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2013
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Thanks! That's what I needed. Fleet charge, I do have a tractor supply close by and I will check it out. I went to NAPA before I left for vacation and the whole store argued with me for 15 minutes about the correct antifreeze. I told them that I shouldn't use "elc" and they said that was just a load of crap. So I left without buying anything.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Madison, WI
If your local Advanced has it in-store, don't just buy it for cash there. They always have a 20% (sometimes even 30%) online discount code active. Get on retailmenot and get the code, then order it for in-store pickup (no shipping charge) with the discount code. Comes out to $11-12 a gallon.