I need a new radiator for my 81, F150 Ranger,4.9l with air. I ordered one at Pep Boys . It looked like an exact replacement until I tired to install it. turns out it was 3/4 of an inch too high and wouldn't fit into the rubber mounts so I could tighten down the top holding brackets. I could have force fitted it but then it would be too tigt and wouldn't allow for expansion when hot.

Has anybody else run into this problem? It was the correct radiator according to Pep Boys. The 21 ". They wanted me to try the 17" but I'm going to hit the junk yard tomorrow with hopes of finding a decent replacement.

 

Junkyard replacements can run you into trouble unless someone has replaced it also. These things are getting old and a lot of them are plastic tank units. Just go to another store and see what they have.

 

I have run into this EXACT same problem, and according to the Auto Zone website, our trucks use the same radiator (Spectra B557, a.k.a. CU557).

I also had to play with the rubber mounts, and had to grind down the angled fins atop the radiator to get those cross brackets to fit back on there. It's not terribly difficult if you have a good Dremel tool. (It's been 2.5+ years, radiator works great.)

You can see the play-by-play here, starting at Post #762 on my thread:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post12523688

p.s. When I had the soul-sucking 2001 Ranger XLT (Bottomless Money Pit Edition), the radiator split on one side. I got to O'Reilly on the way home, picked up the new radiator, and based on my success with Festus, had it swapped out in no time. But it wouldn't stop leaking. I hooked and unhooked the hoses over the next few days, and finally went back to O'Reilly. They pulled another radiator, same number, and it was a different unit. They pulled two more, same deal. I got the one that had the right number on the wrong radiator. It would be an understatement to say I was unhappy. Profanity may have been uttered.

 

thanks for the replies. I think I saw a practically new radiator on my last junkyard visit. I also need a different fan to convert over to a fan clutch set up. As for mounting the new Pep Boys radiator, I considered and tried different rubber mounts I had laying around. At best,the radiator would have been cocked at an angle without some surgery on the bottom part where it fits. I'm 72 yrs. old and don't bend too well these days so,that option was out. Again,I thank you guys for the input.

 

also,the new radiator I got had plastic tanks,another reason I didn't want to put it in cocked to the one side.