How much to replace my radiator?
Thread Starter
|
5th Wheeling
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
How much to replace my radiator?
I do what I can myself to my truck with limited knowledge, but she recently died on me (vapor lock) and I sent her to my mechanic. He says I need a new radiator, and quoted me $360 for parts and $97 labor. Is this fair? $500 seems a bit high to me. Thanks
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 8
From: Knoxville, TN
Depends on what radiator you're getting - for example, prices at RockAuto range from $108-$332 for a '76 F-150 with 360. Add in hoses and the typical shop markup on parts, and the quote could be quite reasonable for having a shop do the work. But you'd probably save a couple hundred doing it yourself.
What's wrong with your old one? Leaking? Dirty/ineffective? The diagnosis sounds stranger than the price, given what you took it in for.
What's wrong with your old one? Leaking? Dirty/ineffective? The diagnosis sounds stranger than the price, given what you took it in for.
Thread Starter
|
5th Wheeling
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Depends on what radiator you're getting - for example, prices at RockAuto range from $108-$332 for a '76 F-150 with 360. Add in hoses and the typical shop markup on parts, and the quote could be reasonable for having a shop do the work. But you'd probably save a couple hundred doing it yourself.
What's wrong with your old one? Leaking? Dirty/ineffective? The diagnosis sounds stranger than the price, given what you took it in for.
What's wrong with your old one? Leaking? Dirty/ineffective? The diagnosis sounds stranger than the price, given what you took it in for.
Moderator
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 6,100
Likes: 380
From: Southern California
Trending Topics
Moderator & parts slinger
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 50,170
Likes: 5,789
From: S/W Missouri, Polk county
Yes that sounds high for the parts price, have you priced shopped at 1-800-radiators?
https://www.radiator.com/
https://www.radiator.com/
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 8
From: Knoxville, TN
Sounds like he probably found that it was leaking then. The price doesn't look unreasonable to me, for having a shop do it.
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 375
Likes: 3
From: Southern OR
Mechanics aren't cheap....especially good ones.
Then you add in new coolant @ 12.00 a gallon, + I think they charge now for disposal of your old coolant the cost's go up..
Aren't mechanics 100 an hour now?
I paid less than 150 for a rad off rock auto.
Then you add in new coolant @ 12.00 a gallon, + I think they charge now for disposal of your old coolant the cost's go up..
Aren't mechanics 100 an hour now?
I paid less than 150 for a rad off rock auto.
Elder User
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 842
Likes: 1
From: Puyallup, WA
An honest question, is doing it yourself an option? All you need is a wrench and a drainpan plus some sealer for the manifold gasket. If you've never turned wrenches on a vehicle before, this is a nice simple repair to get your feet wet. If you want to turn this thread into a step by step tutorial for your repair, I'm game. I'm sure plenty of others would help to.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 772
Likes: 1
$200-250 would be a good figure by getting it from Autozone or Rock Auto. The nice thing is radiators back to the flathead era can be easily found. Like chrome shops, many radiator shops have disappeared too. Another reason I gave up on cars in favor of trucks is because of that. Truck radiators are readily available whereas many cars you have to have your existing one recored--usually $500 on up oif you can find someone to do it.
