I’ve been a member of this site for years but this is the first time I posted about a Ford Escape. I recently picked up a 2010 that had damage to the front end. Air bags did not go off and the SUV only has 52,000 km on it and I got it for $300. I’m in the process of picking up some used parts to rebuild it. I needed a hood, grill, bumper cover, bumper reinforcement, headlights, rad, fan,and condenser as well as a rad support. So far I got the headlights, grill, rad, fan, bumper reinforcement and some small parts that were also needed. I have a line on a condenser which is where my question lies. Although it doesn’t leak, it seems the cooling fins are very brittle. Where I live it is very expensive for Parts and used are hard to get. Should I buy it and perhaps put a good think coat of paint on it to preserve the fins, (not so thick as to prevent cooling) or should I suck it up and buy a new one. I’m on a bit of a budget so that would chew thru a good portion of it . About $300. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Have you considered leaving the one you have alone and putting a piece of window screen in front of it?
That would buy you time to shop around and protect it while you do.

 

I guess that would be a temporary solution, but the one in the SUV was damaged and this one would be a used replacement. It’s the only one I can find. Everything’s apart now so I’m just going with the cheapest solution I can to repair my damage. Are these condensers rebuildable like radiators. If they are that’s something that I might look into.

 

The fins in the condensers are very thin/fine and easy the mash, crush and brake when trying to straighten. If it has not lost its integrity it should be fine to continue to use. The make a "fin comb" to straighten the fins with minimal damage.
In the aluminum it would cost as much to have someone recore than a new one would be. That is if you can find anyone that does that now.

 

If the fins are not crushed, you can get some flat billed tweezers and carefully straighten them one at a time. It's easier to manage than combing them and less stress on the welds.

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I'm personally a fan of the bottom ones even though they take more time. You can restore the fins really well with them.

 

Ended up having to get a whole new condenser. The one I was going to put in my 2010 had smaller transmission lines than mine. It was from a 2008. Sucked it up and bought a new unit. Got it installed and it works ok. The SUV went from this to this to this. Just needs to be painted now.

 

Nice work, but I'm feeling a little woozy right now.....

 

Lol, yeah I had to flip my phone to see those correctly, but good job!

 

That’s funny. Everything is right side up on my iPad. Are you guys using Trump approved phones. Lol

 

No. Laptop and please, lets not bring politics here. There's enough of it everywhere else.

 

It was meant as a joke, just as you made one a couple posts before. Sorry to offend you.