Radiator leaking
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 68
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From: Dallas, Texas
Radiator leaking
My '92 F150, 4.9L, M5OD may be on its last radiator legs. I stopped a leak a few years ago with bars leak. Now it is leaking again only a lot worse. I am going to give it another dose or two of bars leak and see what happens. If that fails is it a hard DIY Job to replace the radiator in these trucks? The truck has about 134,000 miles and runs great. Thanks in advance for any help y'all can give me.
Charlie
Charlie
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2004
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its not hard at all, i just put one in my 96 F150 3 days ago. all it is really is disconnecting the hoses, unbolting the radiator, pulling it out, putting new one in and hooking everything back up. one thing in recommend that u do do is completely flush your system out before putting your new radiator in. the things that will give u the most trouble are the tranny cooler lines, u gotta double wrench em and the lines unscrew out of the radiator. gl with your project
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: Dallas, Texas
Thanks for the reply. I could be wrong but I do no think I have tranny cooler lines on this truck. It has an M5OD in it. It's about as basic as you can get as far as F150's go. Anyway thanks for the reply. Looks like something I will tackle if the bars leak fails me.
Charlie
Charlie
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 855
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From: Ocean Park WA
Don't put Bars Leak in the radiator. Get the good two part radiator flush, flush the cooling system, change the thermostat, change the radiator and cap, and drive the P*^&$ out it. Seen a lot of pluged heaters and blocks from bars leak and other stuff. I rate these right up there with fix a flat (very bad JUJU). I've used them all and always ended up regretting it. My $.02.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
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"Bars Leak" is both good and bad. It will "get you through", but it can wreak havoc in other places. Two options: replace the radiator, or if the fins/coil are ok, call around and see if you can find a radiator shop that will replace the seals on your old one. Most leaks on these plastic radiators are around the tank seals, and are quite easy to fix. At the same time the shop can rod out your old coil for you, and you'll be good to go.
There have been a few guys here that have replaced the tank seals themselves, but I would be a little hesitant to do this, and I'm pretty damn good with my hands.
Good Luck!
There have been a few guys here that have replaced the tank seals themselves, but I would be a little hesitant to do this, and I'm pretty damn good with my hands.
Good Luck!
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 855
Likes: 0
From: Ocean Park WA
I tried twice, Once in Portland OR and once in Dallas TX (both in the past year) to get radiators REPAIRED. It's just cheaper in the long run and not to much more and for the Taurus it was cheaper just to buy a new radiator. I wouldn't try to reseal the old radiator as they use a special crimper to bend the ears. Basicly once its been crimped thats it, I've watched several guys break the aluminum tangs off trying to straighten em out to put a new tank on. To much pressure and you just cracked the tank, to little and you just blew the seal again. My $0.02
