Venturi Kit solve Radiator leak ?
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Joined: Oct 2006
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From: MINNESOTA
Venturi Kit solve Radiator leak ?
Does anyone know if the kit solves the radiator leak problem or does it just cut down the chances or if you have a job 1 was there a crimping problem or was it really the pressure build up?
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Joined: May 2007
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Bowstring, I have a Job 1 F450 (April '07 build date), purchased in May '07. I had my first radiator leak last fall - September or thereabouts as I recall. Dealer replaced the radiator (supposedly bad crimped tank), and all was well.
In late July '08 the radiator started leaking again during a 1200 mile road trip, lightly loaded (1000 lbs in the bed). The leak was in the same place as the first time - on the left side tank mid way up. A dealer near Austin TX replaced the radiator (again), and installed the Venturi T kit.
After that replacement, I made a 6700 mile trip pulling 15,000 lbs, in some stretches in the Colorado mountains with my foot on the floor for 20 minutes at a time. No problems whatsoever.
Thus far, my judgement is that the fix works.
In late July '08 the radiator started leaking again during a 1200 mile road trip, lightly loaded (1000 lbs in the bed). The leak was in the same place as the first time - on the left side tank mid way up. A dealer near Austin TX replaced the radiator (again), and installed the Venturi T kit.
After that replacement, I made a 6700 mile trip pulling 15,000 lbs, in some stretches in the Colorado mountains with my foot on the floor for 20 minutes at a time. No problems whatsoever.
Thus far, my judgement is that the fix works.
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From: MINNESOTA
Thanks SCSMITH42 thats what I'm hoping mine is a Job 1 built 4/07 and I just installed the venturi kit with 6900 miles on so I will keep my fingers crossed. I plan on Alaska trip next summer and don't need any suprises.
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In theory, this is a fix, not a band aid. Meaning it should prevent failure, not just reduce the chance. The original design would allow cold coolant from the degas bottle to enter the radiator. Well what happens when you pour hot water on an ice cube? It cracks or breaks. The cold coolant would enter the hot radiator and crack it. So the Tee is designed to circulate so the cold coolant doesnt go directly to the radiator. So far I havent heard of any cracked radiators that had the Tee installed. Now that I make that statement there will be that one guy who has a radiator on the verge of cracking, just installed the Tee, and now the radiator lets go but in reality had nothing to do with the Tee. 
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Thanks caprang! I understand the science and I understand what the tee does now! It is nice to have an engineered fix but I want to know what and why. I just had my radiator fixed at 30,000 miles and don't want any surprises when my warranty expires in a few months.
