cbartonbrown

I sprung a small leak in my radiator. The coolant runs down the side as opposed to shooting out. For what it costs to repair the radiator in Chicago it seems just as cost-effective to replace it.


I found this radiator at Summit Racing- Spectra brand. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...ake/oldsmobile About $90. 1 row. Aluminum. 2-year warranty. 1.25" core depth.



The Manual (P. 13-1) says A/C cars require 3 rows and a 2" thick core. I have A/C. Non-air conditioned V-8's use a 1.25" depth core the Manual states.



My car is stock with original parts; not show; great survivor- I'm 2d owner. I don't care that it will have an aluminum not black radiator. i want reliability and the current radiator is 51 years old.



Here are my questions:


1. Is there some reason to think this lower-priced radiator would not be durable for the long -term?


2. Spectra states the width as 1.25", not 2" as required in the Manual.

a. Will this size and rows difference be a problem to cool the coolant sufficiently?
b. Will this size difference be a fitment problem? Summit says this is a "direct fit" (their term) and Summit says this means it fits as the original. I will measure the pipes.



In my research, it appears most new radiators are now aluminum. Aluminum radiators are respected. Some writers say cars don't need all the rows if the rows are wider. Some also say thinner radiators cool better. Should I not worry about the rows difference? Can I trust that this new radiator design is good because it is being used successfully in tens of thousand of cars?



Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks, everybody for participating in this great site.

oldcutlass

Durability is fine, I've had a similar radiator in my car. With A/C however, that radiator probably will not cool your engine on 90*+ days. Although quite a bit more expensive, I would go with a 2 core aluminum.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...bile/model/442

This one is also a good brand.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...346082&jsn=414

or one of these
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...,radiator,2172

Fun71

I would just add that you should hang onto the original radiator. At some point an owner of the vehicle (not necessarily you) may want to have it recored.

cbartonbrown

OLDSter Ralph

Recoring a radiator isn't as cheap as buying aftermarket stuff, but the original worked.

oldcutlass

I'm running a APDI/PRO 8010322 Radiator - single row, 1 1/4 core. The radiator was on the car when I bought it with the stock 4 blade fan, would not keep up on idle with 100* days. Then I swapped in a Derale 19118 flex fan, it would barely keep up at extended idle. Then I swapped in a Flex-a-lite 1818 fan this year and have not had any issues with extended idle. I kept playing with it because I never had any issues at speed, it held temp great even on the hottest days. It really surprised me how efficient this little cheapy radiator is.

Tiberian Fiend

I would never get a radiator with plastic water bottles. They crack and leak and you won't know where it's coming from.

oldcutlass

If you look at all new cars over the last decade, there are millions of them out there functioning as they should. For someone looking for an inexpensive alternative they work fine.

Tiberian Fiend

I guess that depends on how long the OP intends to keep the car and how much he wants to drive it. My father replaced the aluminum/plastic radiator in his Taurus two or three times over the thirty years he owned it, and the Taurus I got from my uncle that belonged to my grandmother had a bad radiator when he gave it to me. They might last a while, but they certainly don't last 50 years.

cbartonbrown

cbartonbrown

I have discovered that plastic tanks are inside the radiator. So, I have this answer.

oldcutlass

No, the plastic tanks are the left and right sides of the radiator.

cbartonbrown

Thank you, Eric. I did think they were in the sides but I expressed this improperly.



I decided to repair the leak. It's small and a re-coring, which would be quite expensive, should not be necessary. When i look into the filler neck, there are no lime deposits and the metal is in perfect condition. By repairing the radiator, I can maintain the stock condition of the car.

OLDSter Ralph

"Boiling out", repair and pressure testing makes sense to me. Everything will fit just right when you are done. No modifying the rubber saddles that hold the radiator will be needed. Corrosion is your enemy, not lime.
I re-cored the radiator in my 1964 Olds Starfire (54 years old) and I am comfortable with the $450 it cost. That works out to a cost of 83 cents per year of use. No, its not cheap, but it works and looks like it was original.
If they discover more leaks when pressure testing, consider a re-core job. I am guessing you wouldn't need to re-core it again in your lifetime.
Just my opinion.....

cbartonbrown

Thansk, Oldster Ralph. Good thoughts.

cbartonbrown

OK, i sent the radiator off for repair. i hope i don't need a full re-core. Then, freon (2 cans @ $39 from ebay), warranty replacment of 10-day old Radial T/A's (sidewall bulge) from Coker, new rear anti-sway bar (OPGI), and fuel sender unit to correct massive miscalculation of fule level. Hope to have it back by Friday before Father's Day finally good weather in Chicago.

Tiberian Fiend

R-12?

cbartonbrown

yes. The can is marked with the original sticker (like they used in the old days – $1.99). Nice profit margin, though the seller had hold onto it for a while.

OLDSter Ralph

Maybe I better hang on to my 20 pound tank of R-12.

oldcutlass

No need to buy silver or gold, just buy refrigerant.

Fun71

I worked at auto parts stores in high school / college and during summer sales cans of R-12 sold for $0.69.

If only I had known...

cbartonbrown

cbartonbrown

The new fuel sender unit is perfect. At full (actually) the gauge reads right on F. My old sock was split- same experience as a prior poster.


My radiator was leaking at the lower and upper headers so I decided to re – core it. Expensive.



I only need one can of R 12 so I have one left over. it's in my safety deposit box :-)


Coker sent me four new tires and was really great about the whole thing. first class organization. All in all, three out of the first five tires they sent me had sidewall bulges. the tires have been returned for their and Michelin's examination.



now the question is, was it a bad batch of tires, a bad tire model (BFG Radial T/A), or the installation? research on the Internet did not reveal some bad experience or development with the tire model. I'm going to check the tires every time I drive them. I guess I hope it's the install because I want to think that Radial T/A's are highly safe.