CRACKED RADIATOR

[cliffdunedin]

Hey guys, me again!!

Yesterday while going for a drive in my Legacy i noticed the temp gauge going up, so i pulled aside and found water leaking from a small crack about 2-3cms long on the left side plastic part of the radiator.

What i was wondering is if anyone knows if i can get either the plastic part seperately/repaired or does the whole radiator need to be replaced??

Cheers

[Guest keltik]

Common fault. You might be tempted to repair it with some epoxy but every repair like that ive seen has failed shortly after. Best bet is to throw in another radiator from the wreckers. Or if money isnt an issue - get an alloy one and then you dont have to worry ever again.

[dubbedup]

i know you can rebuild them but i think its reasonbly expensive, when ya can get one ~$100, i have a turbo radiator (ruff cond) you can borrow/buy I think its ok but the top hose bit is a bit disentgrated (sp)- more than welcome to try it.

Let me know if you wanna grab it, its just sitting in my garage.

Edit: Keltik bet me to it!

[cliffdunedin]

Wiil a Turbo radiator fit a NA car...if so how much are you after for it!

[dubbedup]

no i dont think so as the N/a's have a raditor cap on the radiator?? maybe?

if you radiator doesnt have a cap on the radiator it will fit... $60

[aim]

Mate had the same issue on his 250T. Just go to the wreckers. Should sort you out for ~$80

EDIT: What's with the capital subject line... it's annoying :-\

[cliffdunedin]

 dubbedup said:

no i dont think so as the N/a's have a raditor cap on the radiator?? maybe?

if you radiator doesnt have a cap on the radiator it will fit... $60

Yeah it does, thanks anyway mate!!

[cliffdunedin]

 aim said:

Mate had the same issue on his 250T. Just go to the wreckers. Should sort you out for ~$80

EDIT: What's with the capital subject line... it's annoying :-\

Annoying enough to get you to post though eh lol

[dubbedup]

 cliffdunedin']

[quote name='aim said:

Mate had the same issue on his 250T. Just go to the wreckers. Should sort you out for ~$80

EDIT: What's with the capital subject line... it's annoying :-\

/quote]

Annoying enough to get you to post though eh lol

+1

(thats for you chris)

[aim]

 cliffdunedin said:

Annoying enough to get you to post though eh lol

Lucky I'm nice

[Guest the_return_of_the_jedi]

yeah turbo radiator is no good. theres no filler cap and it uses the top tank system..

find a bg5/bc5 radiator with good condition fins and youll be fine..

im still at a loss why they use plastic on the end tanks... ???

[DRFVDR]

simple really

weight and cost

[Guest the_return_of_the_jedi]

yeah cracks can be avoided by using anti-freeze coolant, has a higher boiling point so less likely to crack.. never ever use just water.

[Ben]

Happened to me on my '99 too. Plastic cowling seal on the top just split at the point were it connects to the actual radiator. Got it sent away, cleaned, fixed, did a flush. Cost approx 400.

[Guest]

yeah mine done it with the wife driving. she kept driving so i had to replace engine very common problem. (with radiator and wife)

you can either put a new side tank on which aint to much or just get a new one.

good luck.

[dubbedup]

 Ben said:

Happened to me on my '99 too. Plastic cowling seal on the top just split at the point were it connects to the actual radiator. Got it sent away, cleaned, fixed, did a flush. Cost approx 400.

If your goning to spend $400 i surgest you buy a brand new alloy one.

If the end tanks are the same size as a turbo radiator i mite have a spare end tank....as i scrapped a heap of them not long ago... and kept all the end tanks for reason like this....

[log1call]

The tanks crack when they get old and heat kills them fast. Old tanks aren't worth the cost of getting them fitted.

Take the radiator out yourself, take it to a radiator guy and tell him you want a quote to replace the top tank. If you get a quote before he knows he is getting the job he will keep the price reasonable, like seventy dollars fitted, which was what the last one I got done cost about two years ago. Better make it one-hundred to allow for inflation.

[cliffdunedin]

Hi guys, i got the radiator fixed, which cost me 70 dollars for a second hand one but the engine is still overheating...well thats what the internal gauge is saying!

The engine itself doesn't seem to feel too hot, though though the (rubber pipe) to the radiator feels hotter than usual! She doesn't seem to be using any water, and there is no unusual noises!

Does anyone have any idea what may be the problem why she's overheating??

Cheers

[BC5RA]

Did you bleed it properly?

[cliffdunedin]

Actually i dont think i did, i just drained the old radiator then replaced the new(well 2nd hand) one...do you think that could be a problem?

[BC5RA]

Yes it could be a problem, it must be bleed and correctly.

If you have an airlock present then it will overheat.

[cliffdunedin]

 BC5RA said:

Yes it could be a problem, it must be bleed and correctly.

If you have an airlock present then it will overheat.

Would the airlock cause the engine to overheat, or just show on the temp gauge??

Also i there was about 500 ml-1litre out of the small water resovoir when i checked the water and while having a nosey underneath the car i noticed there was a wee bit of what seemed like fresh oil just behind the sump...though have found no oil marks on the driveway!

What i'm kinda trying to figure out is if the head gasket has gone, doesn't seem like any water in the oil and car has only done 130 k

[BC5RA]

Both, an airlock will create a heat spot.

Try to Bleed it correctly, and go from there.

1/ Start when cold with the car facing up a hill, with the radiator cap off.

2/ Turn on the heater to full.

3/ Top up accordingly and wait until thermostat has opened which should show as a the water level in your header tank

going down.

4/ Put radiator cap on.

Drive it and see if the temp gauge goes up, turn it off wait until cool and repeat, bit of a tedious process.

If it still does it, have it booked into to have testing done for blown head gasket as the symptoms can be extreme through to minimal.

[Guest the_return_of_the_jedi]

 cliffdunedin said:

Hi guys, i got the radiator fixed, which cost me 70 dollars for a second hand one but the engine is still overheating...well thats what the internal gauge is saying!

The engine itself doesn't seem to feel too hot, though though the (rubber pipe) to the radiator feels hotter than usual! She doesn't seem to be using any water, and there is no unusual noises!

Does anyone have any idea what may be the problem why she's overheating??

Cheers

i had this happen in the gx 2.2 sohc the thermostat had closed and water wasnt returning to the radiator well i think so anyway.

dont drive it or youll need head gaskets as well

[cliffdunedin]

 BC5RA said:

Both, an airlock will create a heat spot.

Try to Bleed it correctly, and go from there.

1/ Start when cold with the car facing up a hill, with the radiator cap off.

2/ Turn on the heater to full.

3/ Top up accordingly and wait until thermostat has opened which should show as a the water level in your header tank

going down.

4/ Put radiator cap on.

Drive it and see if the temp gauge goes up, turn it off wait until cool and repeat, bit of a tedious process.

If it still does it, have it booked into to have testing done for blown head gasket as the symptoms can be extreme through to minimal.

Thanks mate, i did this last night and the water kept going down...i filled it right up with water then took her for a 30 min run, bingo no overheating (as i touch wood) thanks guys, hope this is me sorted and it's not a H gasket !