Radiator woes...

[jabborabbo]

I read the recent thread on radiator replacement...my radiator showed evidence of leaking on the port side tank...took it to a radiator shop and he said it had like a dozen pinhole leaks on that side...he brazen it up and declared it fixed but it isn't...either there are a few new leaks or he didn't do the job quite right. I'll deal with him, but the larger question is if the radiator had that many pinhole leaks then is it time it replace it?

[litew8]

I would.

[DeadheadNM]

I went through three OEM Harrison radiators before finding one that could be repaired. If you aren't a stickler for OEM or US made then it's probably better to purchase a new replacement.

[litew8]

My replacement is an aluminum Griffin rad. Made in USA. An exact replica of the original rad.

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by litew8

My replacement is an aluminum Griffin rad. Made in USA. An exact replica of the original rad.

There aren't many options in OEM style non-aluminum (brass) though. There is one company that had them though IIRC.

[gale]

Pretty common to have pin holes all over the core if a previous owner has used over the counter crap in it either to clean it out or stop leaks. Years ago the fix was solder in a new core. Today we just buy a whole new radiator.

[litew8]

Take it somewhere or call and ask. Maybe it is cost effective to repair. idk

[bigmac73]

i would just replace, you don't know how old it is or how much crap is in it, go new and heavy duty upgrade, it will save you time and money later on

but some people think "things can be saved and wont get rid of junk"
,

[jabborabbo]

Good comments...gives me stuff to think about. Even though I tend toward bigmac73's description "some people think 'things can be saved and wont get rid of junk' " I do reach a point where doing something like constantly dealing with pinholes just doesn't make good sense (although I still won't actually get rid of the old radiator ;-)

That Griffin radiator looks good....

[litew8]

So far I'm impressed. It isn't cheap. Summit sells them still, but there's a shop on flea bay that sells them $100 cheaper. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/gri-6-567ar-bax Oh, wait - sorry, just noticed Summit says N/A so they aren't selling them now. Here's the model # 6-567AR-BAX - I don't think they are being produced any longer.

[magicoolbus]

If you buy an aftermarket aluminum radiator, don't just toss the old radiator. They are worth quite a bit in scrap.

[In The Ten Ring]

Here is the one I bought, suggested by someone on this forum. I haven't put it in yet and I had to order it myself and have it shipped to Advanced Auto as their clerks said "we don't carry that."

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/t...=-1#fragment-2

My old radiator is a replacement my dad got out of a junkyard probably in the 80's. It's probably still good but OMGosh it looked rough! Lots of mineral deposits on the outside.

[bigmac73]

forgive me for saying this, but i bought a 4 core from LMC years ago works great and had no fitment issues, i know everybody's thoughts on LMC but this was when they where the only company i knew about for parts at the time, but it was a good buy

[Ironangel]

Originally Posted by jabborabbo

Good comments...gives me stuff to think about. Even though I tend toward bigmac73's description "some people think 'things can be saved and wont get rid of junk' " I do reach a point where doing something like constantly dealing with pinholes just doesn't make good sense (although I still won't actually get rid of the old radiator ;-)

That Griffin radiator looks good....

I made countless repairs to my original radiator including a 1/2" hole I accidentally drilled into the bottom of it reaming out the rebuilt core support mounting hole. (Thought I could I could stop the bit before disaster)...I hammered out a piece of copper tubing to fit the radius at the bottom of the tank and soldered it and it held for years. I finally replaced the whole radiator with an almost new 3-core radiator I purchased from one of guys on the parts board. The old radiator is still gathering dust under my work bench. Keep an eye on that parts board because one will eventually show up. Your last sentence inspired my response because "one of these days" I'll make a trip to the scrapper...

[Daddy Brim]

I replaced mine with one from O'Reillys. All mettle 4 core with life time guarantee.

[TobyArnot]

I just recently ordered a copper/brass replacement from O'Reilly's for less than $200. Should arrive this week. I am going to install it along with my new crate motor.

[Lee H]

Originally Posted by Daddy Brim

I replaced mine with one from O'Reillys. All mettle 4 core with life time guarantee.

Originally Posted by TobyArnot

I just recently ordered a copper/brass replacement from O'Reilly's for less than $200. Should arrive this week. I am going to install it along with my new crate motor.

Exactly. Buy local for a great price, direct fit, easy to return if you have problems, and warranted for ever, if you save the receipt.

[SparkyRnD]

the cost to repair these days exceeds most new units. If you decide you want an aluminum replacement, we are a supporting vendor and make custom hand-made radiators right here in the USA, and we offer a forum discount

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=590670

[jabborabbo]

Originally Posted by Daddy Brim

I replaced mine with one from O'Reillys. All mettle 4 core with life time guarantee.

Originally Posted by TobyArnot

I just recently ordered a copper/brass replacement from O'Reilly's for less than $200. Should arrive this week. I am going to install it along with my new crate motor.

I took the plunge and bought one from O'Reillys - it was more like $220, and it was a 4 core, which the one on my truck is a two core. Ordered a set of the heavy duty radiator mounts...got them and found out the lower mounts are too long to fit by about 1/2" or so...and by too long I mean that they were too long to fit in the core support at the bottom. Got a refund on the O'Reillys radiator and had my local radiator guy build one. The first pic is my original radiator, the second one shows where he tried to braze up all the dang pinholes and failed (there were little green spots in a couple of places after I drove it, even though he pressure tested it after he brazed up the pinholes), and the third one is the one he built. The tanks are a bit different, especially with the filler hole being angled, but it looks good. Everything appears to be fine now....