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Radiator

Khann

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Looking for some advice
When I removed my bumper to change out my cab mount bushings I noticed what appears to be seapage on my lower radiator.
I haven't noticed any fluid loss but does this look like the start of a radiator failure
 

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Third From Texas

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Looks corroded but not totally eaten up from the pics (swing my any radiator shop for confirmation). If so, a repair or replace is likely the only option. Even a shop with a good torch man can only do so much, but it's worth a look. If it is just the welds and the passages (flat tubes) are in solid shape, they might be able to do a rod-out and re-solder the header.

Clean it up carefully good with a soft wire brush (I'd not advise power spraying unless it was VERY low psi) and assess the condition of the actual metal (the solder can be redone, again if the torch man is really good and the corrosion hasn't eaten thru the actual passages). You can put a thermometer gun to it (look for hot spots) and get some idea if the passages are in fact blocked by corrosion inside. Reparability really boils down to the state of the metal, not the solder/welds. If the passages are really bad, rodding them out will just remove the corrosion that's stopping the leaks and create more (the passages are thin metal to begin with). They can sometimes crimp off and seal bad passages (if the header isn't completely fugged). But crimping off too many passages will start to effect the cooling potential of the radiator. Also check the condition of the cooling fins. If they are starting to deteriorate, effective repair becomes sketch.

A shop can also tell you if a recore is available (and for CAT stuff they should be) but the industrial cores are pricey. Still worth the ask. You can measure the L/W/H of the core (not the tanks) and count the passages/tubes ( how many rows deep). Also measure the base of the tank (the top and bottom are the same). That's the header size. With that info, you know what core to get (again, get a shop to confirm). Doing a recore they reuse the OEM tanks (which are pretty much bulletproof. They clean up the tanks with acid, solder the tanks back onto the new core, pressure test it to spec, paint it, and hand it back to you. It can often be about half the cost of new on industrial stuff.

There are lots of good takeoffs out there. Might start fishing around and get an idea of cost+shipping (they're heavy).

In any event, prep for pulling it. I wouldn't let a rad shop pull it for me (DIY or find someone who works on industrial equipment). It's gotta come out no matter what.

Third <--owned a radiator shop for a couple years in a past life

btw: that's what antifreeze typically does to metal surfaces when it's openly exposed to oxygen
 

Ronmar

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I have never seen one stop, i suppose if you had enough crap floating around in the cooling system, it could partially plug the hole(thats how the pepper trick works) but they still tend to leak/weep…
 

GeneralDisorder

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Not a fix per-se, but I carry a stop leak product in my rigs just in case. In particular it's a product I've used with success on many occasions. I work on Subaru's quite a bit and they had a problem with some external head gasket seepage back in the early 2000's. This culminated in a service bulletin and a "Coolant Conditioner" being called out for all the affected models - the directive was that one bottle be added anytime the coolant was changed. To make this palatable for customers they priced this product absurdly low in the parts department. In reality it was a stop-leak product sold in the UK called Holts Radweld and it actually works really well for small seepage problems - doesn't clog heater cores, etc. And the wild part - it's $2 a bottle at the parts counter. $24 for a case of 12 bottles. Part number: SOA345001

It's a private label of this product (for $2):


Pretty much every Subaru dealer has it in stock.
 

Third From Texas

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I have never seen one stop, i suppose if you had enough crap floating around in the cooling system, it could partially plug the hole(thats how the pepper trick works) but they still tend to leak/weep…
We used to see them come thru the shop occasionally down here. The car would be overheating and puking fluid. So it would get parked in the front yard of the barrio and tossed on blocks. A few years of corrosion would build up in the passages and seal them shut. Then when the car was put back on the road "Damn Holms, it's not leaking anymore". Until the next summer...

Stop leak products will sometimes get you home in a pinch. Or work good enough to sell the truck to the next guy. But as GD says, it's not a "repair".
 

Khann

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Nebraska
Thanks for all the info
I will lightly clean it and run it through a few heat cycles and then make a decision. Probably leaning on getting it replaced or rebuilt.
 
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