Wow, this burns my biscuits. Radiator rant.

[Sycostang67]

The core thickness appears the same, but the tanks are a tad smaller. I spent the day draining and saving all my coolant, I may have lost about a cup but did pretty good. Now I am worried this new radiator already leaks. I am hoping it's just coolant I spilled while filling up that pooled in the bottom of the shroud. I will take it out and do some running around tomorrow and hopefully find out for sure. I need a new belt as well since the current one squeals a lot from the coolant it has been sprayed with. One thing I found odd about the new radiator is they put the drain **** on the passenger side instead of the driver side like on the old unit. IIRC that port is where some guys have to hook up a heater hose.

 

[drinkypoo]

no need for science. it is a fact. bare aluminum will disapate heat better than a painted one.

It's also a fact that Aluminum oxide has less than 1/6 the thermal conductivity of Aluminum. A thin coating might well prevent oxidation while still transferring more heat than a fully oxidized radiator.

 

[Sycostang67]

Well guess what, the new warranty replacement plastic/aluminum unit is leaking already. It's not pooling out but it is weeping along the edges on the top tank and is starting to turn green. I am hoping it will last the winter so I can pull it in the spring. I will return it for a full refund and use the money to rebuild the old school copper/brass unit from my parts truck. It was doing a good job of keeping the truck cool, but can't seem to keep liquid contained.

 

[IDIoit]

the main problem you're having is sumed up with 1 word.
CHINA!
this past year, ive decided to step up my game, and upgrade my fleet to some newer vehicles.
while buying vehicles that were in need of repair, i have found that dorman parts are complete garbage!
they are inexpensive, cheap, BS sorry excuse for viable automobile parts.
i cant tell you how many sensors ive bought to come to this conclusion.
i bought injector & glowplug harnesses for my 01 PSD back in march.
ive had to replace them already. wires geet hard, brittle, and crack.
CPS's, those have lasted weeks.
its getting harder and harder to find quality parts anymore.
LOOK FOR THE MADE IN U.S.A. STAMP!
not to be confused with usa, china.

 

[franklin2]

Well guess what, the new warranty replacement plastic/aluminum unit is leaking already. It's not pooling out but it is weeping along the edges on the top tank and is starting to turn green. I am hoping it will last the winter so I can pull it in the spring. I will return it for a full refund and use the money to rebuild the old school copper/brass unit from my parts truck. It was doing a good job of keeping the truck cool, but can't seem to keep liquid contained.

Good luck with the full refund idea. In my experience it's a "lifetime replacement" for the part. And guess what. It's not "lifetime replacements". See the difference? It's usually a one time deal. If you give them the receipt the first time you go in, they usually crumple it up and throw it in the trash.

This has been my experience over and over, especially with exhaust systems.

 

[icanfixall]

If you are having a leak sign try dropping the radiator pressure. I can't know what the cap pressure is but 16 is way too high for our cooling systems. 12 or 13 is tops. I know we can run a 7 lb cap and be fine too. Pressure does force more liquid to contact the surfaces but most of all it increases the boiling point of water.

 

[OLDBULL8]

Lifetime Warranty Well guess what that means, sure don't mean that you can forever exchange the part for a new one. Lifetime on parts is figured how long that particular part should last. Always ask.

 

[Sycostang67]

I replaced the radiator cap shortly after swapping in the new radiator and it was a 13lb, just like the original one.

I work at the store where I got it, so I know I can get my money back. The O'reilly culture is to bend over and take it from the customer...at least that's the way it usually goes. Some of the stuff we get asked to exchange or refund under warranty will make you stick a rusty spoon in your eye just to distract yourself from the stupidity of it all. We had a guy return a battery that looked like he had slashed it up with a hot machete, he got his money back.

 

[IDIoit]

Lifetime Warranty Well guess what that means,

" i can take a dump, put it in a box, and mark it garenteed, i got spare time"

 

[yARIC008]

Not sure about your deal, but not too long ago i got a replacement from autozone as mine was leaking all over the place. The one i got from Autozone was a 4 row and hasn't given me any problems yet.

 

[chris142]

I can't even order a usa made rad anymore. And copper brass ones are just as hard to find. Someone had one on the shelf collecting dust if you got one recently from azone.

 

[dunk]

Sounds like trying to get a decent heater core. I'm two replacements in on a junk thin aluminum core from Advance. Not much warranty left. Pretty quick at replacing them anymore but I'd prefer to just have a nice copper/brass unit made in America that lasts another 30 years, regardless of cost. I don't think I could bring myself to do a plastic tank radiator, but I understand in a bind you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[chris142]

My cost...COST on just a made in USA copper heater is $275 for our trucks! This does not include putting your tanks on it! Or our mark up !!! The aluminum ones work fine as long as your cooling system is clean and no electrolysis.

 

[dunk]

A bit more than I expected but if that's what it cost then that's what it cost. What's the oil the door price? If it came with a lifetime warranty I'd do it.

Maybe aluminum is fine but why is it 1/3 as thick as it should be and why do they leak every 3-12 months? Make a good quality full thickness aluminum core that'll last over a decade and I'm alright with that, at $20, $100, or more.

 

[chris142]

The alum heaters are thinner because they are a different and more efficient fin/tube design.same with radiators today.the dodge trucks with the hemi have a 20x19 1row rad.astro vans are only 1/2 inch thick but they cool fine.

How are your heaters failing?