[tlcsr66]

I went out to spray down the body mounts and bumper bolts getting ready for the body lift. I looked under the hood thinking I would take the radiator shroud off, again getting ready. I noticed a couple pin head sized drops of liquid on top of the radiator. I wiped them off and they came back??? Hmmmm, so I apply a small amount of pressure with my finger and notice several small hair line cracks on the plastic tank on top of the radiator.

Time for a new one, lucky me.

If my wife ever finds out how much I'm spending on this Rodeo I am in so much trouble!

 

[mallen]

I went out to spray down the body mounts and bumper bolts getting ready for the body lift. I looked under the hood thinking I would take the radiator shroud off, again getting ready. I noticed a couple pin head sized drops of liquid on top of the radiator. I wiped them off and they came back??? Hmmmm, so I apply a small amount of pressure with my finger and notice several small hair line cracks on the plastic tank on top of the radiator.

Time for a new one, lucky me.

If my wife ever finds out how much I'm spending on this Rodeo I am in so much trouble!

Good catch. Could have turned into something serious.

 

[johnnie59]

Never ever under no circumstances ever tell the wife how much you're spending on the truck until after she falls in love with it too! Then lie to her and only tell her half!

Good catch on the rad cracks... that could have been a major issue had it gone completely on a long road trip.

 

[Tanman85]

I had the same thing happen as I was about to start a project and get my Trooper ready for some long distance towing. I was quite glad I caught it when I did and didn't discover it on the side of the highway hundreds of miles from home.

 

[Metal88]

One thing Ive learned from the older folks here on the planet is...while you're single do as much as you can to your truck :lol:

 

[Cronk]

Never ever under no circumstances ever tell the wife how much you're spending on the truck until after she falls in love with it too! Then lie to her and only tell her half!

:lol: :lol: :lol: Good advice!

I don't know why they used plastic radiators in these trucks, guess it was cutting edge stuff in its day and light weight. I'd bet a good radiator shop can make an aluminum equivalent.

 

[electricpuppyboy]

One thing Ive learned from the older folks here on the planet is...while you're single do as much as you can to your truck :lol:

Amen!

 

[beto]

Hey good thing you found out on time.

Now, just wandering, when you guys get these cracked plastic ends of the radiators do you just go buy a new rad? Or do you replace the plastic part and use the old core?

 

[tlcsr66]

My Dad was a radiator repairman when I was very young, I remember when they were all made of metal. Now when they leak you just pull em and replace em. There may be a shop somewhere that fixes them but I haven't seen one in a long time.

 

[beto]

In my country the usual thing is to get the radiator repaired. If the plastic top or bottom cracks they install a new one. When possible, the shops replace the plastic parts with metal.

I was just wandering how you guys did it in the US :wink:

 

[Dae]

I just replaced mine a few weeks ago with another plastic tank unit. (Koyo Brand)

The labor involved in replacing just the plastic tank/seals (if possible) could cost just as much or more than a new complete radiator unit.
It would surely cost more to replace it with a metal tank. Metal units are about twice (or more) the price of plastic ones, from my research.

 

[jlank82]

as far as i know they don't really replace the plastic tops. and yea i agree, stupid design. dad said all the old ones were all metal, have a leak just weld it back together, replace part of it, etc.

I had a hairline crack in the top of mine over a yr ago. at the time i just went and bought some radiator epoxy putty (or whatever it was called) from the auto store to hold me over. cleaned the area around the crack, mixed the putty and put it around the crack. failed I think a month or 2 after that. tried JB weld. that held for awhile but then cracked in the exact same place. so tried the putty again on top of that and has held for over a yr now.

I'm fine with the patch if it keeps me from buying a new radiator. haven't had the money to get one.

 

[mallen]

as far as i know they don't really replace the plastic tops. and yea i agree, stupid design. dad said all the old ones were all metal, have a leak just weld it back together, replace part of it, etc.

I had a hairline crack in the top of mine over a yr ago. at the time i just went and bought some radiator epoxy putty (or whatever it was called) from the auto store to hold me over. cleaned the area around the crack, mixed the putty and put it around the crack. failed I think a month or 2 after that. tried JB weld. that held for awhile but then cracked in the exact same place. so tried the putty again on top of that and has held for over a yr now.

I'm fine with the patch if it keeps me from buying a new radiator. haven't had the money to get one.

Many plastics can be welded. I wonder what kind of plastic they make the tanks out of.

 

[rodeo joe]

I wonder what kind of plastic they make the tanks out of.

Answer: Cheap crap that is designed to break after so many miles. If Rad companies wanted to, they could design and build a plastic radiator that would out last the car but where is the money in that. Design the radiator to blow half way through the life of the car or sooner and you sell twice as many or more radiators and keep more people in Taiwan and China employed.