pnbell

Hey Guys,

My radiator leaks a little bit out of the plastic side.. It is on the driver's side, and fluid collects on a metal tab below the radiator. I believe it is weeping where the plastic and metal meet...

Is there a fix of some sort for this? Could it actually be leaking for another location?

I have not pulled the radiator yet, as it is my Daily Driver/only car...

Let me know if anyone else has dealt with this, i know replacing with an all aluminumis the best idea... But trying to fix on a budget.

JohnKoaWood

You MIGHT be able to find a radiator shop willing to replace the o-ring in there and re-crimp the end tank back on.... I stress MIGHT..not too many of them left out there...

best bet is a new radiator...

Mike C.

Unfortunately it is most likely not fixable. I had tried fixing a crack in the plastic right at the flange, where the fingers crimp over, using JBweld or a similar exopy that could stand up to 300 F or so. It slowed down the leak but it was not possible to seal it up completely. You might find someone here with a good used one from a parts car.

NYFlapjack2

Mike C can I have your LH side tank?

FWIW ...I too found the more I tried to work the plastic the more aware of how old & brittle it was. I had pulled our threads in my T-Sensor, it was a weekend where everything I touched I got in deeper ca-ca.

Then I tried an expansion plug and a addition of aftermarket sensor or planned to do so...but alas these 27 y/o things are brittle and that wasn't going to give me peace of mind after it cracked the plastic boss area open without hesitation.

So in a pinch on that weekend, for my DD ....I JB welded all over that stripped & cracked temp sensor port on the LH side. I added numerous spiral wraps (prior to JB potting) of SS aircraft twistede safety wire, looped it around the front to back through the fin pack & then some. I roughed up the area and made the patch with 2 kits of JB weld - quite large.

1st week I left the rad cap loose. 2nd week I said WTF and filled it back up and tight capped it.

My clamped over hardened patch lasted the 2.5 weeks it took before my new rad came and I swapped it over holding the old for hopes someone might have a LH tank side I can do the O ring trick with. It is in the rafters should I need it in a pinch or find a LH side tank.

I searched on one of these sites...I believe in the 928's area and someone had a great pictoral essay-thread on replacing those o rings with slowly screwdriver pry releasing the zig zag teeth and holding pressure with those carpenter's pipe clamps & wood blocks across form side to side to compress the o ring.

Mike C.

I would gladly give it to you NY but it was tossed out long ago. If memory serves (and it rarely does) I think the problem was on the left side. I actually had this happen twice, the original rad and an OEM replacement. After that I forked over around $400 for a copper & brass unit that Performance Products used to sell (only fit the early cars). That was many moons ago and I haven't had any issues since.

ernie9468

Pnbell--had the same happening to me about 4 yrs ago on my 83, leaking at the exact same spot as your's and I agree with the boys replacing it is the only fix ,try everything end up removing & installing the rad at least 3 time, waste of time & money.

John_AZ

pnbell,

First---never add a stop leak to your system, dont even think about it. Not even the years old, tobacco chewing, shade tree mechanic trick of using the spice----pepper.

Next, are you sure the leak is not from the bad seal on the overflow tube or fan switch at the top of the radiator?

If you are certain about the leak on the plastic to metal seam, shop for a new or gently used radiator.

pnbell

thanks guys! Just figured i would ask...


And I won't use radiator stop leak... Probably clog my oil cooler or oprv!!!

I checked all the hoses; didn't see anything..

I guess i will have to add one more -to buy/to do- to the list...

INURGRL951

It's really simple take it out get a pair of vise grips set them on one tab to gauge it. then compress them ever so slightly. the vise grips once you set it on the first one just go round the whole thing. The importance is to do them all the same but DO NOT TRY to over do it. Done this plenty of times thank me later.