blown 87

Took my project 928 out for a ride this AM and lost a coolant hose, no biggie, the PO had what I think is the heater control valve replaced and the short piece of hose was split, most likely from removing the hose with a hose tool.

When we pressure tested it, we found a leak from the passenger side radiator end cap gasket.

My first thought was i have lost a head gasket, but we did a Chemical test and it checked out ok.

I have a few options at this point.

Have our local radiator shop pull the end caps and put new gaskets in there, that is always kind of scary because of work hardening the aluminum tabs, this is the cheapest.

Put in new end caps while i am there? couple of hundred more.

New OEM Behr radiator? Big money

After market all aluminum radiator?Bigger money. Some of the adds that i have seen for the all aluminum ones state that they are bigger than the factory one in thickness, I really do not see how they could be thicker and still flow air. Do they cool any better?

What do you 928 experts think.

Right now I am leaning toward having new gaskets put in and go ahead and order a all aluminum one for it for when it starts to leak, or I put a blower on it which ever comes first.

Thanks Greg N

Bill Ball

Buy a new end cap and gasket from one of our vendor sponsors (I know 928 Intl sells them)and have it fixed by a shop that works on Behr radiators and has the tools to do the replacement. It's not scary for them. No problem having it done at least once.

Don't just do the gasket as the tanks have a tendency to crack at some point. $90 parts and maybe same amount for labor. New Behr radiator is $1200. DEVEK and others have aftermarket all aluminum radiators for maybe half that. I vote for the end tank replacement unless you have something else wrong. The shop will clean and rod the radiator as part of the process.

I had the original radiator on my 89 repaired with a new tank and gasket almost 2 years ago by a local radiator shop that was very familiar with doing this on Behr radiators. Still leak-free.

Bill51sdr

^^^^ Agreed on the end tank rebuild. Had mine done over a year ago and it's fine.

SeanR

How long are these Devek rads supposed to last? Mine was installed in '02 and it would appear that it has a leak. Are these welded so there can be no replacement of internals? I have yet to take it out of the car but I am curious.

zoltan944

Heinrich bought someones Devek radiator, wonder if he has a good one he swapped out for a good price for you?

Marine Blue

Not sure how long the Devek lasts but I do know that the operating temp is between 1/4 and 1/2 even in 90+ degrees ambient temperatures. Just an FYI

Good luck with the repairs

Normy

My infamous experience with the Devek radiator involves a leak just barely into the third year. This part is beautiful- it really dresses up the front end of the car! The problem is that this part is NOT built by Devek itself- it is made by some group called "Ron Davis Racing" [I think...], and I suspect it is basically a racing part. Parts made for racing are made to perform the best, but not necessarily to last a long time.

NOW, listen to this: I suspect that the radiator that Devek sells will last you every bit as long as the Behr radiator as long as you keep VERY careful track of when you changed your coolant last, and WHAT your coolant/distilled water ratio actually works out to. This last is very important! I suspect that the material used in the tubes on this part is far more susceptible to corrosion than the Behr part, which means that you need to keep the coolant concentration high, and make doubly sure that the corrosion inhibitors of your coolant are there and strong. That is, you need to keep the ratio no less than 50/50 and change it at least every other year. If you do so, I suspect you'll have good results from this part. In my case, I ran a 70% water ratio for better cooling, and my radiator leaked.

I learned this the hard way; there was nothing in any literature that came with the radiator describing how important proper coolant/water ratio was. For what it is worth, I did the same thing for years with Behr radiators in various Volkswagens with no problems whatsoever. I paid over $800 for the Devek radiator.

Devek's Susan was very nice to me on the phone, but in the end I wound up purchasing a used Behr radiator, which sits under my hood as we speak, three years later, without any problems at all.

N!

worf928

PM 928andRC51 - for less (or about the same) as the price of a new Behr he had a shop buy a state-of-the-art behr core and clamp on end tanks and new gaskets. 928 international also has an all-aluminum set-up too.

heinrich

I have a Devek rad in one of mine and it is incredibly cool. I am not giving it up. Zoltan, thank you for thinking of me
Heinrich

chaadster

Blown 87,

I have a brand-new passenger side end tank & gasket for the Behr if you'd like to go that route. I purchased it this Spring from 928 Int'l to fix that all-to-common leak, but could not find a confidence inspiring radiator shop locally to do the job, so I wound up going with a used Behr replacement.

I meant to return it, but it wound up forgotten in the back seat of my winter car, ergo, I would be happy to sell it to you (or anyone else). IIRC, they are $95 plus shipping, so I'll sell it for $80, shipped.

Drop me a PM if interested.

khalloudy

I had problems with my Devek radiators (2 in a row), now i am running a Behr and thank God i have been happy since. I suggest you go with the Behr.

Sincerely,

Vilhuer

How about 928intl and motorsport radiators? Any long term experience of these already? They are same part? But not same as Devek?

http://www.mailordercentral.com/928i...106%20043%20UN
http://www.928motorsports.com/parts/alumradiator.php

ew928

928 International has the C&R aluminum radiator.
Devek "resells" the Ron Davis special.
My Ron Davis special didn't last into the 2nd year.
When my RDSpecial leaked at the screw in fittings just after year one,
was able to get tech help directly from Ron Davis. Not a helpful peep from Devek.

Finally ended up with a used Behr from those standup guys at 928International.
Got both end tanks resealed locally.

3 radiator swaps in 2 years. Hope that remains a record.
Ernest (NYC) aka Keptun Kewlant

blown 87

Thanks guys, I will get new ends and have mine redone. I have never had this done and was wondering what kind of luck others have had with it.

The following is just some ramblings on radiators in general.


The problems with the all aluminum radiators is something that i have fought for years with mine (Corvette, Chevelle) and other cars here at my shop.

I think that most of the problems with the aftermarket all aluminum radiators is 3 fold, well it is not a problem with the radiators them selves, but in the way they are mounted and cared for. this is just my thoughts on this after many years of problems and a few years of success.

They have to be mounted stress free, no twisting, bowing, or any other undue force applied to them.

Coolant must be mixed with distilled water, NO TAP WATER.

Normy says that do not go less than 50/50, I have and do from in the summer and i add Water wetter, but i do not think that is a good idea to go less than 50/50 if you do not have any problems keeping it cool.

I also use a product from Ford for heavy duty trucks that is a conditioner for diesel cooling systems

Change your coolant at least every year, period. It is cheap compared to what replacing your new radiator with a newer one will cost.

Ground everything and check to make sure that you have less than .3 volts in the cooling system hot, this is the real killer. A tenth of a volt is better.

A volt and a half = about a month and a half of life. You can check for electrolytic action by running the car until it is hot and the drop the red lead of your DVOM into the coolant and ground the black lead at B-.

As far as Ron Davis goes, he has a VERY good reputation in the Corvette world, I have never ran anything but Griffins, but my next all aluminum will be a Ron Davis because of his reputation and my past dealing with Griffin Thermal products
.

NickT

Mine went bad a few years ago and I replaced it with a rebuilt Behr. It started to leak again at the end tank. So, it was either a new end tank for $100 or so and some labor from a radiator shop, or $500 or a rebuild radiator from 928Intl or $900 or so for the C&R from 928Intl.. I went with the C&R from 928 Intl this time.
I have to say that it is an amazing looking radiator with a higher cooling capacity. I had some growing pains with it, nothing major and nothing that a short package insert describing the differences would have cured. (if you have an S4 or higher there are some tabs that must be cut off... I didn't know that at first..)
All in all though I am VERY pleased it it. Looks cool too!

Intersting read about the coolant ratios above... I use premixed 50-50 and never use tap water.. hope that is ok.