radiator tank’s
Submitted: Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 21:34
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Exploder
Has anyone had problem’s with the plastic radiator tank’s Cracking around where the mounting brackets are, I just got back from a 4Wding trip for the day up around More River and a quick bit around
Ledge point.
After
parking the car at
home I sore some water dripping out around the left side of the radiator, after a quick look and squeezing the top and bottom hoses I found the leak. It look’s to be a fatigue crack on the Left hand side Radiator tank (Cross flow radiator) about 1-inch long where the mounting bracket Joins to the Tank.
The Radiator’s 8-Years old I know the Plastic tank’s only have like a 10-year life span, I am just trying to figure out if this is a resalt of fatigue cased by vibration from 4Wding or just normal wear.
Has anyone else experienced this with the plastic Rad Tank’s?
I guess ether way I am out about $500 on a new Radiator and I don’t have time to
shop around as I have to install it by Friday arvo at the latest, So guess it will be off to ford tomorrow,
Wahoo Happy new year!!!
Reply By: David from Engine Saver Low Water Alarms - Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 21:53
Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 21:53
Hey Mate,
I had a similar experience with a radiator top tank, where the top hose spigot dropped clean off the tank after an engine rebuild due to overheating, hose still attatched. Major shock at the time!
Seems plastic tanks don't take any heat.
After an over heat you should replace the top tank, or the inlet tank on a cross-flow
radiator.
These plastic tanks can be replaced by a radiator repairer.
Regards David
AnswerID:
145821
Follow Up By: Exploder - Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:10
Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:10
Thanks; it’s never overheated, so I guess this is from Old age mixed with Excessive vibration from 4Wding (I tend to take thing a bit fast sometimes).
For some reason I was under the impression that you couldn’t replace the tank’s on the new age design Plastic/Aluminium constructed Radiators but thanks for setting me straight on that.
I guess the next challenge is finding a Radiator
shop that; A. hasn’t closed down for a few day’s over Christmas and B. Has a side tank for a Explorer radiator or can get one, in 1½ day’s.
FollowupID:
399319
Follow Up By: David from Engine Saver Low Water Alarms - Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:21
Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:21
Good Hunting!
The good news is that a competent radiator
shop can replace the tank on a removed radiator in less than 40 minutes, (if they want to!)
Bayswater Radiators in
Townsville (definitely no affiliation) did this for me when I was stuck a few years ago.
Regards David
FollowupID:
399323
Reply By: Member - Pezza (QLD) - Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:04
Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:04
G'day Exploder,
Same thing happened to my 2.8 GU, where the hose attaches to the top tank and also where the overflow hose attaches, also in the top tank.
After forking out near on 700 bucks on a new radiator I find out from red devil in browns plains that you can now buy just the tanks for them, might pay to investigate before you part with too much of your hard earned.
Avagoodn
Pezza
AnswerID:
145824
Follow Up By: Exploder - Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:15
Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:15
Thanks, yes I was under the same impression as you, that you couldn’t replace the Plastic tanks but I will be looking into this now.
The challenge is getting it done in the next 1½ day’s as I am going down south over new years and would like to do some 4Wding wile I am down there.
FollowupID:
399320
Reply By: Axle - Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:18
Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:18
Hi Exploder.
Have seen many ford falcon sedans , later models suffer the same problem. I think its a fantastic plastic thing. Hope all goes
well.
Cheers Axle.
AnswerID:
145827
Follow Up By: Exploder - Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:38
Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 22:38
Yeah thanks.
Back in the day, A bit of solder+10 minuets of your time and you would be on your way.
FollowupID:
399328
Reply By: Member - Ed. C.- Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 23:17
Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 23:17
G'day Exploder,
If ya can't get the tank replaced/repaired by the weekend, a short-term solution might be to apply some epoxy
putty (such as "Knead-it") liberally over the cracked area... Make sure ya clean the area thoroughly, & press the epoxy on firmly......
That Knead-it is pretty good stuff, I've used it to repair cracks in jerry cans (among other things), & even used it to make a oil-filler cap when the original disintegrated on me when I was topping up the oil after a by-pass filter change out in the middle of no-where.... The make-shift cap was still doing the job when I got
home several weeks later.....
I always carry some (Knead-it) in my odds'n'ends box which lives in the vehicle permanently....
Either way, Good luck with it!
Regards, Ed. C.
| Confucius say.....
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AnswerID:
145840
Follow Up By: Exploder - Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 23:46
Wednesday, Dec 28, 2005 at 23:46
Yeah thanks, that’s not a bad idea didn’t think about doing that, I have used Kneed-It on the core of a Tractor radiator before when a sharp stick punched a hole in it, and we just pressed the Kneed-it into it and it never leaked a drop, it’s amazing stuff.
You can get both metal Application and Plastic Application Tubes of Kneed-it can’t you?
FollowupID:
399339
Follow Up By: Member - Ed. C.- Thursday, Dec 29, 2005 at 00:01
Thursday, Dec 29, 2005 at 00:01
Yep, I have the Metal, & Multipurpose varieties....
Pretty sure there are others as
well (like copper??), but I haven't checked in a while....
| Confucius say.....
"He who lie underneath automobile with tool in hand,
....Not necessarily mechanic!!"Member
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FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Peter 2 - Thursday, Dec 29, 2005 at 07:27
Thursday, Dec 29, 2005 at 07:27
Make sure you roughen all the surfaces that you apply the knead it to, right into the corners and the crack. Also make sure it is dry before performing the repair, prob need to drop a bit of coolant out but if you can access the area while in the car no need to fully remove it.
I have had the top hose neck break off on a plastic tank too, rad was about 12 years old at the time, new one lasted about two years and has seeped ever since, just keep topping it up as it is very slow.
FollowupID:
399357
Reply By: Kiwi Kia - Thursday, Dec 29, 2005 at 15:39
Thursday, Dec 29, 2005 at 15:39
Drill the smallest hole that you can at each end of the crack. This stops the crack propagating further along the tank. Then use the kneed-it
putty.
AnswerID:
145895
Reply By: kev.h - Thursday, Dec 29, 2005 at 18:40
Thursday, Dec 29, 2005 at 18:40
as a last resort try plastic welding a lot of car detailers use them for repairing plastic bumpers etc had one done this way and it lasted a full month until i could get a brass radiator made up
also if you repair it take the mounting bolt out and use duct tape to hold the radiator less stress on the repair
regards Kev
AnswerID:
145918