Help me Radiator Trouble

[tonyfromjersey]

I'm on may way to work this morning and I heard a "pop" I thought I hit something in the road. Car starts running hot, but it's not more than 10 minutes to work so I limp into the parking lot. Before my flight, I try to add some anti-freeze as it seems low, and it pours out the bottom of the radiator where my plug used to be. Assuming I can't find it when someone drives me home this afternoon, is there a standard part that will fit this, or am I going to the radiator shop for a new one? Basically if I can find something at Auto Zone I can come back later and fix it.

Any immediate help would be appreciated, it's a 1977 and I assume stock radiator. I'll be landing at about 3 Eastern, so any quick answers to get me home would be helpful.

Thanks, off to save the world one air refueling at a time.

Tony

[baltobernie]

There's two items "down there"; a petcock and the temp sending unit. If you lost the petcock, stop at the hardware store for an assortment of short bolts 12mm and up. If its the sending unit, it's a big sucker, about an inch in diameter. Maybe a lever-action drain stopper? Leave the radiator cap off to avoid building pressure in the system until you get home.

Hey, on your way back, can you do me a favor? The unsupervised teenagers down the street are making every Sunday morning a repair day; from tire tracks on the grass to beer cans, etc. Could you pull the lever near the BUFFR transition out of BWI? I'll provide the match

[tonyfromjersey]

Bernie,

I'll have to get you next time, but no problem on that one. I wanted to incinerate my old neighbiors house at one point, so I feel your pain.

Anyhow, I went back to work and pulled the radiator out in its entirety. I guess I'll go to Home Dumpot and try some bolts out, if not I'll try the local radiator dude. I hope I can get there tonight, I'll try to combine it with a trip to ice cream since it's 90 degrees out.

[manoa matt]

Did the drain plug/screw pop out of the threaded bung, or did the bung and screw pop out as one? If just the screw/plug then it either wiggled out/loosened up or the threads are gone. More likely is that the bung and screw popped off the bottom of the tank at the soldered joint. I've had success soldering them back on, just don't het the heat too hot or you can de-solder the joints at the tank to core, or the core tubes themselves.

[tonyfromjersey]

The whole thing is gone. I think the PO did some hack work on it along the way. I took it to a local radiator shop and they fixed it for me. Then they flushed it out and pressure checked it. He said it was "leaking like a sieve." I asked him why since it wasn't leaking before. He thinks that 32 years of dirt and crap were holding it together. SOOOOO, now I'm getting it re-cored for 300 bucks, done Wednesday. Not what I was planning to do with 300 bucks today.

She'll be up and running in a couple days, though.

[racydave]

Wow, Tony. I bought a new one for less. Im sure itll be good as new now.

[tonyfromjersey]

I guess it's too late now, but where did you get one for less? I looked at all the usual places online and saw 359 and up.

Of course, at this point the car is in the parking lot at my squadron and I'd like to get it home. His price was about the same as a new one and I don't need to wait for it either. At this point it will be pretty much new anyway.

[mbouse]

cheese, Tony... you found a radiator shop without a waiting list? WAY KA-OOL

give them a call, and see if your radiator has actually started. if not, it is not too late to save some mooo-la and go Dave's route.

[So Cal Mark]

a recore is a new radiator, only the tanks are reused

[tonyfromjersey]

Okay, so now there's apparently a "problem at the factory" and my radiator job is delayed. It was supposed to be today, then tomorrow, now Friday or next week. I'm starting to think radiator guy is full of crap.

Anybody know where I can get a radiator for less than IAP or Vick's?

Thanks,

Tony

[manoa matt]

They probably have to order the core and have it shipped to their shop. Thats what happened when I had mine re-cored. My re-cored rad runs a few deg. cooler than the stock unit. Its a 3 row high effeciency core. The stock units have two rows front to back with many thin tubes across the width, and are actually a good design and provide good cooling....provided the thin tubes are not silted/blocked up. The 3 row high efficiency units have slighlty less tubes across the width and the tubes are a bit bigger so less chance of blockage, not that I'm going to let my rad.clog up. My recore was $275 and I would do it again versus buying a new unit from the vendors for double the price. Like Mark said, its like a new rad. but the best part is that the shop will give you some sort of warranty, where the vendors will not.

You could also go the Volvo rad route, but it requires some modifications, and probably a new fan. http://www.mirafiori.com/faq/content/vo ... adconv.htm

I've got a good clean used rad from a 1.8L 1976 that I could pressure test and send you. matt.scarton@gmail.com

[tonyfromjersey]

Thanks Matt, I guess I'll stick with the re-core. My big hang-up is the delay. The car is stuck in my spot at the Air Force base for which I am taking a heap of crap every day. I think I will rent a tow dolly and drag it home. I just want it done, it was running so well since I got it back from the body shop. I did the electronic ignition conversion and it was purring like a kitten.

Really what I want is an honest answer from radiator jackass.

[So Cal Mark]

he's probably afraid of losing the job if he tells you the truth, or his supplier may be jerking his chain too. This is one of the downsides of just-in-time ordering. No one has units in stock anymore, to cut inventory costs. The feeling is if it's a vintage car, the owner can wait since it's not a daily driver

[tonyfromjersey]

Mark, that's exactly it. I am either going to use my "free roadside assistance" or tow it home myself today. What he doesn't understand is that he's losing referral business by doing this. I told him repeatedly I just needed a real answer. At this point, if I bought it from Vick's or IAP I wouldn't get it any sooner. Going the Volvo radiator route is interesting, but looks like a good off-season job. Anyway it's supposed to rain next few days here so not missing any great driving. Love to have it for the weekend though.

[Newell33]

Hi Guys

It appears that the Volvo radiator swap is based on a 1980 Spider. I noticed that in Vick's and IAP there are two part numbers for radiators. One is for 75-78 and the other is for 79-82. Can anyone tell me what the difference is in the radiators? Are the inlet and outlet the same? Is it just a core size difference? Is the fan switch port different? I have a '76 and have been looking for an aluminum OE type radiator that would fit in place of the old one with some minor modifications. The Volvo swap looks like the way to go. I just want to make sure that it will work on a '76 model.

Thanks!
Josh