Radiator Problems

[sierrablue]

This is mostly just info, not really asking any questions here.

So last winter, my radiator went out, it was an aftermarket aluminum one, and the heater core went bad too. I replaced just the radiator (not knowing the core was bad)(at the time I didn't know the constantly fogged windows was a sign of that), with a clamp-in one from Summit. I welded the tabs in on the lower portion of the valence that sticks back so far, and then built a bracket for the top. It sits way higher than a stock one would, but it still clears everything.

I put in a new heater core on it, and three days later, the radiator started leaking again. I put off getting a new one because it didn't leak TOO badly, and then the core blew out on me (that time it absolutely filled the cab with steam, it was awful).

New core and everything (AFTER testing it for exhaust gas), qnd it was fine for months. Seemed to drip a little early this winter, but it stopped. Then this week I haven't had hardly any heat from jt, and I looked and the overflow tank was empty. Upon closer inspection, one of the tubes on THIS radiator is leaking.

I called and have another warranty radiator on the way, they said in 2-3 days I should be expecting it. They also said I have to go straight to Griffin if I have any warranty issues with this one.

I have no clue what the issue is. No exhaust in the antifreeze, a 13-lb radiator cap, zero overheating problems (even in 100 degrees, 95% humidity, 60-45-0 at a stoplight), yet it seems to die in the winter. These are $200 racing radiators, and I really don't want to drop $600+ on a new one from BJ's or Z+M. If/when this one does go out again though, I have no idea where I'm going to go. Maybe Griffin will let me keep bugging them about it, if/when the time comes.

[Pablo]

I don't think you are the only one that has QC issues nowadays. Even quality brands are producing more turds than they used to. Will Griffin offer to take the old one back and do a failure analysis on it? Can you take it to a radiator shop if not and see what they think happened?

Bad weld? Is the tube noticeably cracked or just weeping?
Galvanic corrosion/electrolysis may be attacking the joint of the radiator?

http://www.sancarlosradiator.com/Voltag ... olysis.htm

[sierrablue]

I have no idea on what Griffin will do.

Since it's aluminum they can't do much but put epoxy on it, which I can do myself (actually it worked last time but there was another leak too *facepalm*

It's just weeping, cracked a little tiny bit. It's brand new coolant as I keep adding it, and before that it was put in in like May, fresh. The engine was installed early last winter (Nov/Dec 2021), and I've been through the rest of the cooling system 3 times since then, so I have no idea how the coolant could be doing that. It's rated to -34 or less according to the tester, so there's no way it froze. The antifreeze is all super clean too if you look in it.

[Yeller]

I found the top of the core suport was flexing and twisting/pulling on the radiator. That motion cracked ten tanks and found after fixing the cracks and making flexible mounts that the core was leaking. That was July. Still running the leaky radiator, have a new one but have a few other projects to do at the same time and have been putting it off. In 6 months and 12,000 miles it has leaked less than a gallon so just enough to make a mess lol. In my opinion the core suport flexes more than the radiator can sustain and it needs a flexible mount.

[sierrablue]

I don't mind the fact that they don't overbuild parts anymore, but the fact that I bought a radiator designed for SBC racing applications, and it can't handle 5000 rpm max (frankly it's rare that it EVER sees anything above 3500, esp. under load) with a 13 psi cap, when it says it's for racing and a 16-18 psi cap, is just stupid. It shouldn't really be twisting since it's a clamp-in rather than bolt-in directly to the rad support...not to mention I don't take it off road so any twists should be fairly square. I mean, between having a fairly flexible bracket up top and the bottom of the valence flexing it shouldn't be an issue. Plus the rubber pads should absorb some flex.

Since it keeps happening in the winter and it's designed for racing, I almost wonder if it's not designed for colder weather, and is somehow weak in cold weather?

[Yeller]

It isn’t internal pressure, it’s either mounting or just bad luck. Bad luck happens more than we want to admit lol

[sierrablue]

It isn’t internal pressure, it’s either mounting or just bad luck. Bad luck happens more than we want to admit lol

Or just a crappy product...

I guess I'd rather have my bad luck on things like cooling (which I plan to scrap when I go electric anyway) than on more critical things like steering and brakes...

[sierrablue]

Here's the setup:

[Yeller]

That certainly doesn’t look over mounted.

[sierrablue]

Those top clamps go into the top factory upper mounting points for the radiator. But it yeah it's not overdone.

[sierrablue]

So, it would appear as though my drain plug was the leak, as when I took it out, I did it with my fingers (pulled the petcock all the way out). I also discovered that the one they sent for it was regular threads, and the new one I got was pipe threads, yet the new one seemed to actually thread in properly. We'll just have to see whether or not the leak is fixed. If not, the new radiator is here, and I can swap it.

[sierrablue]

Well that was not the issue...new rad going in next weekend at the latest.