Inexpensive Radiator I Need One.

[Loose Screw]

I need a cheap one just to move the vehicle around my property.
I don't know too much about radiators. My truck is automatic and I'm thinking the transmission cooler is attached to the front of the radiator. Whatever that it is that is not leaking. But I do see drops of coolant on the ground and on the bottom rail support.

Maybe I'll still use that external cooler if that's what it is or go right radiator into the new radiator if that what the threaded (2) holes on the right side of most radiators are for.

Anyway I'm looking at those Chinese radiators on Amazon that are under $200. Any of you guys usin anything like that? What's your recommendation.

And yes I one day I will get the one in it now recored.

TIA

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[1970 CST Short Wide]

Why not just rebuild now. It may not need to be re cored. A Good Rad shop will clean it out and seal any leak for about what you’d pay for one of those cheap junk ones
Just my 2c

[geezer#99]

Do you have a catch can for the coolant or just an overflow tube?

[RustyPile]

/\ /\ /\ /\

X2 what CST Short said

[AussieinNC]

I would have the original one repaired.

The fluid on the cross member may be from lack of overflow tube.
The trans cooler should be plumbed through the radiator then the cooler then back to the trans.
Perhaps the cooler was leaking water into the trans and it was bypassed. That slow leak from cooler fittings may be the cause of your water on the cross member. Put two screw in plugs in the radiator cooler ports and pressure test the system to identify where the leaks are coming from.

The Aftermarket ones seem to only last 12 months or so, especially if its aluminum...

[Loose Screw]

The overflow from the radiator goes into a rigged up washer fluid canister...

and yeah, I'm going to pressure test it before I go any further.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

I have one just like what you want, but shipping cost would be prohibited. It is in the Kansas City area.

George

[72SB]

assuming you do need a radiator, check your local chain auto part store as often they have lifetime warranty and their $ are generally lower for "store label" parts. Granted those kind of parts are not the best but returns for warranty are typically no hassle

[jumpsoffrock]

I just posted this in another thread yesterday:

Originally Posted by jumpsoffrock

Most GM radiators from 1967-1975-1980 from basically any GM vehicle, Cadillac, Camaro, C10, C30, Buick, Trans Am.....they all fit to a certain extent. But the inlet and outlets might be a little incorrect. But in general their exterior dimensions are very close.

Most are roughly 24-28" wide and 17" tall.

[Luke87gt]

I bought an Amazon cheapie 3-row for my 69 after the stock i6 radiator started leaking.

It looks to have good reviews but I haven’t installed it yet. We’ll see soon what $140 gets ya…

https://a.co/d/5yoa5D1

[jumpsoffrock]

on rock auto.com
SPECTRA PREMIUM CU162

26-1/4 in. x 17-1/4 in. Core;

price is $80

[Loose Screw]

Ok, I rented a pressure tester...
tomorrow should give me a better idea of where I'm at.
Thanks Guys!

[Wrenchbender Ret]

The Champion brand aluminum radiators are rugged & good. They are not expensive depending were you get it.

George

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by Wrenchbender Ret

The Champion brand aluminum radiators are rugged & good. They are not expensive depending were you get it.

George

I’ve used Champion in 2 of my trucks, they fit well and work great. No issues in my 68 now for many years.

[Loose Screw]

Originally Posted by Wrenchbender Ret

The Champion brand aluminum radiators are rugged & good. They are not expensive depending were you get it.

George

Yeah, between what you and Led Zeppelin posted I'll probably end up with a Champion. Still looking at a Duralast it's about 100 bux more though.

I did do an ~16 psi test and did get about a teaspoon of fluid on the bottom cross member in about 20 minutes.......

I still have ball joints/tie rod ends, and a whole lot of parking brake work to do besides messing with fuel rich.

I should of just stuck to garden gnomes and pink flamingos for yard art.......

[Dead Parrot]

If "moving it around on the property" is just a few minutes of running, I wouldn't replace the radiator. A teaspoon in 20 minutes isn't going to leak enough to matter for a two minute reposition drive. Put a 7lb cap on it and call it good until time for a new/rebuilt radiator.

Save the money, time and effort for other things on the 'to do' list.

[Smitty]

Champion replaced my radiator free when there was a leak where the core meets the radiator. I'm close enough that I was able to drive up there and swap it out instead of mailing it. Actually think that you may be able to send them a picture as an attachment in order to have them provide the service. All you have to do is call them.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

There's a ready supply of n-i-b units around here on FB marketplace. Lots of custom builders seem to take a few tries to find one that fits what's left of their engine bay

[70STOVEBOLT]

Originally Posted by Dead Parrot

If "moving it around on the property" is just a few minutes of running, I wouldn't replace the radiator. A teaspoon in 20 minutes isn't going to leak enough to matter for a two minute reposition drive. Put a 7lb cap on it and call it good until time for a new/rebuilt radiator.

Save the money, time and effort for other things on the 'to do' list.

I totally agree with this

[mr48chev]

Boy howdy, it is all too obvious that none of you who said get the radiator rebuilt have not had a radiator rebuilt lately or even hunted for a shop that will still do it. Or you think 6 or 7 hundred to have a radiator rebuilt is "cheap".

I doubt that there is any chance of slipping across the border to have a shop on the other side redo the radiator at a far lower price simply because they don't have to deal with the hassles that US shops do.

That cooler is an auxiliary cooler and those plastic push pins that go through the fins to hold them on can rub a tube the wrong way and also just vibration can cause a leak around them.

Still the first step is actually figuring out where coolant is leaking and the pressure test should show that. Then plan a course of action.

I don't know anything about these three vendors https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...iator&_sacat=0

But you can't beat the price with free shipping if you are looking for low buck. Only driving it will show if it stands up to ElPaso summers but if you need to get the truck going to be able to drive it to where you need to go with it that might be the way to go. Provided that the radiator is the correct width.

[Loose Screw]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Boy howdy, it is all too obvious that none of you who said get the radiator rebuilt have not had a radiator rebuilt lately or even hunted for a shop that will still do it. Or you think 6 or 7 hundred to have a radiator rebuilt is "cheap".

I doubt that there is any chance of slipping across the border to have a shop on the other side redo the radiator at a far lower price simply because they don't have to deal with the hassles that US shops do.

That cooler is an auxiliary cooler and those plastic push pins that go through the fins to hold them on can rub a tube the wrong way and also just vibration can cause a leak around them.

Still the first step is actually figuring out where coolant is leaking and the pressure test should show that. Then plan a course of action.

I don't know anything about these three vendors https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...iator&_sacat=0

But you can't beat the price with free shipping if you are looking for low buck. Only driving it will show if it stands up to ElPaso summers but if you need to get the truck going to be able to drive it to where you need to go with it that might be the way to go. Provided that the radiator is the correct width.

Yeah, takin it to J-town would be a good deal, but the wait times are a B* coming back threw the Homeland Security check point.
.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I got my Jimmy's 350's 4-tier brass/copper Radiator rebuilt for $200 last summer in Tucson.
The SOB's didn't listen to me about reclocking the Overflow Nozzle to 6'o'clock,
so I could route the overflow tube around the Battery, but that's another issue.

[Willshook]

Agree that if it's original...or an older replacement, rule out repair before you replace it.

I bought an OER replacement from Autozone and it was very good quality - fairly impressed with it as all-brass vs. plastic side tanks, and the price was decent (around $350).

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by 72SB

assuming you do need a radiator, check your local chain auto part store as often they have lifetime warranty and their $ are generally lower for "store label" parts. Granted those kind of parts are not the best but returns for warranty are typically no hassle

Good idea. I bought an aluminum radiator for an 82 C10 from O'Reillys Auto for around $120. It fit great, worked great, and had a lifetime warranty. That was back around 2015, so prices have gone up for sure.

[Loose Screw]

Ok so I'm going to be using that built in automatic transmission tank that's built into my New radiator instead of that add on one that was held on with some sort of long plastic push pins that came on my FrankenTruck.

So what do I somehow cap off the bottom port and fill that tank up thru the top port and then real quick connect the bottom port into the trans?

What's that funky Lokar dipstick reading going to look like....

tia


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