How many of you have replaced a cracked radiator?
I am wondering if this is should be part of a "voluntary" repair to prevent disaster on the road (like I had)?
Thanks!
I had to replace the raditater on the '85 once, years ago. Don't remember now why, but I think it was leaking at the seam on one side. Don't really hear of many failures on them, to be honest. Guess it would depend on the history of the car, if it is one you recently acquired. Looking down into the tank could let you know if there is a lot of corrosion on the tubes, which might be a reason to suspect a future failure.
Joel Adams
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
Thanks - my car is low miles (80K) but after 35 years finally bit the bullet and the plastic cracked. I would recommend anyone change it out as a high risk item because it is easy to change, you can get a nice upgrade and avoid a road failure/tow situation.
Back in 2011 the plastic side tank on my '96 LT4 started weeping, so I replaced it with an Eagle 2-row radiator. Minimal modification (had to trim some of the rubber cushioning/bumpers) to install. I originally wanted to get a 3-row, but it wasn't really a drop-in like the 2-row - more mods required. Thirteen years and around 95k miles later, she's still good to go.