Check your radiator
#1
Check your radiator
My son's week old 04 F150 STX has about 700 miles. Great truck so far altho AC is marginal. Anyway, i was looking at the engine bay tonight and notice he already has 4 small dings/dents in the radiator. He only drives paved roads. Anyone else experiencing radiator dents? I was thinking of installing some kind of netting or wire mesh to keep the pebbles out but i dont want to restrict air flow to the radiator. Any ideas? thanks.
#2
#3
you can look at new truck radiators at the dealer's lot and find bent fins in the radiators-some of them quite noticeable. i'm assuming these come from handling/installation. so the ones you noticed may have already been there. i bought a piece of vinyl screening material at the hardware store to cover the front of the radiator to keep bugs out, but this probably won't help reduce the stones impact on the fins. it is easy to cut & fold under the bracing. many owners (myself included) are noticing less than impressive a/c-apparently this comes standard on fords.
Last edited by m. harris; 07-09-2004 at 01:06 AM.
#4
Not to be a jerk, but if you have A/C then you're not talking about the radiator. That's the A/C condensor... the radiator is behind it.
Anyways... I noticed the same thing. They sell a tool called a fin comb that you can probably get at Murrays or any auto parts store. They work pretty good.
This weekend I'm going to have a aluminum framed aluminum mesh screen made that fits in front of the condensor. I'm going to rivet 4 aluminum ears that fit into the 4 rubber condensor mounts to secure it in place. I was thinking about putting 1 or 2 on ebay to see if anyone else is intersted... funny that I thought about it before I read this thread.
I'll post some pictures when I get it done.
Anyways... I noticed the same thing. They sell a tool called a fin comb that you can probably get at Murrays or any auto parts store. They work pretty good.
This weekend I'm going to have a aluminum framed aluminum mesh screen made that fits in front of the condensor. I'm going to rivet 4 aluminum ears that fit into the 4 rubber condensor mounts to secure it in place. I was thinking about putting 1 or 2 on ebay to see if anyone else is intersted... funny that I thought about it before I read this thread.
I'll post some pictures when I get it done.
#6
#7
Trending Topics
#8
#9
I remember the days when your power steering pump worked all by itself, it didn't require a radiator to keep it cool. I haven't noticed any dings in the radiator yet, I do sweep out the bugs a couple times a year with a small wisk broom. Now the paint is another story, several chips I have had to touch up with the Ford supplied paint .
#11
#12
i have the honeycomb Lariat grille. they still get through. i know some people found problems with automatic car washes bending the fins with the high pressure water streams. radiators will inevitably have bent fins. i don't think it's a huge deal, but then again i am selling my truck.
the mesh netting or what baja150 is talking about sound like great ideas if you are determined to protest hte radiator.
the mesh netting or what baja150 is talking about sound like great ideas if you are determined to protest hte radiator.