Ugh. Wife's car is in for rusted brake lines, and is hunting season, so work going slowly while mechanics vacation & fail to find deer.

Dropped by the shop to check on car status, walked back to truck, saw dripping green. Investigation this morning in better light says that the leak is on the input side of the radiator, either with cracked plastic (can't see a crack) or at the metal/plastic join.

4.9L I-6, "tow package" (supposed to be HD radiator), manual, 180K, 1995, 4WD, air conditioning.

Thoughts on various stop-leak products and these new-fangled partly plastic radiators? I know some people don't like any form of stop leak for any reason, but I've had it work on old all-metal radiators without any evident problems for the rest of the cooling system.

Thoughts on radiator replacement (looks like the air conditioning condenser being on the front of the radiator is going to complicate that process). I've read through old posts on the subject and found radiator express as a parts source from that, but have not seen any direct commentary on the PITA value of doing the change-out with air-conditioning.

Truck has also been making a motor-varying buzzing sound. That appeared to be low power steering fluid, once I finally thought to look at that.

Ugh.

 

A/C has no effect on the removal of the radiator. I swapped out mine for an all brass one about a year ago, and love it. The swap is simple. Unbolt the shroud, and hang it on the fan, undo the hoses, and pull the radiator out. Simple. Really simple.

As far as stop leak goes, pepper works better, but nothing is going to work if it's leaking where you said it is.

 

Thanks - Without getting it apart, at which point I'd already be committed ;-) I could not tell if they were fastened to each other (rad and a/c). Good to hear that they are not, I think I'll tackle this one myself, then.

Now for the big clean bucket (coolant is all of 3 months old).

 

Not to bad of a job at all. Although it is simpler in my 92 as I didn't have to full around with tranny cooler lines.

Adrianspeeder

 

Get a couple big towels, too. The one thing I can't stand about my truck is the way the pet**** on the radiator is designed. There's just no way to drain the radiator without making a mess. lol.

You won't have any trouble at all, it really is a very easy, albeit messy, job.




He's got a 5 speed.

 

Ooops, see that now Gonna be a straight forward job for ya Ecnerwal.

Adrianspeeder