ZZP Radiator!!!

after 200,000+ miles I am thinking about replacing my radiator as PM. Any thoughts on this?

What's got me thinking is issues some folks have had with DexCool and the known corrosion buildup in aluminum radiators with time/hours of engine running/age/phase of the moon/whatever. I wonder if the problem actually is the mineral content of some tap water. Some of the tap water in our area is so hard, for instance, that when you pour it over ice you get a white mineral precipitate. It's over 30 grains hardness.

Anyway - When I was a little kid I remember some engines were routinely topped off with just water, people used distilled water in the radiator and battery. Water distillation was helpful for the radiator and essential for the battery, as I recall. So nowadays when I buy DexCool to top off or change coolant I use either distilled water (bought a gallon at a time from WalMart or local grocery) or condensate from a dehumidifier for the coolant mix. It's just habit. I go ahead and pour 1/2 of DexCool into an empty bottle then top both bottles off with 1/2 gal each of condensate water. What I've noticed is I just don't have deposit problems. Now that I have hit 200,000 miles it's approaching time for a second coolant change for my car -- and the coolant really does not look or smell like it's got a problem. Then again I don't know that I can tell anything by look or smell.

This all got me thinking that maybe the consistent problem with DexCool is not the coolant but the variability in mineral content of tap water?!? Only way to really find out would be to take that temp sender and scrape the red off and use a mass spectrometer to figure out what it (the red stuff) is.

I bet it's mineral deposits.

Anyway, as for the radiator I just noticed that on hot summer days (over 85 F) when I got my riv it never ran warmer than 1/2 way up the temp gauge but now on hot days pulling up a hill it will run a tick or two above center.

Comments please? What's your experience? Should I replace the radiator, look for a potential different problem, or ignore this warmer running as normal?

Albertj

It's not a preventative type of item. You could take it to a radiator shop and have it tested, mine was leaking and it had a crack in the plastic tank, they replaced the tank and cleaned the whole thing for $80.

Change your coolant frequently instead of flushing, like annually, and add some RMI25 if you are worried about gunky buildup. That stuff will clean what's there plus keep it in nice condition inside.

Derek: How long have you used RMI-25?

For the rest of you: I found this on an AMSOil reseller site, http://www.technilube.com/rmi25/index.php:

RMI-25 restores the additive package to your antifreeze. RMI-25 is a liquid consisting of a pH Stabilizer for acid/alkaline balance, an Oxygen Scavenger to prevent cavitation, erosion and cylinder pitting. A Lubricant for seals, hoses and water pumps. A Cleaner that breaks down rust, scale and corrosive deposits. These deposits are changed from solids to a soft floating harmless gel-like material. These dissolved solids will not recombine or form blockages in the cooling system. After a period of time the dissolved solids will purge out of the system and into the coolant recovery tank. In the case of vehicles with coolant filters the dissolved materials will trap in the filter. In a couple weeks of driving a dirty system will be nearly clean. This cleaning action is continuous when engine is in operation. Once clean metal status is reached an organic barrier is then formed on the clean metal preventing further contamination. Water Conditioning is accomplished by a surfactant agent, improving heat transfer, making water a more efficient than coolant itself.

Supposedly RMI-25 takes a while to work and might detach gunk from the system for many miles - see postings on turbobuick: http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/turbo-lounge/102921-rust-problem-rmi-25-a.html

I wonder if this stuff purges the ground walnut shells that are part of the factory fill on some cars (remember the factory-added Stop-Leak thread?)

Albertj

about 10 years. My brother gets it. It's only available online or at some truck stops that I've ever known. The cars I have used it in, the coolant passages have always looked totally clean when I have taken things back apart.

deekster_caddy wrote:

It's only available online or at some truck stops that I've ever known.

Or direct from the guy in Arizona.

evans npg works too. it costs around $40 a gallon but i hear good things about it! evanscoolingsystems.com it doesnt use water and is supposed to bring down temps and reduce knock. so expensive though!

Just found that the plastic tank on the driver side of the radiator has a pinhole leak. What kind of place did you bring your car to, Derek? I really would like to avoid spending $$$ on fixing this.

if the radiator has good flow and is clean , why dont u just jb weld it if money is tight? man..ive seen radiators with 1/8 " holes in the tanks,in the summer, get pluged with jb and do another 10 thou before replacement.

DEMonte1997 wrote:

Just found that the plastic tank on the driver side of the radiator has a pinhole leak. What kind of place did you bring your car to, Derek? I really would like to avoid spending $$$ on fixing this.

I brought it to a radiator shop... not the whole car, just the radiator. Check your local yellow pages.

Oh wait, it's you your in CT right... well the place I brought mine was Radiator King in Middleton, MA. It's a bit of a hike for you I'm sure, but she does fantastic work.

JB Weld is a good idea. I have some of that laying around. Now to just get the radiator out of the car. Ugh....