Aftermarket radiator - unused outlet rubber cap cracked

[Tahoe97]

Brass fitting has 3 ribs on it so the clamp is over the top of the ribs. It is actually a brass end cap designed for PEX, 3/4 inch so it fits well inside the 5/8 heater hose.

 

[OR VietVet]

Great. Tighten clamps and should be good to go.

 

[east302]

Used something similar for my 98, it’s probably got three years and 10,000 miles on the “repair” but is starting to get gunky at the end.

I’ll probably just end up swapping it out for a Delco radiator one day. They do still make them with the correct design - no dumbass extra port to worry about.

 

[OR VietVet]

That bolt hopefully has threads all the way to the bottom of the head of the bolt. Almost like a barb. IMO, the clamp is not tight enough because a thread is ongoing unlike a barb is and if clamp is loose enough the corrosion/coolant will wick out. Plus the brass barbed fitting resists corrosion way better than a steel bolt.

 

[east302]

That bolt hopefully has threads all the way to the bottom of the head of the bolt. Almost like a barb. IMO, the clamp is not tight enough because a thread is ongoing unlike a barb is and if clamp is loose enough the corrosion/coolant will wick out. Plus the brass barbed fitting resists corrosion way better than a steel bolt.

Thanks, I’ll take a look at a brass barb for it. I was unsure of what to use at the time, but recall that it was a continuous thread.

 

[Tahoe97]

Used something similar for my 98, it’s probably got three years and 10,000 miles on the “repair” but is starting to get gunky at the end.

I’ll probably just end up swapping it out for a Delco radiator one day. They do still make them with the correct design - no dumbass extra port to worry about.

Looks like we have the same radiator. Looks like you have a brass bolt so maybe the fluid is very slowly working itself up the threads. If you replace the with bolt with SharkBite PEX 3/4" brass plug it may solve that issue. The PEX plug has 3 ribs so it is not threaded. I suspect the clamp will seal it off better against the ribs vs threads.

 

[Squirrelsmith]

All right, I'll bite, how do you weld plastic? UNIVERSAL radiators are cheaper for many reasons. Any rubber is never ever meant to last forever. Seals, molding, belts, hoses, caps......whatever, they don't last forever. It is the world we live in.

Champion radiator, its aluminum

 

[Squirrelsmith]

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