Aftermarket radiators can be a pain

[kelly1]

Just spent 2 hours installing a napa radiator in my 1997 tahoe and then another 2 hours trying to get the dang tranny cooler lines to quit leaking. I failed. Sometimes I hate how poorly designed aftermarket stuff can be but I'm money poor and time rich. Since I need it early monday morning, it's off to o'reilly to see if they have a better design. napa will be getting theirs back.

This radiator came with large fittings already screwed into the ports for the oil cooler lines and tranny cooler lines. Instructions said absolutely don't remove them. Then my stuff was supposed to screw into them. Yet another place for something to leak. On the tranny cooler side, the flare inside the fitting wasn't built to properly mate up with the flare on my factory tranny lines...hence the leak. Of course, the rad came with brass adapter fittings to screw into the fittings already in the rad, but they were for a smaller size tranny line.

That means I'd also have to bend my hard line back about an inch AND it would be another place for something to leak when using the addt'l adapter. I'm laughing now and hoping the o'reilly radiator (different brand) will be like the factory rad. Wish me luck!

 

[SunlitComet]

if not Amazon has got your back with delphi units.

 

[WalterMitty]

I got my radiator from O'Reilly and have had the same trans line leak issue.

 

[SunlitComet]

I thought there were supposed to be QD's at the radiator as per the manual?

 

[WalterMitty]

Not on mine, standard flared ends with threaded flare nuts. If there's a conversion or something better, school me and I'll buy it.

 

[Ceejkay]

I got my radiator from O'Reilly and have had the same trans line leak issue.

same here.. took me a few but i finally got it to quit leakin

 

[kelly1]

THe two tahoes I've owned and at least 3 other obs chevy trucks my dad and brother have owned, have all been flared end with threaded nut that went into the trans cooler..fwiw.

Anyway, guy at O'reilly was real nice. He had a few of the murray hd rad in stock. He showed them to me and said their radiator supplier had got bought out by a cheaper company and the rads that had been re-labeled on the box were junk. He had one box that was still the original supplier. I checked it out and it was heavier (as far as weight) compared to the others and looked factory original on how the lines all hooked up.

I installed it and nothing has leaked after a long warm up and 8 mile test drive. I'm happy. We'll see how long it holds up. Thanks again!

 

[SunlitComet]

Hmmm... Maybe not on the hoes then. manual says all Chevrolet and GMC C/K, S/T, M/L, G Models.

---------- Post added at 07:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:21 PM ----------

Then again I have a OEM two core rad which is not normal install either. I don't think.

 

[Phone Man]

I had bought a radiator off ebay after a lot of looking around. It's all aluminum with tig welded aluminum side tanks. No crimp on plastic BS. It is an awesome radiator. I know there is a lot of crap out there but this one was worth every penny. No leaks and cools like a MF.