Hunted all day for a Radiator...

BluBeaSSt

TCG Elite Member
May 29, 2007
1,014
0
Kansas City Mo
For maybe the most popular vehicle sold in between 92-96 The F150. I went to o Reilly's first (before i took the truck apart) had it apart and ready to go back together in 20 mins. Put the new Radiator in and WOW its WAY to thick. So I call the O Reilly's and make sure they gave me the right number. They did and theirs no way to make this work. I take it back and the kid tell me (after they decided they didn't have what I need) that I should just try some radiator stop leak :facepalm:. So I leave there to go to Advanced... They tried selling me either another HUGE radiator or this radiator that wasn't even a cross flow style! So I then call NAPA and Carquest... both wanted 250(everywhere else wanted between 120-140) bucks and didn't even have it in stock. I end up calling auto zone... THEY HAVE ONE but it's in BS. So I drive to Blue Springs, it looks close enough to it that I buy it. Get it back to my shop and it doesn't even have the holes for my fan shroud!!! So what should of taken me an hour at max has taken me all day and I still had to fabricate on the new radiator!

Can someone tell me why it was such a pain in the dick to get a replacement radiator for a fucking FORD F150!!! I mean I could see if it was a IH Scout or some shit you never see anymore...but a F150!? REALLY!?

Sorry I had to rant to somebody.
 

Oreif

Crazy Little Child
Oct 17, 2008
1,168
2
Schaumburg
It sounds like a problem I have run into before. Some company makes a part and it is accidently listed for a different vehicle, Then everyone else list the same part incorrectly. Now you can't locate the correct part because everyone bought the wrong part for that listing.

Best bet is go to a Ford dealership and buy one from them or take the old radiator to a radiator shop and have them rebiuld it.
 

BluBeaSSt

TCG Elite Member
May 29, 2007
1,014
0
Kansas City Mo
Rad rebuilds will be around the same price as an off-the shelf...I personally would go this route or boneyard if you are coming up short. You shouldn't be fabbing on it for no good reason because of an inferior part.

I checked into it, New part was between 129-140. Most the places I called to rebuild mine was at least 300 bucks and couldn't have it done for me that day.
 

LSx S10

TCG Elite Member
Nov 15, 2007
1,264
47
Lombard, IL
I bought my rad through a guy on ebay. When i got it, it had been damaged in transit and was leaking from one of the tank seals. Every place I called wanted 50$ to fix it. I ended up just fixing it myself for free, its not very hard. If its just the seal and not the actual tank, theres no sense in replacing the whole tank. Not that i can see anyway.
 

Ron Vogel

TCG Elite Member
Jul 12, 2007
5,174
4,274
Aurora
Real Name
Ron Vogel
Plastic tank was leakin pretty good, And since it has 170K on it every radiator shop said it would be smart to replace them both now.

The tank sides are crimped on, typically a cork/rubber gasket between the tank/core is used; any they tend to fall apart.

You can probably get a new gasket for the tanks from a rad shop.
 

LSx S10

TCG Elite Member
Nov 15, 2007
1,264
47
Lombard, IL
The tank sides are crimped on, typically a cork/rubber gasket between the tank/core is used; any they tend to fall apart.

You can probably get a new gasket for the tanks from a rad shop.

exactly, all i did was bend up all the fingers, replaced the seal and then crimped them all back down with some vise grips. good as new.

did you find everything you needed at pnp??
 

Ron Vogel

TCG Elite Member
Jul 12, 2007
5,174
4,274
Aurora
Real Name
Ron Vogel
exactly, all i did was bend up all the fingers, replaced the seal and then crimped them all back down with some vise grips. good as new.

did you find everything you needed at pnp??

Yup. I got an oversized rad that had the wrong tanks on it, I swapped the tanks off the rad that came out of my car. I also swapped in a HD tranny cooler into the tank I had on the shelf while I was at it.

Even if the core pops a hole in it, it's not a bad repair. Rads are assembled with solder. It's very similar to sweating pipes for most repairs.
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 90 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant. Consider starting a new thread to get fresh replies.

Thread Info