Wow... Rad Disintegration

[BiG_TaNk]

So a couple weeks ago my 92 RML started wanting to overheat fairly quickly.. I'd say with in 10 to 15 minutes of driving, the temp gauge would be almost at the red but I would stop driving it before it completely overheats, tho once I did hear the coolant boiling.. So I started doing some troubleshooting and replaced the thermostat and the radiator cap but to no avail.. So a couple days ago I take the fan shroud off to inspect the radiator for leaves and debris and what I found surprised me... I looked at the top of the radiator and can see at least 4 different types of oxidization.. The fins looked plugged beyond belief and what really shocked me is when I lightly touched the upper fins with my finger, they basically disintegrated like a wet paper bag... This thing looked ancient, i couldn't believe how bad it looked... After seeing that it was obvious the radiator is causing the problem.. It must of have finally bit the dust.. I'm really surprised it worked for as long as it did..



So my question is, where would you guys advise me to get a new radiator from? I searched the forum and seen you guys say radiator.com but then I seen people say radiators.com with an s... so which one is it?

 

[TheMasterPing]

I have ordered from Radiator Barn before for a different vehicle and was happy with the speed and packaging. There are a lot of those sites out there to pick from.

 

[BiG_TaNk]

Thx for the suggestion, seems actually like a good site.. still can anyone tell me which one it is? radiator.com or radiators.com a simple question really.. Anyone know what kind or brand radiators these sites use? or why they don't seem to tell you?

 

[The Roadagon]

My 2 cents,I would try and buy a GM radiator. I dont know if Buick still
offers them new,however,if so they would be pretty expensive. I would try and
buy a good used GM radiator. Take it to a radiator shop have it cleaned
and or flushed and pressure tested for leaks. Once you get it back,you
can be assured that you will have a good unit. I believe all the stuff that
you see on flea bay is off shore,probably asia. ed

 

[Al H.]

Go to Rockauto and there are a couple brands including the ACDelco unit shown for comparison.
The GM radiator is 262 bucks , it's aluminum with plastic tanks like the less expensive ones so not sure if it's any better or just more expensive than the others because it says AC Delco.



http://www.rockauto.com/

 

[warwagon]

For anyone interested if you need a radiator for one of these cars I'd seriously consider having a radiator repair shop re-core your old one if it's the original copper/brass design.It's nearly impossible to find a quality replacement that's not plastic.Call me old school but I still think metal is best!

 

[The Roadagon]

For anyone interested if you need a radiator for one of these cars I'd seriously consider having a radiator repair shop re-core your old one if it's the original copper/brass design.It's nearly impossible to find a quality replacement that's not plastic.Call me old school but I still think metal is best!

Warwagon, I believe my 96 wagon has the orig. radiator in place. It appears to be aluminum with plastic side tanks. Now do you know for sure
if all the roadys came equipped with the copper style & metal tanks for 96? ed

 

[frostydevil]

Call LKQ in hustisford wi. They will no doubt have a used one. Thats where i got my replacement anyway - (been two 1/2 years now)

 

[paart]

I replaced my leaking radiator about a year ago. I was lucky enough to get a Delco at a great price from the "Partsladi" before she went out of business. When I removed the old one, I could not believe how badly the core had distorted! The bottom center had sagged nearly an inch! Aren't aluminum radiators wonderful?