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Aluma seal or bars leaks ? ? ? ?

MrMarty51

MrMarty51

Well-Known Member
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Location
Miles City, Montana
Yessterday, running chores.
Man at tire Rama tells me he seen a drip from under my truck.
I’m watching out for this in my travels. Drips out the left side like coming from the radiator drain cock.
Put truck in garage, relieve pressure, this morning small puddle under right side.
Install coolant system pressure tester, pump it to about 12PSI. No leeeks.
Remove top shroud, fan and bottom shroud.
Lower radiator hose dry.
Lower right corner of the aluminum Champion radiator.
IMG_6492.jpeg
I have used both products, aluma seal and bars leaks before.
Aluma seal i always buy in powder form. Mix about a half of one of those tubes with coolant, thoroughly stir and add to operating temp engine, install cap and run it.
Any opinions on which would be best on this aluminum radiator ?
It does have @Twisted Steel Performance thermal coating applied.
I cant afford to have this truck down any more than what its already been.
Thanks is advance for any opinions.
 
Either one is likely to cause damage in the form of plugging up things you don't want plugged up, long term. If you need the truck right away then I would replace the offending part rather than pour either chemical in. Then you can address any potential warranty issues with the leaking part in due time if it qualifies.
 
Twisted Steel Performance said:
You can call them and they will warranty it... I would need the purchase date to start a warranty. Either way you would need to know the purchase date...
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I can not find my receipt. 😢😭
Went through everything I have here and it is just not within my grasp.
I did find in my log book.
7/3/2021 installed new radiator from Twisted Steel Performance.
I’m still not sure on the purchase date though.🤷
 
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Truck is back together.
No sealer has been added.
Topped the radiator and going to run with the cap loose until I gettit figgered out.
Got into the credit card statements and was able to pull up the purchase from 2021.
 
No more drips under the truck.
I’ll be needing to pull a heavily loaded trailer about 60 to 70 miles before too long.
I hope its okay to haul such a load with the radiator cap loose.
Weight on the trailer will be in excess of 20,000 pounds.
Some mighty fine hills between there and here too.
Any opinions on such ? ? ? ?
 
Running with a loose cap it will push coolant out the top. I have a spare radiator here (factory plastic tanks) that is designed for the pressurized tank up on the firewall if you need it we can figure out how to get it to you. I have never tested it as it came with all the pile of parts I got with the 93 when I bought that truck.

depending on how bad it leaks under pressure and heat, I would run it under pressure as normal but just keep a couple of jugs with you on trips.

Chances are like what I have seen is it might not leak with a little heat and pressure, but once things cool and the aluminum contracts over night is when leaks happen. the timing cover on my 93 leaks against the block when it cools over night, but when running and warm it doesn't leak!
 
Working the engine that hard you're going to want the cap pressurized. One of the main functions of a pressurized system is to help with the coolant not boiling in localized hot spots. Even if the overall system doesn't get too hot you can still get those pockets of air
 
I’ll hold off in the loads until I get this figured out and fixed.
I was afraid of the lowered boiling points with it not being pressurized.
Got plenty to do here until that time comes to move them old dozers from up north.
And then the son bought a smaller road grader. It is over in Ohio. We will be taking five days to make that journey. That’ll be mid March if the weather holds.
It’s not northern Ohio so it might not have the lake affects snow like the more northerly portions.
 
Welp.
Be heading to ohio.
Now need better pics of the area where the radiator is leaking.
This creates a delimma. I dont have time to pull the radiator because thats the only way I can get shots from different angles of the leak.
Both upper and lower shrouds need to be removed in order to get close and its not really possible to get any other angles of the leak.
Tomorrow I’ll call the parts stores and get the price on an OE radiator and have one of those setting here when I get back.
Then install the warranted Champion unit after it gets here when I get time.
Have a spare radiator on hand too.
 
Can you stash the spare radiator and tools needed just in case you need it during the trip? I hate to think you would have to do a rad swap on the road, but would save you from being stuck somewhere!
 
dbrannon79 said:
Can you stash the spare radiator and tools needed just in case you need it during the trip? I hate to think you would have to do a rad swap on the road, but would save you from being stuck somewhere!
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We will be taking the sons 2019 Dodge 3500 on the trip.
Its after I get back that I’ll be needing my truck.
I have two old IH bull dozers to move about 65 miles. The TD-14 I knows will be right at 24,000 and the TD-15 will be over that. Not sure how much.
I’m not wanting to have to borrow my sons truck evertime I have something to move.
I’ve spent the money right on this truck so it should be able to handle anything I load it down with.
 
Chris had sent me an email stating what Champion requested before they would warranty the radiator.
Below is that list.
1. Picture of the front and back of the radiator (must show the whole radiator in both pictures)

2. Picture of the defect area

3. Picture of the serial number

I will see what it will take for Oriellys to get in a Murray for $309.00 and the website Says its available within 24 to 48 hours. I’ll install that Murray and run it.
Then I’ll have a spare, and, Champion allows only one warranty claim per radiator so if the new warranted radiator developes a leak then I’m SOL as far as any further warranties is concerned. 🤷😹
But then too, to spend the extra $275.00 to get the thermal coating done on this warranted Champion radiator is a decision I’ll need to make but most likely I will doooohdat. 🤷😹😹😹
 
One would think Champion would stand behind their stuff a little more, like offering to continue warranty for a small extra nominal fee when one is warrantied out. other places do this and the fee is kinda like an insurance for the part.

I would be nice if someone made replacement tanks for the plastic ones out of aluminum. on my 95 not long after I bought it, the water neck on the upper hose cracked. rather than replace the whole thing, I found a place that sold replacement plastic tanks. our local rad shop couldn't get a tank for it at the time. So I ordered that tank and then took it to them and had them replace the tank along with cleaning it out. there are companies that make the tanks and have the blueprint drawings on those tanks. why not aluminum. then if a leak sprouts on the core to tank, they can be repaired by removing the tank and welding up that leak from the inside.
 
dbrannon79 said:
One would think Champion would stand behind their stuff a little more, like offering to continue warranty for a small extra nominal fee when one is warrantied out. other places do this and the fee is kinda like an insurance for the part.

I would be nice if someone made replacement tanks for the plastic ones out of aluminum. on my 95 not long after I bought it, the water neck on the upper hose cracked. rather than replace the whole thing, I found a place that sold replacement plastic tanks. our local rad shop couldn't get a tank for it at the time. So I ordered that tank and then took it to them and had them replace the tank along with cleaning it out. there are companies that make the tanks and have the blueprint drawings on those tanks. why not aluminum. then if a leak sprouts on the core to tank, they can be repaired by removing the tank and welding up that leak from the inside.
Click to expand...
I did have a plastic tank radiator that had a slight seep. After I got this Champion unit and that other tank set around the shop for long enough that I finally knocked it apart and hauled the aluminum to the recycler.
I should not have done that, I was thinking with this real nice Champion in place that I was set for long as I live.
Nothing lasts forever except Me. 🤷😹😹😹
 
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