chi2
New Member
My radiator is leaking (verified by a pressure test) and appears to be the original radiator. Other than looking old, the rad has been thoroughly cleaned (one of the first things I did after purchasing it) and I have not had any high engine temps since cleaning the rad and replacing the coolant. Then it started leaking 
issed:... I removed it, and had it inspected: the leak is coming from a bottom tube.
From what I understand, our trucks came with four core radiators. My radiator is a four core radiator (inspected); however, when I try to order a radiator from parts stores, they all list two core radiators. Furthermore, they are all plastic/aluminum builds (as is the one from my truck). Some of the parts people say that the newer aluminum radiators cool much better than the old style, and that is why less cores are used. My father swears that copper radiator cores are better. Given the price of copper, I doubt we will see many more of these.
My options are really limited, and feedback about what to do is appreciated. Here are the options as I see them:
1) Buy from the stealership: They will sell me a new radiator for 616.00 (not including tax)- no small sum. They would not verify the core type, and only said "it would be a factory replacement"
2) Buy a replacement radiator from an online vendor for about 300.00. The brand is Proliance. This will be a two core, and it is aluminum and plastic (and looks exactly like my old one). Btw: RockAuto has a Proliance, which they list as "four core" but this is wrong info! When you cross-reference the Proliance catalog, it is a two core.
3) I can have the core rebuilt. Two shops gave me quotes for a core rebuild: 500ish and 600-700. This is about what a new GM radiator would cost.
4) My final option is to have the radiator fixed. Two radiator shops inspected the rad, and told me I should just buy a new one (they did not have any answers when I told them that I could not FIND a new rad that had the four core specs). One shop also said they could repair the leak by soldering the tube off from the tanks. Essentially, they would remove one tube (at the base) from the radiator, and this would cost 40.00.
So, basically, I'm confused about the minimum rad capacity for our trucks. Would a new two core be just as good or better than a used four core that has one tube pinched off?
Or do I subsidize the General, and buy a factory rad?
The way my father tells it, back in the day custom radiators were easy to have made. He said I could have a six core made. Sadly, I think those days are over (at least for those of us who cannot spend $1K on a custom rad..).
issed:... I removed it, and had it inspected: the leak is coming from a bottom tube. From what I understand, our trucks came with four core radiators. My radiator is a four core radiator (inspected); however, when I try to order a radiator from parts stores, they all list two core radiators. Furthermore, they are all plastic/aluminum builds (as is the one from my truck). Some of the parts people say that the newer aluminum radiators cool much better than the old style, and that is why less cores are used. My father swears that copper radiator cores are better. Given the price of copper, I doubt we will see many more of these.
My options are really limited, and feedback about what to do is appreciated. Here are the options as I see them:
1) Buy from the stealership: They will sell me a new radiator for 616.00 (not including tax)- no small sum. They would not verify the core type, and only said "it would be a factory replacement"
2) Buy a replacement radiator from an online vendor for about 300.00. The brand is Proliance. This will be a two core, and it is aluminum and plastic (and looks exactly like my old one). Btw: RockAuto has a Proliance, which they list as "four core" but this is wrong info! When you cross-reference the Proliance catalog, it is a two core.
3) I can have the core rebuilt. Two shops gave me quotes for a core rebuild: 500ish and 600-700. This is about what a new GM radiator would cost.
4) My final option is to have the radiator fixed. Two radiator shops inspected the rad, and told me I should just buy a new one (they did not have any answers when I told them that I could not FIND a new rad that had the four core specs). One shop also said they could repair the leak by soldering the tube off from the tanks. Essentially, they would remove one tube (at the base) from the radiator, and this would cost 40.00.
So, basically, I'm confused about the minimum rad capacity for our trucks. Would a new two core be just as good or better than a used four core that has one tube pinched off?
Or do I subsidize the General, and buy a factory rad?
The way my father tells it, back in the day custom radiators were easy to have made. He said I could have a six core made. Sadly, I think those days are over (at least for those of us who cannot spend $1K on a custom rad..).
