Help me decide if I should buy that Aluminum Radiator
 

I have a 1992 "unmodified" Teal SVX with no filter, cooler, or anything else on the transmission. I had to add a pint of ATF last month & I'm sure it's the original fluid. It's only got 37,000 miles. I also smell antifreeze in my garage on a warm day, after a long ride. The radiator is either leaking up near the cap, or boiling there a bit, because the foam rubber near the top is wet with green fluid. It's been recently flushed and filled (last winter), but it's the original plastic multi-shaded radiator. I asked the Suby dealer to check it out & he just dumped in a can of stop leak.

I've been debating whether or not the get that new aluminum radiator for this car. The fact that it has no tranny cooler could prompt me to do this, rather than spend the money for an add-on cooler. I also have a red '94 with an "all black" plastic radiator (original, as far as I know) with 141,000 miles on it, so I figured I could uses the teally's radiator as a spare if the red one's craps out on me some day.

Sound like a good plan? Does it REALLY only take an hour or two to change the radiator on these beasts? I'm not a mechanic by any means, but I can change a thermostat, hoses, etc. and am somewhat mechanically inclined.

Cap

Yes - it is a good radiator. I'm very happy with mine. It shouldn't even take an hour to change it out the first time. Do somehting soon though - it sounds like you radiator is on it's last legs.

I would have punched him in the butt for that.
Make sure you thoroughly flush the system before putting in a new radiator. You have to get that stop leak gunk out of there.

I also recommend flushing that stuff out of the system. Is your rad already cracked? There's usually an approx 5" crack going along the top tank of the radiator.

Look closely at the top of your radiator and you'll probably see a hairline crack along the bulge in front of the filler neck that's allowing coolant to escape under pressure.

The original radiators had a screen in the transmission cooler that apparently becomes blocked easily if there's no filter upstream; all the more reason to get the old radiator out of there right away.

dcb

Best Fix: aluminum radiator (read good things about it, does anybody have pics of it, both alone and installed?)

Good Fix: swap radiators with your other SVX as soon as you can.

Home Depot Engineering Fix: drain radiator fluid. Find the top hairline crack and lightly grind the inside of the crack with a dremel (make the crack like a rounded canal). Sand the entire surface with 400 grit sandpaper, clean all dust with a cloth dampened with a bit of acetone. Mix some JB-Weld as accurately as possible and apply inside of the crack canal and all around it. Let it dry for 48 hours if possible.

The last fix is ghetto but saved me on two similar occasions... I eventually proceeded to get new radiators in those occasions, but the fix was holding up strong.

Remember (this applies mostly to performance upgrades but it's a good guideline nonetheless - don't ask me how I know): ;)

Reliable + Fast = NOT Cheap
Reliable + Cheap = NOT Fast
Fast + Cheap = NOT Reliable

Good luck,

Walter

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/files/Chris/26357.jpg
Less than an hour to install for me, probably an hour roughly.

Thanks for the advice. I probably WILL get the aluminum radiator as soon as they restock them. I looked again yesterday & could not see any crack along the top of the old one, but saw a single drop of fluid sitting on top, next to the cap. Heck, maybe it IS a bit of leakage. At any rate I can save the old radiator and use it as a spare if the one in my '94 red SVX (with 141,500 miles on it) ever fails. That one's already got a tranny cooler, and radiator bypass on it. Thanks again,
Cap

Maybe your cap is no good. Specifically the rubber gasket in it.

Try looking for a leak when the car is at normal operating temperature. The heat will expand the plastic top tank of the radiator.

Thanks for the suggestions. I never get a chance to look at this radiator when it's hot, 'cause my wife & I don't drive it much - it's only got 37,000 miles on it. But next chance I get that's what I'll do. And it would be great if the only problem was the rubber cap seal. But I'm still going to get the aluminum radiator...it's just TOO COOL.
Cap

:: Ooops... ::
 

Haha... guess what Capuano?

My radiator just failed yesterday! Go figure... I finally get my car back from one failure and something else happens...

Yesterday evening I parked in my driveway and as soon as I stepped out of the car I smelled the unmistakeable coolant fluid... hmmm not good I thought to myself. Got back to the car with a flashlight and popped the hood. A nice green line with bubbles was grinning at me from the top of the radiator. Oh well, I guess that leaving the radiator empty sitting this past month or so while I was doing my timing belt further weakened the top of the radiator.

Now I will have to use my JB Weld trick and cross my fingers for it to hold up.

What about you, how did you solve your problem?

Regards,

Walter

I coughed up the $450 for the Aluminum radiator. Sorry to hear about your dillemma, Walter, but the JB Weld option sounds like a very possible fix. If it weren't for the fact that I also need a tranny cooler on this car, it's the option I would go for. Good Luck!
Cap

Nice, I wish I could afford it, but right now it's not feasable. I will let you know and take pics anyways...

Regards,

Walter

PS= take pics of that beauty and post them when you get it!

what's up cappy? haven'theard from you lately. if you want any help with the radiator install don't be affraid to call. i can make time for my fellow svx'ers. let me know how it looks when you get it. i'd like to get one here sometime but i'll probally end up just buying a tranny cooler for 50 bucks since my cooling system looks to be quite healthy.(knock on wood) let me know buddy, Jason