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Old 08-09-2005, 11:46 AM
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gsodonis gsodonis is offline
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A question to PWR radiator users.

I have been running my PWR rad for about 6 months or so without any real issues - except for one. When my coolant reaches temperature and the cap's plunger opens to allow for the expansion tank to fill, coolant leaks out past the cap-to-filler neck gasket. My loss is minimal (4 - 10 oz/week), but I hate smelling that sweet coolant smell when I get out of the car. I have no leaks anywhere else - just at the cap; whatever coolant leaks ends up evaporating from dripping across the top of the hot rad.

I suspect that the threaded nipple (at the filler neck) that holds the expansion tank hose is of insufficient diameter, impeding flow of warm coolant to the expansion tank. The sealing surface for the cap gasket is really thin and the expanding coolant leaks past it. The thin gasket is also letting air get sucked in as it cools - the expansion tank stays pretty full, but the radiator header has a air gap at the top of a few ounces.

Does anyone else have this problem with the PWR rad? If so, what are the fixes? Bore out the hose nipple? New cap (non PWR supplied)? Double up on the cap-to-filler neck gasket material?

Any and all help is appreciated.
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Old 08-09-2005, 01:54 PM
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Did you get the new cap that PWR sent out? If not, that may help.
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Old 08-09-2005, 01:58 PM
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PWR Caps

Quote:
Originally Posted by ensteele
Did you get the new cap that PWR sent out? If not, that may help.
Yes I did. Both caps leak about the same. It make sense that they would as PWR spec'd them both; they probably are made of the same materials to the same specs. I'll try and dig out the stock cap that was on my plastic rad to see of that doesn't help matters. I hate to think that I have the only rad that does this.
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Old 08-09-2005, 05:29 PM
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Mine doesn't do it.
I am still using the oem cap with one ear ground off.

Have you tried blowing through your overflow hose to make sure it isn't plugged?
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Old 08-09-2005, 07:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by immortal_suby
Have you tried blowing through your overflow hose to make sure it isn't plugged?
I haven't tried that yet, but I will. The coolant flowed to the expansion tank before the rad change, but I'll double check it.
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