Hey all I have a small crack along the bottom edge of my radiator and have tried the pour in filler stuff but no good. How had is it to replace and put in a new radiator? I can pick one up on Buyradiator.com for $118.00 with a lifetime warrenty. Anyone use this site? And anything to look out for before I start? I have 150,000 miles on her right. Why did Dodge go with a plastic radiator tank?

Thanks Hayden

 

It's easy enough to do if your a shady tree mech?
That "stop leak" stuff crap don't use it, as I've heard bad things about it.
There's two bolts on your transmission cooler with two tabs which slot into the main radiator itself to remove. There's 4 bolts to remove for the main rad. The main rad sits on two plastic locating dowels on the bottom.
From memory, I think there's another 2 small bolts for the small power steering rad at the bottom of the main rad to remove as well.
All pipe work to these ancillary radiators can be moved and pulled gently aside, to allow removal of the main radiator.
Make sure you get the correct radiator as well. Up to OEM standards. There are cheap ones but they have less cooling capacity than OEM rads.
Getting the hoses off can be a PITA as they'll have been on there for a while and get stuck on. Use a real large blade flat screwdriver and push up into the hose to break the seal when you remove the hose clamp.
Now's a great time to replace replace both coolant and hoses. Good preventative maintenance right there.
Make sure you use the OEM spec HOAT coolant and not just any coolant. These Aluminum heads need special coolant OK.
Flush your cooling system well before you put in your new rad and coolant.
The small power steering radiator at the bottom of the main rad, can also be a pig to take off if the bolts are corroded?
Should take about two hours max, taking things easy.
hope this helps?
Al.

 

Flush out that stop leak. Before your new rad install. That stuff is bad news.

 

Yeh definitely, get that rad sealer out of there, I would flush it while the old rad is still connected. this way none of it gets in your new rad.

Cant comment on your supplier, i've never heard of them. I usually get my rads from RockAuto direct replacments, so all the mounting holes match up.

I always use WaterWetter at every coolant change, just as a little extra insurance. "Never over heated in any car I used this stuff in" and my original water pump went out at 185,000 miles before needing a change.
You may want to consider replacing the thermostat while your doing all this coolant service.

HTH's

 

Yeah, never use any stop leak. You are just asking for other issues later on

 

Waterwetter is good so is Purple ice. (NAPA) made by royal purple.