the pictures arent showing up for me hydra . . .

 

Here they are. Obvious pressure build up pushed the radiator apart. It was a swollen mess indeed.









IndyD

 

WOW...I've never seen anything like that before. Pressure build up.....from what? The only thing that would cause that kind of pressure is a head gasket. the cooling system should never create that kind of pressure. pretty sure the 10 year old rubber hoses would give way first.

 

He had new hoses and a VERY tight rad cap on a new "Jegs" neck. Why? Long story but all in all it replaces the plastic neck with a metal one. I have the same thing. It is better than the plastic BUT it seems to be too thick and doesn't allow the cap to rotate or pop off from pressure. Obviously that is a pressure situation, coupled with an old, hot, softened, weakened radiator and POP!

Never seen one like that either BTW! WOW!!

IndyDurango

 

wow thats bad, an my trucks not much younger :O i think im going to have to keep an eye on that if i ever have overheating problems

 

It is actually one of those things that you want to monitor to avoid this type of problem. By the time it was caught the damage was already done.

 

Indy nailed it!

 

how many miles on your rig magic?? my truck has basically the same, but a year older and at around 90k miles, next time im home im checking into this, im a little bit scared now

 

You don't have the same neck keeping the pressure from releasing. Don't be (as) worried. I have NEVER seen one do this... and I have the same same neck but with an all new rad.

IndyD

 

Like Indy says, if you dont have the Jegs Neck then you are probably fine, but one of my old co-workers mentioned that DEXCOOL (ORANGE) coolant has a way of gumming up radiators and head gaskets, that maybe something to watch out for. When the new radiator was installed the mileage was just over 111K. I wouldnt get scared but be cautious and if you do overheat go back to the basics.


SIDEBAR: THis forum has been very valuable with distrubition of information to the members and the hints are very welcome. Ultimately all repair decisions are in the hands of the owner whether it be done yourself or take it to the mechanics. A lot of stuff can be performed with simple troubleshooting, and knowledge. With the forum base here there is good knowledge of the systems and varied climates of the country to get understanding of how the D reacts in those climates. I am getting ready for my first winter up herre in the upper Midwest (Minneapolis, MN) and I have learned a lot from the forum. Some really technical, some simple and I have enjoyed the input from members. Again, the ultimate decision on how to repair is up to the owner, but there have been some good advise and recommendations here.

Thanks Guys and Gals!