Well, short version. Replacing my radiator cause of the common plastic side tank crack...

Longer version: The other night i seen a girl that was stopped in a parking lot with her hood up, so i decided to help her out. I stop. Ask her whats wrong and she said she thinks her batt is dead. I ask her to try it and it clicks several times... So i pull out the cables and hook em up. Let it sit for a sec while the dodge was running(obviously), then i rev the dodge up to around 1500 rpms and tell her to try it. Starter turns over but the car doesnt start. She says ''i think its out of gas''. So i ask her what the gauge says. She tells me its on E. Aperently she started her car and warmed it up before she drove off and ran it out of gas. Then tried to start it serveral times. Killing the batt. I wish she would have told me this. But OH WELL. So i tell her ill go get her some gas in a can. So i drove home and got the can and went to the gas station, got her 2 gallons and head back to her. Get back put 2 gallons in. I tell her to turn the key over acouple of times to get some fuel in the lines and build some pressure. Well, after doing that the batt wasnt strong enough to start the car. So i hooked the cables up again, let it sit for a sec, then revved it to around 1500 rpms and tell her to try it. The car starts right up, good for her. I tell her it was no problem and these kind of things happen. No need to pay me for the gas. She says thankyou and drives off, I look at my truck and under the bumper there is a ton of coolant on the ground. I lay on the ground look up and yep stuff is soaked with coolant and its dripping everywhere. So not knowing what it is i popped the hood and take a quick look. Couldnt see crap, Its night time and about to rain. So i jump in and look at the temp gauge(its where it always is) running nice and cool. It never climbed up, i watch my gauges like a hawk! I drove home (5 miles THANK GOD) And shut her down. Went to bed, next day i start her up let it warm up with the hood up look at the side of the rad and its wet. I got my buddy to rev it to around 1500 rpm. coolant pisses everywhere from where the plastic side tank meets the aluminum on the rad.(DRIVERS SIDE)


So, i just got back home from getting my new radiator. 159.99 + tax and got acouple of gallons of 50/50 mix coolant. The radiator came with all fittings and body bushings. I wanted an all aluminum rad. But heard some have cooling issues. So i stuck with OEM style. I know i need to flush the new rad with a water hose so i can get all the aluminum shavings out as best as i can. What about the tranny part? How can i flush that? I have nothing to really flush it with. Any idea's? Should i just run that part like it is?



Here's some pics of the new rad and what it came with






Its a pretty striaght forward job. Perty simple i think. But ive heard its a b**ch to burp the system of air. I beleive somone on here said its best to get the passenger side of the truck higher than the drivers side to bleed the system? Or is it the other way around? Any suggestions on adding coolant and burping the system? How much coolant do i need to add to begin with?

I hope i got enough coolant. I have a quart of tranny fluid also. Ive got the upper and lower rad hoses unhooked already and the radiator is drained of coolant. The coolant and washer fluid resovoir's are drained and removed from the fan shroud. Thought i would give them both a good cleaning inside since i removed them. All i need to do tomorrow is unbolt the shroud and unhook trans lines from the rad. Then unbolt and pull the rad out.

 

well the most important thing is - if you're single did you get the girl's phone number, and was she good looking ?

if the radiator is new, and the transmission ports are sealed up, all you need to do is blow it out with air. nothing else.

if your transmission cooler lines have the quick connect fittings, you'll need a 3/8" fuel line disconnect tool to remove them. you can get a plastic one at any parts store for $5 or less.

to remove the air, just leave the cap off and let it idle for awhile until the thermostat opens and circulates fluid. if some air is trapped in the heater core, it will usually work itself out in a few days. just make sure your temp gauge is normal. you might hear a little sloshing sound in the dash. park with front up, not passenger side. its not hard. you'll need about 1 gallon of antifreeze and 1 gal of distilled water (or 2 gal of 50/50)

1 qt of trans fluid will be enough. make sure its ATF+4 and nothing else.

 

get the front of the truck higher than the back, forces the air to rise and burp it self out the front.

 

I guess im set, i have a set of fuel line quick disconects tools. Thanks for the help guys.


No didnt even ask for the chicks #...But she wasnt single. She was talkin about her son and husband and where she was from and all. Got alot of info while i was hookin up cables and puttin in gas. (she talked alot) But didnt get her #.


But she was fine...

 

that is the exact spot my old one started leaking from. it was running for about 3 minutes and i was showing my air horns to someone at work, then i revved the engine a little (maybe 2k) and that is when i noticed the coolant dribbling out at the seam. its funny how so many people on here have the exact same issues with their trucks.

 

Mine happen when I was playing in the mud, noticed my temp gauge was insanely high, so I ran to advanced, got new rad + coolant, 30 min later went muddin again.

 

Just replaced mine 1 month ago,.. Leaking from the pass-side too.
Paid 154 bucks for it. Gotta love those plastic tanks!

 

This damn fuel line disconnect tool isnt workin. WTF???? The line will not release! Any help or ideas?

 

About how many miles do the trucks have when it cracks.

Aluminum not cooling as well? I have never hear that!?

 

push the line toward the radiator, push the tool into the line, then pull the line off. you might just not be hitting all the tabs with the tool also.