after a 4 hour drive i got stuck in traffic yesterday when i got back in town and my 2000 1500 overheated.
spewed out the top corner of radiator...not top hose, but up from lower or transmission hose area i think.
put water in and let it cool for half hour and had to stop again after standing at a red light a mile from home.

i was told after my last service that there was a little water on the engine.
does this likely mean my water got too low...it overheated and possibly blew out one of the hose seals...pushed it off the nipple...or possibly something worse?

i'd like to diy if possible.
if not, my mechanic is 6 miles away through a bunch of red lights and i'm worried about trying to get it there.

 

Turn your heater on full blast and drive with windows down.. and watch it closely.

 

actually looks to be leaking at the seam of the plastic and aluminum.
do i jb weld it?

 

If thats the case, your best bet is to replace the rad.

 

I agree. Replace the radiator.

Tip: Never, never, ever, ever...ever, fix any system that houses engine oil, engine coolant, or transmission fluid...with JB Weld. Ever. Just plan on doing it right the first time any of those issues pop up.

As far as the radiator it's not too bad of a job. You can try a used one from a salvage yard to save a little but might end up fixing it again sooner than later. New ones aren't cheap, but they do come with a new warranty and it'll likely be in the truck longer than you own said truck.

Do a search with words like 'replace' and 'radiator' and start reading thread titles looking for similar situations. It happens enough you should find plenty of threads. Just be prepared to look at more than just the first few pages of results. 5 - 10 pages of results are normal so plan for enough time to look through them carefully.

Once you know what to do it'll be fairly easy and you can always post a thread with questions specific to you and we can work through them with you.

 

would you recommend trying out a sealer first or is that likely to lead to more damage on the pump etc.

is changing the radiator as simple as mounting and connecting tubes.
i think i know the trick for getting off the transmission hose with a piece of plastic. are there other hacks i need to learn or tools i need to have?
looks like about $150 to order one online. if that's all i need and it's pretty easy to do i'll just go for that...if a sealer is out of the question.

 

Skip the sealer. As far as a piece of plastic on the transmission tubes...just get the correct universal tool at the parts store. They're only a few bucks and they work on all tubes of tube locks found on fuel systems and such so it's something you'll use a lot.

You'll have to remove the shroud and to do that you'll need to remove the fan / clutch from the water pump. That'll be the worst part of the project...that, and draining the radiator without making a mess.

Be careful when removing the washer and overflow tanks...they can crack if they're brittle.

 

I would just unbolt the shroud, and set it back on the fan.... just leave that all in place. It won't be in the way there.

 

ok. so i guess i'll get a radiator.
but, there was a slow leak somewhere that caused it to loose coolant. i don't want to blow a brand new radiator. there was water showing up on the engine on the passenger side. what should i do to test it?

and do you recommend any particular internet store for the radiator?

appreciate the help.

 

and should i get the OE or should i get one of the cheaper ones that claims it's 40% stronger because it uses steel tabs?
ebay?