Yesterday I was greeted with a lovely green puddle of oily liquid in my driveway. I have a leak in the radiator. It does not appear that I have any leaking hoses. As far as I can tell, the leak appears to be coming from the upper tank (at this point I'm assuming the rubber seal between the core and upper thank has failed). My question is can the upper tank be removed and the seal changed without removing the entire radiator? Is it even worth going that route vs just replacing the entire assembly which appears to be around $200 from any auto parts store? As always, I really appreciate the feedback.




-Sapo

Even if you could obtain the seal (which you probably can't), chances are the plastic tank is failing and not the seal. It's also not a great idea to try to un-crimp the tank, most aluminum alloys fatigue very easily when re-bent. The crimps will be permanently weakened. In the old days with brass you could do that, but not now.

I guess that means the assembly comes with the plastic top and bottom tanks already on there?

Sapofeo wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:44 pm

I guess that means the assembly comes with the plastic top and bottom tanks already on there?

Yep, they're crimped at the factory. In the old days when tanks and cores were both brass, it was common for radiator shops to rebuild or re-solder them as separate entities. Nowadays the assemblies are basically non-serviceable throw aways.

Awesome. I'm fairly new to wrenching so I'm still learning. Thanks!

$88 Denso. I'd go that route

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/inf ... iator,2172

Ludeaem wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 06, 2021 3:42 pm

$88 Denso. I'd go that route

+1. Hard to go wrong with Denso parts on anything Nissan.

Irridium plugs ........ Denso get "beat-up looki'n" much much sooner than NGK ,like at 100kmi comparisons . An exception here I know , NGK is King , probly most here already knew , or figured this too ...... ???

p.s. Subject = Radiators ............. I know

macgiver wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 06, 2021 5:10 pm

Irridium plugs ........ Denso get "beat-up looki'n" much much sooner than NGK .Like 100kmi . An exception here I know ,NGK is King , probly most here already knew , or figured this too ...... ???

You want performance, or longevity? NGK's have harder electrodes and last longer, but they foul easier. Densos are softer and thin out quicker, but they produce measurably more powerful discharges. I've been using both interchangeably for years in everything from my mother-in-law's Taurus to my Kawi Vulcan and never had a lick of problems with either one. If they're a PITA to access then I use NGK for the long wear, if they're not then I go Denso for the better spark. Iridium is iridium, it's an element on the periodic table which is (ahem) public domain last time I looked. Everybody uses it, it's the underlying construction that differs from brand to brand.

I actually was going to suggest I felt Denso had slightly better response , and overall smoother - if you will, maybe ? But so slight , and I figure only my subjective , non scientific noticing this. And I started with Denso and said to myself " I feel a 'Irridium' difference ? ". Tried and also compared tried & true NGK version and I capitulated for the longevity , to extend somewhat the PITA plug changes . They are to me very close , but VStar , again you hit the nail on the head !!!!1

p.s. Radiators - I know

I ordered a Denso radiator. Already have NGK plugs. That was last month's repair. Full set of Hitachi coils too.

I also noticed the cooling fan was cracked all over so o ordered one of those too. I'm surprised it didn't come completely apart.

Sapo-
I been off the board for a while, so just saw your post.
When you get the Denso, first thing I would do is compare the aluminum cores to your (presumably) original Calsonic (nissan OE supplier). You may find that there are fewer tubes embedded in the core (even if width and thickness the same) on the Denso. I don't know this to be the case, but I DO know that when I went to replace the FGY33 rad with a Koyo (also respected japanese supplier), the Koyo had fewer tubes.
I installed it anyway....it started leaking at the top tank 2 years later.

Do you feel that having less tubes made it less efficient and caused an increase in pressure? It would stand to reason that less tubes would make for less efficiency, materials being equal. 2 Years is not nearly enough when the original has lasted 20. I purposely avoided both eBay and Rock Auto to hopefully avoid a lower quality unit. I ended up paying top dollar for the Denso from Advance Auto ($180+tax).

I believe the decrease in cooling capacity played a role. It's also true that the Koyo went x-c CA to FL in July in 105F AZ heat (and a lot of 90-100F elsewhere on the southern route), and lived for 2 years in FL with constant use of ac. On that x-c trip, the highest coolant temp I saw on the ECUtalk was 205F. But still, I was very underwhelmed with the Koyo.
I had replaced the calsonic pre-emptively at 12 years and about 100k, in preparation for that summer x-c trip. In retrospect I wish I would have kept it as a viable spare.

I got the Denso in just now and it too appears to have slightly fewer tubes. I would suspect the difference is only 3-5 but I won't know until I get the old one out. Still waiting on the antifreeze. Even driving all that way through hot areas shouldn't have caused the radiator to fail so quickly. What did you end up replacing the Koyo with?

Wow, both the denso and koyo are missing tubes.....
I used a "ready-rad" #431478--I think it was from advance (or maybe autozone can't remember). It was made in MX. But it had all the tubes.
It also lasted thru 5 more years, and another x-c FL to CA drive. Was still in the car when I sold it.

Sometimes differences in construction like that owe to different alloys being used. Keep in mind that extra tubes may mean more coolant moving through (depending on cross section) but will definitely mean either less air or less fin material. Since it's a heat exchange mechanism, the point where those graphs intersect will depend mostly on the transfer qualities of the materials used. Like everything in engineering, it's a compromise. What I will say is, no one will ever convince me that Denso engineers would skimp needlessly on anything.

I'm irrationally fond of this car so I'll let you know in 5+ years of it's still cooling.

Word is replace it with Denso? Having this same problem on my 1997, preparing for a cross-country trip this summer.
Also does anyone make radiator hoses that actually fit? I need lower hose 21503-6P001

I'm two years in on the Denso and haven't had any issues. Safe travels.

^^ this is why forums need to exist still. The idiots have gone to FB for stance life and the rational people remain with UPDATES years later. Good stuff

At this point, any of us still driving these cars have made a long term commitment (same with my MR2). I echo your opinion on the value of "local" forums. They are a more pure form of Internet that doesn't exist much anymore.

Thanks for the update Sapofeo. Going to put this job on the "sooner" to-do list. Need to make an outing to the junkyard to get some factory-style hose clamps.
I also read your thread on the plastic heater core pipes. Sounds like a total PITA.

Radiator just came through FedEx and it has numerous spots where the fins are damaged.
Would you use this or return?

I seem to remember mine having some spots like that too but that looks a bit more than mine had. I don't believe it effects the functionality unless the channels are damaged. I'm in no way an expert and only have the one experience as reference. You could contact the manufacturer and ask. The retailer may not want to admit to having to exchange it.

@Sapfeo is right, those scuffs are harmless unless they're bent enough to completely block airflow through that section. Even then, they sell fin-straightening tools you can use to simply open them back up.

Installed radiator last night. It could not be an easier job on this car. Perfect fit on the Denso. Filled it with coolant and warmed the engine up. Seems fine for now.
he leaky radiator I removed was not original, looked like some no name aftermarket. Funny how most of the things I've had to fix on this car have been repeat failures of s*** aftermarket parts installed by previous owner.

Pretty sweet setup you got in your garage. Glad it all went well!