Leaking Radiator / Thermostat replacement / R16 Hoses

[Terry Z]

Glad it worked out for you. I was not sure about it fitting other models.

[bikermike]

I flushed the system. Some fine rust particles came out, but not much else. The block drain was clear.

Maybe the Goodyear 61167 hose is a little shorter than the Gates 21162. When I cut it as described earlier in the thread, the short elbow portion for the top seemed a bit too short and I could have used an extra 1/4" or so on the bottom hose, but the bottom hose was usable as I had cut it. I had to twist it a bit to clear the lower pulley and belt since it wasn't molded exactly as the original hose.

After cutting:

hose2.JPG

Comparison to stock hose:

hose1.JPG

For the top I used the Dayco 70704.
Comparison to stock hose:

hose4.JPG

hose3.JPG

Since I don't have one of these cool funnels...

http://311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f= ... el#p165823

and since I had the thermostat out, I decided to reduce the potential for trapped air bubbles by filling the radiator (put the top hose on with the open end pointing to the sky and then by adding some more via the hole for the thermostat to a level just below the thermostat before installing the tower. Making sure the sealing surfaces were clean and dry I used new gaskets and sealant to finish the job. Oh yeah...and some anti seize on the studs. Allowing some time for the sealant to dry, I topped the system off while the car was running after the thermostat opened.

I was out driving in the mtns this evening in 80* heat. I didn't finish working on the car in time to drive uphill in today's 100* peak temps.

No leaks. Normal 190* running temps with 50/50 mix and 180* t-stat. So far, so good.

Here is a plug for the radiator shop I found:
King's Radiator in San Jose, CA. Ask for Erick.
http://www.kingsradiator.com/
He has a small shop with low overhead and does good work.

[bikermike]

I don't have the part number for the core that was used. I'll try getting that info and posting here later.

Here are the specs:
Width: 15.125"
Height: 14.25" (inner dimensions between top and bottom plate)
Tubes: 3 rows of 26 tubes each
Fins: 16 fins / inch along the tubes (normal fin density is 12 / inch - this what was in the car when I bought it, so I just matched it for the new core)

Radiator Photo Album

Before:

old rad1.JPG

old rad2.JPG

old rad3.JPG

Old core: Note the build up of what looks like mineral deposits. Distilled water is a good thing.

old core3.JPG

old core1.JPG

old core2.JPG

Not my core, but a side by side example of old vs new.

core comp.JPG

And finally, the finished product - hopefully good for another 20 years.

new rad1.JPG

new rad2.JPG

new rad3.JPG

[bikermike]

And some thermostat pics...

tstat1.JPG

tstat2.JPG

tstat3.JPG

Note the off center design and the "jiggle pin" to help bleed air when the thermostat is closed

I did compare this 45848 "Superstat" to the one I removed. It is a beefier unit as indicated in their product specs:
http://www.311s.org/pmwiki-311/pmwiki.p ... mostatInfo
http://stant.com/consumer-products/superstat-thermostat

[bikermike]

The radiator shop posted a video of my re-core.
Check out from 0:18 to 0:58

[youtube][/youtube]

...and from 0:26 to 1:00
[youtube][/youtube]