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Radiator Question from Mechanically Challenged Woman

thistles

Member
Joined
January 18, 2014
Messages
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City, State
Queensland
Year, Model & Trim Level
1999 XLT 4.0 V6 Wagon
Hi
I think I need to replace my radiator as I have used that stuff to stop radiator leaks (don't you love my terminology lol). My question is if I buy a new radiator is there anything else that I should replace at the same time like hoses, etc?
Thanks for your help:D
 



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Was the radiator leaking? Since you will drain the coolant, now would be a good time to replace the thermostat too, preventative.

PS: You might need to fill in your profile the engine specs too (V8 5.0L or V6 4.0L OHV or V6 4.0L SOHC) for future questions.
 






Hi
It has been leaking. Thanks for your advice. I will fill in my profile
 






Was the radiator leaking? Since you will drain the coolant, now would be a good time to replace the thermostat too, preventative.

PS: You might need to fill in your profile the engine specs too (V8 5.0L or V6 4.0L OHV or V6 4.0L SOHC) for future questions.


This, and hoses as well.

Never be a better time to take care of all of this. You'll have plenty of room, and not a lot of waste of coolant. (Ever replace a radiator, only to have a hose fail a few months later?)

S-
 






(Ever replace a radiator, only to have a hose fail a few months later?)

It is a known fact that on old car cooling systems that replacing or repairing a leaking item, which has been a pressure relief for the whole system, the next weakest part will fail. Thinking you are doing your old car a favor by installing a new radiator cap may cause a heater core to start leaking or blow out a hose as the old cap has not held proper pressure for years and now you are applying 13-16 lbs of pressure it is not used to. Water pump seals, thermostat gaskets, and even intake gaskets can leak. These cars are nearing 30 years old it is just good practice to replace most of the system at the same time. They were all put on the car at the same time originally.

Most of the cooling system stop leaks do not work well in plastic tank, aluminum core radiators because they are trying to stop the leaks between the header seal. There are three different materials aluminum, plastic, and rubber making up the header sealing area and because they each have different thermal expansion rates all of these things are in a constant state of movement. Stop leak trying to plug one type of material to the same material can and does work more efficiently.
 






Hi
Thanks for your reply. Are you saying that I should replace the water pump seals, thermostat gaskets, intake gaskets and header seals and thermostat as well as various hoses?
Thanks
 






Hi
Thanks for your reply. Are you saying that I should replace the water pump seals, thermostat gaskets, intake gaskets and header seals and thermostat as well as various hoses?
Thanks

For future refrence, it's unnecessary to start multiple threads. Just ask multiple questions within one.

It's also unnecessary to replace all those gaskets just because you're replacing the radiator. It's not a bad idea to replace the thermostat and hoses. However they don't HAVE to be replaced, unless of course they give ya problems.
When replacing parts you gotta stop at some point. Intake gaskets turns into valve cover gaskets. While those are off might as well do rockers and pushrods. Gonna need an oil change now... and well I think you get my point.
Are you replacing the radiator yourself or having a shop do it?
 






Hi
Am I replying the wrong way by hitting reply?

The various questions I've posted were posted at different times because I didn't think of them all at once.

A shop will do the radiator, don't have the confidence to try that one by myself even with u-tube
 






Hi

A shop will do the radiator, don't have the confidence to try that one by myself even with u-tube

Too bad you're so far away, I have a radiator here and I'd be able to help you install it.
It's pretty easy, I can't think how you'd stuff it up.

Put a little more detail in the engine specs, there's 2 different 4.0 V6s.
 






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