sam_adams
New Member
- Joined
- November 15, 2001
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Escanaba, Michigan
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '92 XLT
greetings, all...
Will a block heater (freeze plug or in-hose-line) help solve the radiator-leaks-when-its-10-below problem?
Recently moved to the UP here in Michigan, from Boise ID. My X ran fine in Idaho (except for that whole transmission thing...) but in the first cold snap here (-12) a couple weeks ago, I find coolant leaking from the radiator... The local shop tells me about the wonderfulness that is the plastic-and-metal radiator in my X and re-crimps it back tight. Well, its -12 this morning and there are a few drips of green under my radiator after driving to work.
The radiator-shop mechanic said it has to do with the differing expansion rates among the metal and plastic parts and the rubber seal between them. If I put in a block heater, would that keep the thing warm enough to avoid this problem? Would the freeze plug type get enough heat out to the radiator, or would an in-hose-line model be more effective?
My FIRST inclination was to REPLACE the radiator with an all-metal unit! Surely someone has produced one to resolve this ridiculous plastic radiator issue... But if a block heater will solve it, that ought to be cheaper (and have a nice warm X in the morning!
)
What do you guys in Alaska do? (I'd call my brother in North Pole, AK, but he doesn't have an X...)
Sam
Will a block heater (freeze plug or in-hose-line) help solve the radiator-leaks-when-its-10-below problem?
Recently moved to the UP here in Michigan, from Boise ID. My X ran fine in Idaho (except for that whole transmission thing...) but in the first cold snap here (-12) a couple weeks ago, I find coolant leaking from the radiator... The local shop tells me about the wonderfulness that is the plastic-and-metal radiator in my X and re-crimps it back tight. Well, its -12 this morning and there are a few drips of green under my radiator after driving to work.
The radiator-shop mechanic said it has to do with the differing expansion rates among the metal and plastic parts and the rubber seal between them. If I put in a block heater, would that keep the thing warm enough to avoid this problem? Would the freeze plug type get enough heat out to the radiator, or would an in-hose-line model be more effective?
My FIRST inclination was to REPLACE the radiator with an all-metal unit! Surely someone has produced one to resolve this ridiculous plastic radiator issue... But if a block heater will solve it, that ought to be cheaper (and have a nice warm X in the morning!
)What do you guys in Alaska do? (I'd call my brother in North Pole, AK, but he doesn't have an X...)
Sam
