Searched the forum and found a couple of replacement threads, sounds reasonably easy assuming my Grandson will be willing to help...reading that these are plastic tanks? Sound correct to you guys? If so, my question is should I replace the rad with OEM or should I go with the aluminum ones I'm seeing on Ebay?

 

Personally, I'd go with an aluminum replacement, but that's just my humble opinion ...

 

I agree with OA. If you can find a direct fit aluminum radiator, it would probably be much better than plastic.

 

yep originals have plastic end tanks

save yourself future misery and get a decent one from a real autoparts store

 

Well, the car is a 99 that makes it 13 years old. Frankly I don't think it makes any difference whether it is plastic or aluminum, but I agree if the two were sitting side by side I would pick the aluminum. But I have never replaced the plastic one a second time on anything I ever owned.
Now having said that, I recently went through this on my 94 SC2 thinking it was the radiator that was leaking. But these things have a remote fill plastic tank that is part of the cooling system thus pressurized located on the passenger side of the engine. And it has a pin hole in it caused by vibrating I guess against a bolt in the fender well. And that was the thingy that was leaking, not the OEM plastic tanked radiator.

 

K, thanks for the responses....uncljohn, I have verified that it is indeed a crack in the side seam on the passenger side tank....not leaking badly yet but there's no way in hell I am leaving it alone now that I know and the low coolant light is lighting up on the dash, doing its job and waiting for me to do mine! LOL!
Derf, can you give me your take on a "real autoparts store"? Are you talking about O'Reilly's or Autozone, something like that? Napa?
Thanks for the help, guys...
Tim

 

Get ahold of a local radiator company see what they have ... price both

 

no -- a real parts store that a dealer would source parts from; every town has a few. They tend to carry higher quality parts. I'm not suggesting to put a $300 radiator in your $1000 car, but I don't have faith in the 79.95 special either,

Maybe

Kragen Auto Parts

or some of the non-chain places in Antioch or Brentwood
(google is your friend)

 

Kragen is O'reilly in different states. To me CarQuest or Napa are the premium of chain auto parts stores. I like CarQuest personally and drive by 2 NAPA stores to get to the one I deal with. But that is personal with me, I have purchased satisfactory parts from any of them. The last 2 radiators I have purchases were plastic tanked aluminum core radiators made in china as a direct replacement part and have no complaint with them.
And it is hot here in Phoenix and that stresses the cooling system just a bit and they have worked out o.k. I am going to have to get a radiator for the street racer I am building and will probably order one from CarQuest.

 

he has o'reilly's and napa s all around him.
If I start giving him street addresses he'll think I'm stalking him

Personal choice