As if the snowblower wasn't enough...

[JasonJ]

I guess this will be my week for fixing leaks. While at work back at the office I noticed a small puddle of green under my truck. I of course knew what that meant but I didn't want to think about it right then. When I was done for the day I fired it up and let it run to warm up, and a steady dripping of antifreeze was coming from the radiator area. I drove home and left it running and did the search with a flashlight. My truck is a 95 Ford F150, and they use an aluminum radiator with plastic sides crimped on, and it was leaking around this crimped joint all up and down the passenger side of the radiator. After a brief cuss fest I tore the fan and shroud out, unbolted the radiator, and tilted the leaking side up, leaving all hoses and tranny lines hooked up. I used a pair of vice grips and squeezed the crimp all the way up and down, front and back. That fixed it, but it prompted me to ask myself "why the heck would they build a radiator like that". Just something to remember for any 92-96 Ford trucks and Bronco owners out there....

 

[roscoe]

Re: As if the snowblower wasn't enough...

They did it that way so you would have something to....<br /><br />Fix<br />Or<br />Repair<br />Daily<br /><br />

 

[catfish1]

Re: As if the snowblower wasn't enough...

i'm impressed you were able to fix it with vise grips!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: As if the snowblower wasn't enough...

It would be easier to say C H E A P ! But I think it is a combination of things. <br /><br />Aluminum is a better conducter of heat. With today's emission requirements engines put out lot's of it.<br /><br />Aluminum is also more expensive to 'weld', hence the plastic tanks crimped to the core.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: As if the snowblower wasn't enough...

Catfish, the process was very easy. The aluminum bends very easily, I had to use care as it did not take much force to bend all those tabs. Too much force would have made things worse, I just wanted to tighten things up a bit. We'll see how long it lasts.

 

[lund17]

Re: As if the snowblower wasn't enough...

Had a '92 F150 and now own a '96. Love em both with the 4.9 six. One thing to keep in mind if you're a self fixer. Steel bolt through an aluminum housing on the alternator. Get it out now before you need to (if you can) and Nevr Seize the life out of it. Replaced one on the old truck in January(no garage). Took two hours of heat and budge-heat and budge. Just a thought.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: As if the snowblower wasn't enough...

My rig has the 5.8 liter V8, I wonder if the bolt is the same. At least I have no corrosion issues here like people do on the coasts...