well, everytime I start talking good about my truck, she let me down again. Started smelling antifreeze, and saw a drip underneath drivers side, thought the petcock might be leaking but further looking I found a pin hole, but anyway, Does any one have any recommendations on a replacement, the only one available around here is ORielys for about 230. bucks, Just don't want to short myself on a cheap radiator since I do some towing and all,

In the past I've always used Performance Radiator, but since I started getting serious about changing my coolant every other year, I haven't had any issues with any coolant related parts.  

If it is a small pin hole, couldn't you have it fixed rather than replace it?

 

Just looking at RockAuto.Com there are radiators for $118 to $157... Not bad..

1 hour ago, Hawkez said:

If it is a small pin hole, couldn't you have it fixed rather than replace it?

 

with 270k on it I would rather start with a new radiator, at least I know it will be clean.

Like CSM I also do regular coolant flushes and my cooling system is still spotless inside 13 years later.

1 hour ago, Hawkez said:

If it is a small pin hole, couldn't you have it fixed rather than replace it?

 

At the cost of labor, it really might not be that much different price wise. Hot tank & solder (or whatever they do on Aluminum) vs a brand new one.  

If its in the plastic tank it most likely a crack forming...

1 hour ago, Mopar1973Man said:

If its in the plastic tank it most likely a crack forming...

yep, its in the plastic

Good old "Dripley" can tell stories of how his blew the entire tank off the one side of the radiator... If its in the plastic I say replacement time. Just for the safety value.

My radiator is leaking in the same place. 

I blew the end off of mine mine pulling a 6% grade with the 5th wheel in tow on Sunday.

I found one at either Advance or Auto Zone, dont remember now. It was around $180 IIRC. It has been on around 100k now. The one in the picture had about 250k on it. Changed it out on the side of I 40. Took longer to get there than it did to change it. Quite easy to do.

3 hours ago, dripley said:

I blew the end off of mine mine pulling a 6% grade with the 5th wheel in tow on Sunday.

I found one at either Advance or Auto Zone, dont remember now. It was around $180 IIRC. It has been on around 100k now. The one in the picture had about 250k on it. Changed it out on the side of I 40. Took longer to get there than it did to change it. Quite easy to do.

thanks dripley, thats what I was wondering about, I will probably purchase the one from oriely since its the only one available with out ordering today. I was just curious about the quality, I was looking into an all alluminum but for $600.00 I will just stay with OEM and hope for the best

I think the one from oriely is made by Murray and is a three row, what ever that is worth, I don't know. So hopefully its a drop in and go

When you say all aluminum, do you the end caps also? $600 is way out there. Rock auto has them from $120 to $160. Aluminum with plastic end caps. 

I was abusing mine the day it blew. 6% grade, 15k pound trailer, 3 winter fronts on and should not have been, foot to the floor in 5th. I was getting ready to back off as the temp was reading 210 and rising When she blew. Guess I got what I asked for that day.

Mishimoto makes an all Aluminum cap and core, and I'm sure their is others too, but its not like I enter my truck in truck pulls, or pull 6 to 9% grades continuously, so The oem should do.

I have never been happy with the way my trucks temp is on a grade thats 6% or more and more than 6 or 7 miles long., it goes up to almost the red line about 210 0r 220, then I start sweating too.

All I can do is drop the trans down a gear or two and back off the accelerator a little

 

59 minutes ago, 01cummins4ever said:

it goes up to almost the red line about 210 0r 220, then I start sweating

First off... The far right tick is about 225*F coolant temp. Then of course the red tick is 240*F. I don't sweat till it leaves the operational span. Even then I've only ever reached 218*F dragging my RV over grades in 100*F heat.

 

The normal range is normal for a reason.  Part of the wild swings is the huge radiator and excessive cooling capacity. 

22 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

First off... The far right tick is about 225*F coolant temp. Then of course the red tick is 240*F. I don't sweat till it leaves the operational span. Even then I've only ever reached 218*F dragging my RV over grades in 100*F heat.

 

Your right I really didn't explain that too well. The temp will go a little to the right of the last white tick mark on steep grades with a GVW of about 18k. Still if that's operating range it seems way too hot for me. I'm hopeing the new rad. Helps on this issue. 

Ths outside of radiator had some gunk in spots that you really can't see or clean without pulling it or the shroud

3 minutes ago, 01cummins4ever said:

Your right I really didn't explain that too well. The temp will go a little to the right of the last white tick mark on steep grades with a GVW of about 18k. Still if that's operating range it seems way too hot for me. I'm hopeing the new rad. Helps on this issue. 

Ths outside of radiator had some gunk in spots that you really can't see or clean without pulling it or the shroud

Now I got to ask what is your pyrometer reading during this time? Do you even have pyrometer? Like the gent I was working with yesterday complained about the very same problem. Towing his jet boat up a steep mountain grade from the Snake River and complaining about high coolant temps. Of course he's without a pyrometer and no way to know if he's over doing it. I know for a fact a "Completely Stock" truck can exceed 1,400*F in EGT's towing heavy loads. Anything over 1,100*F in EGT's you'll see a sharp climb in coolant temperature.

My current ISSPro EV2 I programmed the warning light for 1,200*F so anything beyond that will trip the warning light. I typically back off to about 1,100*F which gives that buffer room for possible error of the pyrometer probe.

No I don't have a pyro gauge. It's on the near future list. Thinking of doing a 3 gauge pod on the pillar, maybe pyro. Trans and boost. So basically it's just guess work and experience doing what I can to lower my temps

What's the weight of your trailer?

Towing my 8,000 pound RV I can climb most 6-7% grades in 4th gear (1:1 ratio). So for your truck with automatic it would be OD OFF and you would be the same gear. Now speed wise I typically climb at about 53 MPH which is right at 2,000 RPM's. There is only a few times I've had to back down to 3rd gear and climb at 35 MPH. 

Take an example from the truckers. They don't climb grades slow because of lack of power but controlling EGT's and coolant temperatures.