Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => Drive train, fuel, suspension, steering & brakes => Topic started by: rwmastel on August 19, 2024, 15:28:22
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https://youtu.be/YOBbpJnA7LI?feature=shared
Do you think this radiator is salvageable? It may be factory original. It wasn't leaking when last used. Has a dent from the power steering pump. Some fins are crushed on one end. The lower hose connector is a bit crushed. I'm taking it to a good radiator shop today to see what they say.
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I think it should be ok? My understanding is that a radiatior shop would typically recore this, which I understand to mean that the whole inner section with all the fins, so 80% of what you see, would get replaced with new, and that they only re-use the top and bottom 'tanks' (R&R'd as necessary) with the connections, and the side pieces. But to be honest I never had this done so just guessing.
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I agree with Cees above. My rad was in a similar shape but had no dents and I had the whole radiator recored about 9 months ago, it cost me around £300 and was returned to me like brand new.
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My original radiator was "re-cored" during the restoration, but I don't think they did a great job. So there are good re-cores and bad ones. My car loved to get very, very hot in the heat of summer in stop and go traffic.
I sent that out in 2011 to Gernold who apparently found a guy in Maine to build cores the old fashioned way (not just buying Chinese cores off of eBay or whatever) and then attach them to the tanks to Gernold's specifications, which if anyone knows him, knows these specs are without much compromise. They did a great job. Been perfect ever since. No overheating issues or even getting too hot.
Since you aren't too far from Joe Alexander, and generally in the Columbus area (or near to it) you should give a call to Joe and ask him for a recommended radiator shop in town.
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The recommended (by Vander and Joe and another experienced collector/mechanic) radiator guy passed away this year. His two sons worked with him, one specializing as a mechanic and one as a body man. The mechanic is going to solder one side cap back on, pressure test it, and check for blockages (not sure how). VERY good price, so I'll pick it up in a few weeks. I'll spend some time straightening the "fins" to try and make it more effective.
He will not "rod out" the core, causes leaks too often. He will not re-core, he just isn't interested in providing that service.
When dropping it off, we were looking in the hose openings. In the bottom tank there was 4 or 5 things that looked like baked beans!! What could these be? Eggs? Poop? Pellets of stop leak? I wish I took a pic. I wasn't going to touch them!