aegea

How do I STOP RADIATOR LEAK above Upper Hose in Plastic side core????



Is there an effective stop leak for cracks in plastic? Do I need to replace the radiator? Could I have installed the upper radiator hose wrong? The picture shows the leak may be in the plastic above the radiator hose. Is this a common failure point?

See the other picture that shows the funky radiator hose connector elbow instead of the standard hose clamp. I replaced the hose. It still leaks. Closer examination seems to show a leak in the radiator/not the connection.

Here is a link to changing the upper radiator hose. It is not as hard to change as this guy made it. You just pry the wire connector down to the stop, use a big screwdriver at the edge of the hose, and pry it loose to remove it.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/s...0&action=click

above is radiator hose upper replacement video

FxFormat

I had the same leak, ended up having to replace the radiator, its' very simple, just buy one online and do it yourself, took me 2 hours on an SL600, for a 500 with much more room, i can't see it being anymore than 1.5 hours.

aegea

Thanks… It is good to confirm this crack problem. Maybe people pull up and down on the hose trying to free it, and leverage the plastic into cracking. I tried Bar’s Leaks Radiator Stop Leak before I installed the new hose. So, I am ready to buy a new radiator.
Is there a good link for replacing the radiator?

FxFormat

The hose is on there very tight because of the friction of that oring, so when people come to remove that hose, they usually wedge a prybar against that and push into the plastic tank weakening it overtime.

aegea

Good to know… I just ordered the least expensive confirmed fit radiator on ebay. Are those 2 attached lines for transmission fluid? Do I remove the fan shroud?.. remove lines and hoses?… leave the fan attached to the radiator, and pull the radiator?

FxFormat

Yup there are trans fluid line going into the 2 ports on the radiator. To remove radiator, you have to remove the plastic cover above the assembly, remove the fan, there are just 2 bolts holding the fan in, after you remove the upper trans line you can easily remove the fan. There is a large connector that goes to the fan, it should wiggle out. Once it's out, i suggest you trim off 1/2" of the pegs on each side, it'll make removing and installing the fan much easier later on. It doesn't need to be that big to begin with.

aegea

I replaced the radiator and upper hose. If I find a crack in the radiator, I may not have needed the hose. The lower hose has that wire clip connector. The male sleeve has a groove into which the wire clips. I heard 2 clicks as I pushed on each connector. See the picture for wire clip connectors.