Radiator losing coolant

[SalvadorP]

Rad is dripping a little bit. Will need to solve in the near future. Is it better to buy an aftermarket one or to refurbish mine? Mine is oem but has been refurbished in the past at least once, I believe 7 years ago if I remember correctly.

[Forrest]

Nissens radiators are generally good and seem to last well. They are cheaper than OEM and widely available. Make sure you get the right one for your car to ensure a trouble-free fit.

It has never occurred to me to have the OEM radiator repaired. Mine have always failed on the plastic end tanks which I assume have a finite lifetime.

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by Forrest

Nissens radiators are generally good and seem to last well. They are cheaper than OEM and widely available. Make sure you get the right one for your car to ensure a trouble-free fit.

It has never occurred to me to have the OEM radiator repaired. Mine have always failed on the plastic end tanks which I assume have a finite lifetime.

Honestly I don't know the anatomy of a rad, so I don't know what the "plastic ends" mean. Does it mean the edges on borh sides?
Mine is leaking right on the right side if you are standing in front of the car, somewhere behind that cover on the edge of the rad there must be a small leak.

I didn't order for it to be repaired myself. I know it has been repaired from the list of parts/repairs I got from the volvo delearship when I bought the car. (the owner brought the car to the same dealership he bought it from, for 25 years, and they gave me the excell sheet) There is a rad refurbishing in there in 2017 or so.
But I know in portugal at least it is usual to repair rads, at least when they have a puncture. The "plastic end" you are refering to is unrepairable?

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by Forrest

Nissens radiators are generally good and seem to last well. They are cheaper than OEM and widely available. Make sure you get the right one for your car to ensure a trouble-free fit.

It has never occurred to me to have the OEM radiator repaired. Mine have always failed on the plastic end tanks which I assume have a finite lifetime.

btw, does having AC make any difference? I see some rads that mention no AC, other say with or without.

[Rversteeg]

Both radiators will probably fit, but having an AC means that there is a condensor placed in front of the radiator. The radiator therefore gets slighly warmer air than without AC. To compensate, the AC radiator is therefore higher and when installed, will stick deeper through the mounting support.
In the Portugues climate I would choose the AC version.

[Forrest]

I am fairly confident the Nissens radiator you will need for a late model manual car with a/c is 65531A. You may find 65542A more readily available. The latter is the automatic version with the integral transmission fluid cooler. You can use this on a manual. Just leave the cooler open and unconnected. The core dimensions on both should be 590 x 498 x 32 mm.

As already stated, the a/c radiators are larger than those designed for non-a/c cars. Your most reliable way to ensure compatibility and a good fit is to try and measure the core size of your existing radiator and compare it to the one you're thinking of buying. This can be a bit fiddly because it is hard to see the edges of the core with the radiator installed and there is a bit of variation in how non-OEM suppliers quote the dimensions.

The Nissens radiators are good quality and the only way I've spotted that they are in any way inferior to OEM is that they don't have copper inserts in the plastic hose spiggots. If you don't go mental tightening the hose clips this shouldn't be an issue.

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by Forrest

I am fairly confident the Nissens radiator you will need for a late model manual car with a/c is 65531A. You may find 65542A more readily available. The latter is the automatic version with the integral transmission fluid cooler. You can use this on a manual. Just leave the cooler open and unconnected. The core dimensions on both should be 590 x 498 x 32 mm.

As already stated, the a/c radiators are larger than those designed for non-a/c cars. Your most reliable way to ensure compatibility and a good fit is to try and measure the core size of your existing radiator and compare it to the one you're thinking of buying. This can be a bit fiddly because it is hard to see the edges of the core with the radiator installed and there is a bit of variation in how non-OEM suppliers quote the dimensions.

The Nissens radiators are good quality and the only way I've spotted that they are in any way inferior to OEM is that they don't have copper inserts in the plastic hose spiggots. If you don't go mental tightening the hose clips this shouldn't be an issue.

Originally Posted by Rversteeg

Both radiators will probably fit, but having an AC means that there is a condensor placed in front of the radiator. The radiator therefore gets slighly warmer air than without AC. To compensate, the AC radiator is therefore higher and when installed, will stick deeper through the mounting support.
In the Portugues climate I would choose the AC version.

Thanks guys. Very useful info.

[360beast]

Originally Posted by Forrest

I am fairly confident the Nissens radiator you will need for a late model manual car with a/c is 65531A. You may find 65542A more readily available. The latter is the automatic version with the integral transmission fluid cooler. You can use this on a manual. Just leave the cooler open and unconnected. The core dimensions on both should be 590 x 498 x 32 mm.

As already stated, the a/c radiators are larger than those designed for non-a/c cars. Your most reliable way to ensure compatibility and a good fit is to try and measure the core size of your existing radiator and compare it to the one you're thinking of buying. This can be a bit fiddly because it is hard to see the edges of the core with the radiator installed and there is a bit of variation in how non-OEM suppliers quote the dimensions.

The Nissens radiators are good quality and the only way I've spotted that they are in any way inferior to OEM is that they don't have copper inserts in the plastic hose spiggots. If you don't go mental tightening the hose clips this shouldn't be an issue.

Try one of these Forrest, you won't overtighten a hose clip again as the shaft flexes the tighter you go.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-...2&gad_source=1

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by 360beast

Try one of these Forrest, you won't overtighten a hose clip again as the shaft flexes the tighter you go.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-...2&gad_source=1

I have one of those on my toolbox. Mine is just an extension that can be connected to any other 1/4 tool. I use it for spaces I don't have a direct inline path, since is bends a bit. I had never thought of using it to prevent overtightening stuff. That's a good tip.