aluminium + plastic end-tank rad vs copper/brass ones

This has been the standard replacemnet tank for many years here in the U.S.. While I haven't used one in a Saab, I've had them in my Ford F-150 (my working truck), 2002 Buick Regal, and about 6 other vehicles that I have owned. Only the Daewoo Leganza I owned had any trouble with plastic embrittlement. Pay attention to the amount of compression you put on with the hose clamps. Also look to see if the the hose fittings on the tank have been moved significantly. Older radiators used lead solder and chemical cleanings that are hard to use nowadays. If the core springs a leak on the aluminum tank, it can use the old plastic tanks and be reinstalled on a new core. Note: passageways in aluminum cores tend to be smaller than the older brass cores, and the bendover tabs that hold the plastic tank on are bent using a bending tool to set the compression on the tank seal. As you get time, read up on changing radiator tanks on the truck websites.

crwchf01 said:

Almost forgot- dissolved mineral content isn't totally from the pipes- ground water in several places I have lived have had excessive amounts of flouride (of all things), calcium, iron, arsenic (not lethal,just way over normal limits), naturally disolved minerals that were ok for human consumption, but hell on the cooling systems of cars when the heat and pressure caused them to drop out of solution and clog passages.

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Yes I'm the Craig of Craig's Classic Saab Workshop (referring to your previous message) so thankyou. The site is not up at the moment since the web server (Cobalt Raq 4i) has a defective disk and keeps giving errors. Trying to work out how to move over to a new disk.

Getting back to the topic, we have flouridated water (thanks to the government mandating that flourosilicic acid be added to all utility-supplied drinking water in NSW), but I don't know about the other minerals though being close to the dam where the treatment plant is should make that fairly low.

I can defintely understand though how the substances will come out of solution and deposit around the inside of coolant passages, etc. and cause corrosion of the alloy engine parts too if not managed.

The aluminium radiator is going on today - I'm part-way through removing the A/C gear out of the car since even though it's nice to have, it's a pain in the butt having to remove the A/C compressor, etc. to get to stuff down the back of the engine and it's not charged at the moment (been that way since I got the car) so I'll pull the parts and sell them off. ;-) The A/C condensor isn't in very good shape either with a lot of stuff blocking the gaps in the fins and loads of dirt, etc. all over, so getting that out will make the new radiator breath very well.

Craig.

crwchf01 said:

If you aren't going to put the condenser back in, maybe a couple layers of window screening to prevent the garbage you are catching in the condenser from getting to the new radiator. I've pressure washed (carefully) a couple of handfuls of bugs, debris, and road tar out of a couple. Remember your passages are smaller and the chance of clogging is greater. The engineers DID have a reason for putting the condenser first in flow. Sacrificial parts, per se, to save the "keep ya moving" parts. That said, you may run a little cooler, even if you are heading for winter there.

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I'll probably make something up with some stainless-steel flyscreen mesh - easy to remove for cleaning.

The car drives fine with the new radiator fitted and everything sorted out. One thing that isn't is the bottom hose connection - when driving it let some coolant out under pressure so the clamp might not be fitted properly, however the hose hasn't been replaced and it was a very loose fit over the plastic fitting on the end-tank of the radiator.

Now it's cooled off enough I'm going to pull the left-side fan out so I can get a good look at the hose connection. The hose probably should be replaced anyway though as the shape of the outlet on the copper/brass radiator seems to have caused a degree of stretching, and might have weakened the hose. .... Yep definitely the bottom hose connection - lots of dried up coolant spray and it's come out from where the hose is joined to the bottom port on the left-side 'tank' section. Looks like that hose needs to be renewed but I'll re-do the clamping all the same.

Craig.