Am I only guy here having issues withSVE LMR radiators?

aztecgwynn

Active Member
Apr 3, 2015
121
23
28
This is now the 2nd time an LMR SVE radiator has taken a crap on me.
First one from LMR lasted me 4 years it got a pinhole leak on passengers side tank.
Replaced first radiator last year what a coincident 10/19/19 with a brand new LMR SVE black radiator, and 2 weeks passed warranty , same thing today pin hole on passengers side tank.
Is anyone out there having same issues as I am having?
Stock pulleys, standard flow water pump on 1993 on fox mustang .
 
  • Sponsors (?)


This is now the 2nd time an LMR SVE radiator has taken a crap on me.
First one from LMR lasted me 4 years it got a pinhole leak on passengers side tank.
Replaced first radiator last year what a coincident 10/19/19 with a brand new LMR SVE black radiator, and 2 weeks passed warranty , same thing today pin hole on passengers side tank.
Is anyone out there having same issues as I am having?
Stock pulleys, standard flow water pump on 1993 on fox mustang .
Same here,just weeks out of warranty and the tubes began leaking where they attach to the end of the core.Not repairable.junked it and went to a four row Champion.
 
My personal opinion, but most of their SVE line is just rebranded cheap china-made stuff. They might have a gem here and there, but for the most part it's an entry-level house brand and you do get what you pay for. Sometimes it makes sense to pay a little more for a higher quality product.
 
  • Like
  • Agree
Reactions: 3 users
Go to local parts store or local rad shop, get OEM style 3 row radiator (non aluminum). It will last much longer.

This


I have a 20-year old brass 3-core in my car. Keeps my car at a constant 185* without ever really needing the E-fan. If it ever fails, I would get it repaired vs buying one of these aluminum rads
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 1 user
I have the same. I replaced my stock 2 core with a 3 core when I was putting everything back together (bought my car as rolling shell and boxes of parts).

Further to my note above... if you still have your OEM 2 core rad kicking around, take it to rad shop and have them convert it to brass 3 core.
 
Last edited:
I put a new radiator - aluminum with plastic tanks - in my SVO in June. Ordered it from Rockauto - went with Spectra which I believe are made in Canada. I've used this brand in my normal daily drivers and they seem to hold up well. Also they seem a common brand carried by the Auto Zones and Advanced Auto type chains.

I would have gone with brass but I couldn't really find anything so I kept the brass one (which was not the original - had been installed as a replacement in the 1990's) in case I ever feel like having it re-soldered.

I'm not sure what the SVE ones are but in my case I didn't see a need for anything too fancy since the car isn't modified - just needs to deal with the OEM specified cooling needs.
 
Just remember when we were young how much a radiator would cost. Out of reach for most teenagers at the time. I worked at a junkyard at eighteen and they had a large radiator department that sent reconditioned ones all over New England. The hippie guy would put new ends on them with paint . I got one for my Tacoma for less than two hundred seven years ago a Advanced and still is very good. I believe the one in my fox is original and seems solid.
 
Just remember when we were young how much a radiator would cost. Out of reach for most teenagers at the time. I worked at a junkyard at eighteen and they had a large radiator department that sent reconditioned ones all over New England. The hippie guy would put new ends on them with paint . I got one for my Tacoma for less than two hundred seven years ago a Advanced and still is very good. I believe the one in my fox is original and seems solid.

Back in the late 90's and early 2000's, the GDI (Go Dan) 433138 was the radiator to get sold sold at the local parts stores. It was an all-brass 3-core radiator. I got mine at Pep Boys

The 3-core "upgrade" was a very popular "mod" back in the day. Here's a very dated article on it

At some point in the mid-2000's the construction changed to an aluminum radiator with plastic tanks. Same part number.


I still run one of these antiques in my car. It works well enough that I would repair it vs junk it.
 
Last edited:
Three out of four recent OEM radiators in our newer vehicles have failed. One was at the crimp to the plastic tank, and two were cracks in the plastic tanks. Lighter is not always better.
 
Has anyone had any luck with the aluminum welded tank style that you can find on e-bay? I know... Well e-bay... But still I'm considering one with fans for I think it's like $170... Just wondering what kinda quality those are, really...
 
As bad as we all hate it, things aren't made with quality in mind anymore. It's all about the mighty dollar. If you've noticed the local chain parts stores lately there's few repair parts to pick from. It's all cleaning supplies, phone chargers, and random junk. Vehicles are disposable items now.
It's not just car parts though. I went in Walmart (ughhh) the other day and the check out girl threw every item I had into the bags. It was so loud even the other employees were looking. She had no idea this wasn't normal though. I taught college architecture for 20 years. If we didn't give the students at least a C, the admins would go into your grade book and change any grade lower to a C. It's embarrassing. I hate to say it but 99% of my students didn't even qualify for college at all. They were accepted so as not to hurt anyone's little feelings..... And for $$$$.
I'm done now...lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users