Radiator Murdered By Stop Leak

H

HxCThumbs

New Member

Jun 23, 2014

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Salt Lake City, Utah

Jun 23, 2014

#1

• Jun 23, 2014

• #1

I just bought a beautiful 89 fox with the 2.3, I have been doing routine things to the car and found some misinformed person put stop leak in the cooling system and my radiator has a ton of white crusty residue in it.

Should I,
Replace with universal that they sell at Pep Boys (fitting problems?) ($60 I have an account) Has anyone done this successfully?
Have a radiator shop clean it out, ($85)
or Buy a direct fit American Muscle, Late Model (around $200)

What do you guys think?

 

CarMichael Angelo

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

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Birmingham, al

Jun 23, 2014

#2

• Jun 23, 2014

• #2

Depends.
If it is newer have a rad shop clean it out.
If it's crusty original junk replace it w/ a direct fit.
If you took a minute to update your profile to say where you were from, (and if it was from the SE region) I'd be inclined to let you know I'll probably be throwing away a newer stock plastic tanked radiator the fits (directly) into an auto trans equipped fox mustang.

 

H

HxCThumbs

New Member

Jun 23, 2014

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Salt Lake City, Utah

Jun 23, 2014

#3

• Jun 23, 2014

• #3

Its an older all aluminum/copper sucker 25 years on a radiator has not been well to it, I have a manual so I don't have to worry about the trans. The cheapo seemed to not fit well inside the engine bay, kept having trouble with placement so I'm taking it back, currently I have a shop testing the sucker to see how well it cools, I'll know more then. Seeing what other people would do/have done.

 

H

HxCThumbs

New Member

Jun 23, 2014

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Salt Lake City, Utah

Jun 24, 2014

#4

• Jun 24, 2014

• #4

Does the 5.0 radiators slide into the 2.3?

 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.

15 Year Member

Jul 6, 2006

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gainesville

Jun 24, 2014

#5

• Jun 24, 2014

• #5

As long as it's for the appropriate transmission

 

H

HxCThumbs

New Member

Jun 23, 2014

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Salt Lake City, Utah

Jun 24, 2014

#6

• Jun 24, 2014

• #6

Good I have a manual! Shizam! Thanks.

 

mikestang63

SN Certified Technician

Aug 27, 2012

11,606

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In the garage

Jun 25, 2014

#7

• Jun 25, 2014

• #7

nothing wrong with stop leak- GM has been using the powder for years in their motors. It is how you add it that is critical.

 

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp

10 Year Member

Sep 1, 2010

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Kearney, NE

Jun 25, 2014

#8

• Jun 25, 2014

• #8

White crusty residue sounds like electrolysis from not flushing and changing the coolant or running just water, especially hard tap water. I have seen a radiator have so much of the silver powder and brown stuff that part of it and the heater core were clogged. It did not look like you describe. But the silver stuff should not make crusty deposits.

Last time I had a radiator boiled out, they had to solder a leak afterwards.

 

Shawneebear93

20+ Year Stangneter

May 4, 2004

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Salisbury Twp, Allentown, PA

Jun 26, 2014

#9

• Jun 26, 2014

• #9

I'm replacing mine with an Auto Zone piece next month when I have off from work. Stock radiator with 138k is full of gunk. It was less than $100.

 

H

HxCThumbs

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Jun 23, 2014

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Salt Lake City, Utah

Jun 26, 2014

#10

• Jun 26, 2014

• #10

 

H

HxCThumbs

New Member

Jun 23, 2014

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Salt Lake City, Utah

Jun 26, 2014

#11

• Jun 26, 2014

• #11

I tried a Pep Boys cheap radiator and it seemed to be the same universal in at Auto Zone and it was about an inch to tall and didn't stay straight in the engine bay! I wasn't going to go crazy and cut it up. I searched for one, found a copper aluminum one almost exactly like my stock at 1-800-Radiator lol $150. Just fit somewhat tight.

 

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp

10 Year Member

Sep 1, 2010

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Kearney, NE

Jun 26, 2014

#12

• Jun 26, 2014

• #12

That does not look like normal corrosion. It might have been worth cleaning out. But what leak were they stopping and would it come back after it was cleaned?

 

H

HxCThumbs

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Jun 23, 2014

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Salt Lake City, Utah

Jun 26, 2014

#13

• Jun 26, 2014

• #13

Radiator shop told me they see that sometimes and its an excessive amount of stop leak. You're right IF I could clean it, it would have leaked. I tried 5 different flushes and it still looked like that and I had it tested(for free), they said R.I.P.

Its better I found it before it got hot here in Utah and I overheat driving through the deseret in southern Utah/Arizona for the 4th!

 

Gearbanger 101

Straight Outta Locash

20+ Year Stangneter

Aug 10, 2002

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Ontario, Canada

Jun 26, 2014

#14

• Jun 26, 2014

• #14

Plug it up at every end, add a couple of bottles of CLR and top the rest up with water. Let it sit a couple of days and see what it looks like after you drain and rinse it out. The stuff works pretty well on those old scaley deposits.

 

mikestang63

SN Certified Technician

Aug 27, 2012

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In the garage

Jun 26, 2014

#15

• Jun 26, 2014

• #15

looks like someone dump about a pound of the stuff in there. Also, if you add it directly to the radiator or overflow if will junk it up. On my Cadillac I used to put it in the lower radiator hose by the block. GM used that stuff for years on their N* motors.

For a good replacement radiator- hard to beat an all aluminum Champion 2 core for around $150.

 

H

HxCThumbs

New Member

Jun 23, 2014

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Salt Lake City, Utah

Jun 26, 2014

#16

• Jun 26, 2014

• #16

I have read about that CLR but didn't try it because I was afraid to open back up the leak so I just replaced the thing.

I know there is a ton of it. My poor heater core.