What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Radiator out... what else to do

crazedyak

crazedyak

That Guy
Joined
Apr 1, 2011
Posts
237
Reaction score
3
Location
The Durned South
I have had a small oil leak for almost 2 years. Very small leak, but the spot on the driveway is now enough that I want to stop this leak. I decided to check the radiator fluid the other day and decided it was time to change it out. So I have the shroud, radiator and fan out. I gave the radiator a Muratic Acid bath a few days ago. I am currently planning to replace a few gaskets while I have some more room to maneuver in the engine compartment. The question now is what else is a good idea to do while I am tearing into things.

BTW it is an 87 K5 350 w/TBI and 700-R4

Already on the list to change:
- Upper/Lower Radiator Hoses
- Valve Cover Gaskets
- Oil Cooler Hoses

Things I was thinking of doing while I was getting into it.
- Manifold Gasket and new RTV along front/rear
- Rear Crankshaft Oil Seal
- Transmission Gasket since I have to drain it to get to the rear oil seal (right?)

Does anyone have any other things I should look into while I am in there?
 
Water pump. While you have all that room. $25 or so at a parts store. Is your rear main what is causing the oil leak? If its not I wouldnt mess with it. You can take the inspection cover off the bellhousing to see if it is whats leaking.
 
Now would be the time to add a Trans cooler.
Click to expand...

My radiator has a trans cooler integrated into it. Is this enough or do I need to add a separate cooler?

Water pump. While you have all that room. $25 or so at a parts store. Is your rear main what is causing the oil leak? If its not I wouldnt mess with it. You can take the inspection cover off the bellhousing to see if it is whats leaking.
Click to expand...

I'll get a water pump and gasket from rockauto then. I cannot confirm that the rear main is or is not the cause of the leak or not. I'll leave it for now and hopefully the valve cover gasket, or intake manifold were the culprit.

Parallel flow A/C condenser?
Click to expand...

If my A/C worked at all I would definitely do this, pretty sure my compressor is dead. I've decided to push off any fix to my A/C until way later. I just read a thread about converting your A/C condenser to a Trans Cooler. That is something I gotta think about a little more.
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287046

Thanks for the inputs.
 
best off to put a full on aftermarket cooler on the truck. the stock ones suck and get clogged easily.

if you're going through the trouble of pulling the water pump off then change the whole pump, not just the gasket.

I'd also say change the belts while you're at them easily enough and take the old ones and have some spares behind the seat. maybe do the thermostat as well, even though they're easy to do anyways, but it will be right there on front of you the whole time.
 
crazedyak said:
I'll get a water pump and gasket from rockauto then. .

.
Click to expand...

Why not just buy one at a local auto parts store, honestly, I don't see the benefit with Rockauto that so many on here claim. I have searched several items and only a FEW have really been lower priced than going down to a local store and getting one the same day, and with warranty, and no shipping costs added to it.

For example, I need a new wiper motor for the 2wd Burb, Rockauto has the exact model, brand as O'Reilly for a whopping 20 cents cheaper, but they charge $8.50 something for shipping, then I have to wait for it to show up.

I don't personally think Rockauto is the best place to be finding cheaper priced parts any longer, they have become more popular, so they figure they can raise their prices, or the local stores are lowering theirs to compete with online sales.

Just my opinion. :D

But yes, since you're messing with your cooing system, I would also recommend replacing the water pump, t-stat and hoses. :D

and with the water pump off, try to run a hose into the pump openings at the block and see what you can flush out.
 
I am lucky in the fact that the K5 is not my daily driver so time, and patience is something I have. If I have to wait on parts... so be it... I take the wife and kids to the beach, or to a movie or maybe the library (shocker, but some kids these days actually like books printed on paper :eek1:) until the parts show up.

I usually order from Rockauto because the local parts stores near me suck in every way they could suck. O'reily's is too far away, Auto Zone and Advance Auto are always packed with people who can't change their own windshield wipers and make the workers do it... so there I am standing around for 20 minutes while some guy shoots the crap with the workers out by his car. Customer Service sucks and I am a strong believer in treat me right and you get my money, treat me like crap and you get the finger as I walk out the door never to return. Napa is good, but unfortunately not that close, but definitely closer than O'reily. RockAuto has yet to screw me over and their shipping is quick enough to make me smile... And that is why I shop with them and Summit for the most part. I will say that ORD gets the huge nod from me. Those folks know how to treat customers.

Water pump, Thermostat AND Gaskets - check
Aftermarket cooler - check
Belts - check

I've been tinkering on this K5 now for over a year and I still laugh at how many original parts I find that have never been replaced.
 
Might as well do the XJ steering shaft mod and the ORD Steering box brace while your at it. lol. :D
 
Might as well do the XJ steering shaft mod and the ORD Steering box brace while your at it. lol.
Click to expand...

Maybe on the next tearing into things session. I think the list I have right now is enough to keep me busy, and make the wife look at me and ask "More truck parts? Really!". I gotta space out the spending a little bit.

The last splurge in parts was perfectly okay with her.... after I bought 12 pre-paid massages at her spa. Sometimes you gotta spend a little to get a little... know what I'm saying :waytogo:
 
Sometimes the shipping makes Rockauto the same as local buys. But the selection is much better and when the closest store is about 14 miles away I hate going out of my way to hear that they don't have it. If I have time, I prefer letting the parts come to me than to run around for them. If Autozone or somebody doesn't stock a part, then you have to go in to pay upfront, then go back later to pick it up - why bother?

Then there are the wholesaler close-outs. The local places want $30 for a Dana 80 wheel seal, but I got two shipped to my house for $14 from RA. I got rotors for my van for $14/each. Even with shipping I saved almost $20 and it was the same brand. But the close-outs are hit and miss.
 
I buy from SUMMIT. THEY ARE AWESOME!!! Every time I order something it is here in 2 business days. There is no need for express shipping because they always get it out fast, and they have good pricing and selection compared to local. If I need it today, I call Auto Zone before I drive there.
 
An A/C condenser is really overkill as a tranny cooler in most applications. It's so big that it must drop the flow some as well. You do want the tranny to warm up sometimes to keep the moisture out. This is also why you want to keep the cooler inside the radiator in cold climates. It works as a warmer. A popular setup is a decent-sized aftermarket cooler plumbed in after the rad-based cooler.
 
Heck i sell parts to summit and i can say from a vendor perspective that they blow goats for quarters when it comes to knowing jack dick about their product lines
 
Again, I don't mean to say all parts are the same price, just so far all the stuff I have been looking for seem about the same price, maybe a bit cheaper, but since I live around the corner from several different auto parts stores, I just buy locally.

I can definitely understand those that live far away from parts stores though.
 
One nice thing i have found about the auto zone in my area is that if i call before 3pm on a part they dont have in stock, they can have it delivered in 2 hours from the hub store.
 
Blue85 said:
An A/C condenser is really overkill as a tranny cooler in most applications. A popular setup is a decent-sized aftermarket cooler plumbed in after the rad-based cooler.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. After reading some in the link I posted previously I realized that getting the temp up to burn off any moisture is a good thing I figured I should not do the condenser conversion. I will definitely check into the aftermarket cooler after the radiator though.

Now to look into some plumbing options. I'm thinking about running some summit steel braided hose for this plumbing project and trying these hose clamps on my brand new old school black rubber radiator hoses. I need a little *bling* going on in my engine compartment to distract the eye from the old oil everywhere.

SPE-4161.jpg

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SPE-4161/?rtype=10
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom