Radiator Woes

[longbedder]

I put a brand new all-copper/brass radiator in my pickup 3-1/2 years ago: Spectra Premium CU850 from Rock Auto.

Yesterday, it blew out a pinhole in the lower passenger-side core and left a nice green lake in the parking lot at work. I got it home, and upon further inspection, it's also been leaking slowly at the driver's side core/tank interface.

Any suggestions for a more durable option? Note that it's a 6.2 diesel with integral engine oil cooler - not a common configuration at all for replacement radiators. Looking back, it appears that Spectra only warrants these pieces of shit for 2 years.

 

[skunked]

I put a brand new all-copper/brass radiator in my pickup 3-1/2 years ago: Spectra Premium CU850 from Rock Auto.

Yesterday, it blew out a pinhole in the lower passenger-side core and left a nice green lake in the parking lot at work. I got it home, and upon further inspection, it's also been leaking slowly at the driver's side core/tank interface.

Any suggestions for a more durable option? Note that it's a 6.2 diesel with integral engine oil cooler - not a common configuration at all for replacement radiators. Looking back, it appears that Spectra only warrants these pieces of shit for 2 years.

@mrk5 just put one in his crew cab, I remember him looking at several different brands.

 

[tRustyK5]

Spectra is a decent brand from all I've heard and experienced. I have a new K5 gas tank from them, good quality in every way I could check.

 

[mrk5]

I don't think there are a lot of options for the true diesel radiator. Mine is the plastic tank/ aluminum core type for a 90s big block truck. It's the same size as the diesel radiator. I don't think its any better, but it is cheaper. Unfortunately the inlet and outlet are smaller than the diesel radiator.

 

[longbedder]

I don't think there are a lot of options for the true diesel radiator.

That is exactly what I recall from when I bought this one. To further complicate it, the lower hose is a (custom) Banks product due to re-routing for the turbo. That makes size of the coupling more important.

 

[dyeager535]

Any chance a local place can fix you up cheaply/easily?

I know recores are ridiculously expensive, but at 3.5 years, even abused that radiator should have a lot of life left, some simple soldering might be all it takes?