crack in radiator, can it be fixed?

[pow3rslave]

after i parked my car this morning, i spotted coolant leaking, when i checked under the bonnet, i found that the suspect was the plastic end of the radiator under the upper pipe to the engine.

there's a (maybe) inch long crack going down it here:
Attachment 37235
(except i think that pics of a vl radiator, the cracks in a plastic part)


can something like this be puttied or am i out for a new radiator?
what could cause something like this, is it just old or could it be something more (i've just fixed a leak from a heater pipe, and now this)

holden parts quoted ~$350 i'll try wreckers later, but i'd rather it could be puttied.

[VHSLX3300]

they can remove that part and replace them and use your core. It might be able to be puttied but id say not. A radiator from wreakers arnt much I bought one not long ago for $60 but that was from a self serve wreaker. Cheers

[pow3rslave]

anyone changed this part themselves? i'm pooreo armani right now.

[woteva]

I just purchased a new radiator today for my VR V6 brand new for $176 at my local radiator shop. Have seen them on ebay for about $150, but I needed it today.

My old radiator had sprung a leak yesterday in exactly the same spot as you have described. I will post a pic of it a bit later.

It looks like a bitch of a job to change the side tank, it's crimped on. I might pull apart my old radiator later and have a look.

[pow3rslave]

yeah i'm pretty much going to tell holden where they can put their billion dollar radiator.

the car isn't getting too hot yet, but it did throw a coolant too hot warning light the other day. could that and the excessive pressure (this leak came just after i fixed the perished/leaking heater pipe) be a sign of a bung thermostat or anything else?

[jNINE]

Mine cracked there also - pretty common to do that. I got a new tank put on and the radiator cleaned for around $100.

[woteva]

Here are a few pics of the crack in my VR radiator, it would be about 50mm long. Also the area around the crack looks very britle too.
- - -

[pow3rslave]

yeah. that's exactly where mines broke.

do you reckon someone's going round doing em to drum up business for repair shops?

[woteva]

I asked the guy at my local radiator shop about changing the side tank. He said he could do it, but the tank on the other side may be almost ready to go too, then it would be cheaper to get a new radiator.

[pow3rslave]

thanx dude, i'll keep it in mind. i think my car's going through one of those phases where everything goes at once

[jNINE]

When mine went (about two and a half years ago) the radiator shop told me the always go on that side due to the uneven flow in the radiator. I haven't had a prob with the other side.

[RobMooar]

Our VP wagon did the same. We went and saw the local plastic welding outfit and he ran a wee fillet over it for us, he couldn't put a garantee on it due to heat and pressure, but it kept it running till we traded it in, and only cost us $30nzd

[markovr]

Yep common problem my old one went there...probably a flaw or a weakspot in the plastic...got the tank replaced and about a year later the core split...I was running all the right water and I gave it a dose of the pellets and that calmed it down for a little while until I finally bit the bullet and bought a new one.