Damn! Griffin leaking......I sure hope it's fixable....feedb

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

(long post as usual)18mos. ago I was in an accident......griffin got bent (if laid flat bend up one corner of it 1.5-2" or so and that's what it looked like), it was not leaking, rad shop straightened it back out......worked fine but I did have a nagging small seep I never could track down (very slow). When I did my EFI I had it pressure tested to 10psi or so and it held fine....now in last 2-2.5 mos. it's been leaking at a significantly higher rate, a gallon of coolant every 3wks or more...till last couple weeks and it's wanted a gallon/week.

 

I pulled the rad last night (wifes away two days so her car was available for me to use), took it to a couple shops today. Epoxy is visibly separated in some areas at top 1/3 to 1/2 of drivers tank and leak is from that top area somewhere. One shop that was most friendly said they'd clean it up and then have a welder look at it.....2nd shop (that seemed very 'premium'/spotless place, cleanest testing tank, could've swam in it) didn't want to touch it, said I could spend a few hundred having it fixed and next week it could be leaking again. I spoke with the alum. welder across the street at a specialist shop and he said he'd have to hack part of the tank off for access assuming leak is on the header/tube interface...if tube on outside then he said it's not repairable/or block off that tube/s and reweld on header tank.

 

Mine is a griffin 26x19 2x1.25" rows with AT cooler. Cost me $230US at my door plus taxes some 5 years ago. I doubt I can swing that deal again nor do I want to buck up that much. I'm tempted to stick in a new OEM 280ZX rad despite it's weight....the car is as usual my daily driver and I need it back running shortly...hurts to spend $150US for a new OEM rad but I'd know it's a good rad I can install fast and easy, I suppose till/if I get to a griffin/howe again? It was too late today to call Griffin and see if any sweet deal thru their service group could be had. I could toss in a used cheap rad but just seems best to stick a new one in given priority of keeping it all good mechanically (daily driver/$ in engine etc).

 

I'm tempted to clean out that epoxy that's separated and have it tank tested at a local shop (they don't touch alum., but would test it for me) to see if it's an obvious accessible repair or FUBAR.

 

Anyone know how well the OEM rad can perform? I know a shroud would become a lot more important, it's lapping day's I'd be curious on.

 

thanks for reading my babbles.....having a long/hard week and just tired of making decisions for today

 

PSS checking out a new OEM one on the way home...hoping it's not as heavy as I recall they are.

[blueovalz]

Sorry to hear about the radiator Ross. I know 200+ bucks is a lot of money, but I would have to go for another Griffin. They are all the time having specials on certain configurations, so I would call them first.

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

Thanks Terry, two buds I saw on the way home suggested I clean out that epoxy where it's separated, then pressure test to find leak....if weldable weld it up and then epoxy on top and then pressure test....if not weldable epoxy on a best cleaned surface....their has to be something that will bond to this? 15-17psi doesn't seem like that much pressure to blow a bond on such a fine hole/hairline/whatever it is if a decent epoxy/glue/metal is used???

 

It's getting going shortly that I'm most concerned with, doing that without wasting dough.

[Guest kc6wfs]

Hay Ross.

Bummer about the leak.

When I did my conversion I had a fairly new 3 core from a 260 auto!! I ordered it from Kregan Auto for $80.00 I think.

After the conversion I wondered how it would do during the 100+deg days. Well it has been just fine. I'm running duel SPAL fans

1 12" and 1 10" set to come on at 195.

If I was running a fan clutch I'm sure it would overheat.

 

Hope this helps.

Dave

[Tim240z]

Ross,

When my fuel tank was leaking (around the breather tube that sticks out toward the driver's side), I tried several different epoxies, like JB weld etc, but nothing worked. Then I bought a tube of glue from, of all places, Home Depot. It is only a one part product so I was skeptical as to it's effectiveness, but it worked very well. It dries rock hard and is impervious to fuels, solvents and temperatures. It looks like the cement I used to use for gluing models together when I was a kid.

Don't remember the name of the stuff, but can check in my toolbox tonight if you like?

I think this stuff will do the trick, maybe followed up with a good quality 'stop leak' in the cooling system.

Tim

[RPMS]

Ross, I don't think I'd mess with having it fixed, personally. If you have one leak that's getting worse, it's a sure sign that cracked metal is separating somewhere in there. If they weld up one set of holes, there's nothing that guarantees that another set won't open up later. Then you're back where you started, and you're out the money you spent getting it repaired.

 

I'd suggest that if you have $5.00 in your pocket, you have nothing to lose by trying to fix it yourself. Clean it off, epoxy it, have it pressure tested, then start saving your pennies for a new one, because your radiator will almost certainly start leaking again from a different crack soon.

 

If you've got $50 in your pocket, buy a 3-core 260 or 280 radiator as Dave suggests, have it pressure tested, and stick that puppy in there. We're entering the winter season, so you don't need tremendous cooling capacity for another six months anyway. By the time hot weather rolls around again, you'll have saved the money for another aluminum radiator.

 

That's my take on it.