Plastic radiator neck cracks

[ykobayashi]

Hi,

Just got back from 2wk road trip in sd. I was driving down the road in Huntington beach CA with my father-in-law and boom. Steam flowing out the hood. We pull over and check and it is the notorious Behr radiator neck crack. Luckily enough was left so I could clamp and safety wire the hose on. I had a milk jug of water in the trunk and ten mins later we were rolling.

Just a heads up. This is well documented. I've been warned, but I never heeded the warning. I saw the copper pipe bandaid kits sold online and read The other sites warnings but silly me, I thought it wouldn't happen to me. I did the recommended hose shake test and it never broke so I thought I was good. Wrong. It's an insufficient test.

I thought the kit was just a way to get my money. Dang, as I was driving down Beach blvd with old faithful under the hood $20 kits were looking good. I'm so dumb, I thought it wouldn't apply to me. But I'm the idiot who always says a well manufactured product will always break/wear in the same way. Random failure is an indication of haphazard manufacturing.

So you were warned. I'm not buying that over priced kit. It is just a piece of copper pipe...1" I think. Some sand paper to rough it up. And metal filled epoxy. I am headed to ACE HW to get a pipe.

Good luck and enjoy these wonderful cars. All being said relatives over the holiday couldn't believe I was trusting a 32 year old car on the road trip.

Btw - my FIL said the same neck broke off his 560SEC a decade ago on the freeway nearby. He was calling a tow truck when I yelled, get back in, we're rolling!

[ykobayashi]

Oops let me clarify.

I bought a replacement radiator from an online place and picked it up at a warehouse in Fullerton. Non oem but I wasn't complaining as it dropped right in. $200 and I was good to go in a day. Fletcher jones stealership wanted $1G for the replacement service. One hour to swap. Lost only 1 cup of tranny fluid.

The copper pipe and epoxy will be for my 240D.

[masc243]

Mine broke earlier this week as well; New one inbound from AA Thursday.
Luckily mine waited til I pulled into the driveway.

[cooljjay]

I wouldn't do this band aid fix....replace the radiator....240d and turbo radiators are still pretty cheap....non turbo radiators are nla and the few remaining are crazy money. Some may disagree on this....but the plastic radiators crack/become brittle from the use of green coolant and not the proper coolant to protect the plastic....also since the trans cooler is in the bottom of the radiators....all the gunk falls to the bottom....compromising the trans cooler....its a wise maintenance idea to replace the radiator....say ever 30 years...

[Mark DiSilvestro]

My '84 Euro TD's radiator core had traces of seepage when I got the car a few years ago, so before I had the chance to experience 'broken-neck' syndrome, I immediately replaced it with an aftermarket one made in Holland. The words 'non-turbo' failed to register with my local parts-place so of course they first ordered me the $200 turbo radiator. Only when I requested one for an '80 TD did I get the right one - for about $300!

Happy Motoring, Mark

[tangofox007]

Originally Posted by cooljjay

Some may disagree on this....but the plastic radiators crack/become brittle from the use of green coolant and not the proper coolant to protect the plastic....

What support can you offer for that theory?

I would like to agree with you, but need the facts to go with the opinion.

[tangofox007]

Originally Posted by ykobayashi

The copper pipe and epoxy will be for my 240D.

I found a copper pipe union (sweat type) that cost around $1, but was very slightly oversized. Machined it down a bit until it fit snugly. No epoxy required.

[ykobayashi]

Hi,

My 240d is a beater will almost 400k on it, a bad evaporator and heater coil. It's going to be sold off soon. I am even holding off on tires.

So, I don't really feel like putting in a new radiator.

I'm gonna do the pipe.

The neck broke right under the clamp. I'm not sure it was green coolant. Maybe. It could have been all the rocking idling with the old rack damper bolt. (on the SD).

All I know is it broke and I wished I had patched it. People here have done well with patching with pipes and conduits of sorts.

[sixto]

Originally Posted by ykobayashi

I bought a replacement radiator from an online place and picked it up at a warehouse in Fullerton. Non oem but I wasn't complaining as it dropped right in. $200 and I was good to go in a day.

Does the replacement have metal sleeves in the radiator hose fittings?

Sixto
87 300D

[ykobayashi]

Originally Posted by sixto

Does the replacement have metal sleeves in the radiator hose fittings?

Sixto
87 300D

No, it was just a plastic neck. The plastic looked different than the Behr too. Good? Bad? Dunno.

I took the hose off my 240D and the neck looks solid. I was able to fit a 1" dia copper pipe in there perfectly (about 0.020" on each side). Filled the gap with JB Weld. I ground the surface up and cleaned it with rubbing alcohol before cementing. It probably didn't need it but the failure on my SD was traumatizing.

It's just good to be home. It was fun r&r ing my radiator with my emergency tool kit in my pal's driveway. Many of the family members lived in housing developments with strict CC&Rs saying cars can't be worked on in front of the house...even in the driveway! What's the country going to?

[rocky raccoon]

is a proactive fix. It will NOT reliably repair an already cracked neck. It will prevent future cracking of an intact neck. It may offer a short term fix until a replacement radiator is installed.

The incompatibility of our plastic radiator tanks with "green antifreeze" may or may not be an urban legend. If there is someone out there that can offer a real, chemically astute analysis, I for one would be interested in reading it.

To digress, I often wondered if the green antifreeze is really that bad for those of us with iron lump engines. Anther urban legend? That said, I use the Zerex G05 but sometimes think that any quality antifreeze regardless of color would be fine. It may be a different story for those with aluminum blocks. Almost all cars these days have aluminum blocks, heads or both and almost all antifreeze advertises as compatible with aluminum.

[charmalu]

I use the Zerex GO-5 in all my vehicles, makes it easier to only have one type of antifreeze. and....it is a pretty color.

I don`t know if it protects any better or not, and our 616/617 engines are mostly German Iron, although the Radiators on these I believe is aluminum.

When I remove the Radiator hoses and By Pass hose, the aluminum in the area the hose is clamped to is most times heavily corroded and some times with holes. It could be (my guess) maybe antifreeze that has been in too long and lost it`s protective additives. About every MB in the yards I have removed things has been the Green Coolant.

Every once in a while I run across one that was running just water, they sure are a rusty mess.


Charlie

[cooljjay]

There was a thread that said green coolant is find if it is changed every two years I believe it was. I also think there is something on the back of the green coolant jugs saying not recommended for such and such...

My argument to the story is, since zerex g05 is now readily available and priced that of the green coolant, if not cheaper....why use the green....befit or not with the zerek....I will continue to use it from now on...

[Rockyriver]

This is what Cooljjay is talking about in the link below.
However its really being anal to drain the green out that is new for the zerex IMHO.
I think that all coolants made now by all major companies now will be fine. Maybe years ago this argument was plausible, but not now IMHO.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w208-clk-class/1661196-difference-between-coolants-prestone-zerex-g.html







C

[Rockyriver]

Duplicate post.