Coolant leak

[SolidusJ]

Had an odd coolant leak today, I don't turn the A/C on much, but I smelt coolant after a short 5 minute drive. Went under the truck and found a small amount of coolant coming from the top of the rad. Popped the hood and didn't find the usual crack that would cause this, after my shop run. There was maybe a 6 inch wide wet spot on the ground.

Went home and the temp never went over 192 degrees, hosed off the front end and checked my fluid. Everything looked fine and no pink milk shack in the reserve tank. Waited an hour and turned over the truck with the A/C on, no leak, went on a short dive. Again, no leak, left the truck running and didn't smell coolant from the A/C.

Only thing I can come up with, the coolant cap was a hair lose? Any ideas?

Oh, also checked the heater core, but I knew that wasn't the case seeing how my winch and rad had coolant all over it at the start of all this.

 

[SolidusJ]

Found the leak.

 

[SolidusJ]

Time to fix this, large crack but there was only a pin size hole squirting.

 

[SolidusJ]

First coat down, wait 4 hours and sand it down. Then do it all over again!

 

[scoreh3]

Welcome to the GM plastic radiator crack. When mine did that I took it to a local radiator repair shop and he had the top cap in stock. He said that it’s so common, he tries to have several on hand at all times. I dropped off the radiator and an hour and 65.00 later it was all done. What I also did was obloonged out the center top mounting bracket hole ( you don’t need to go crazy); to get it away from rattling on the core support. As a little more added vibration protection. I put 2 small split pieces of fuel line along the edge of the core support too.

 

[SolidusJ]

Welcome to the GM plastic radiator crack. When mine did that I took it to a local radiator repair shop and he had the top cap in stock. He said that it’s so common, he tries to have several on hand at all times. I dropped off the radiator and an hour and 65.00 later it was all done. What I also did was obloonged out the center top mounting bracket hole ( you don’t need to go crazy); to get it away from rattling on the core support. As a little more added vibration protection. I put 2 small split pieces of fuel line along the edge of the core support too.

That's what I thought it would be, just couldn't find it until today. I got a 4 hour timer right now, going to sand it down and then apply another coat. Maybe use the whole JB weld to be on the safe side.

 

[SolidusJ]

24 hours later and 4 coats, fingers crossed!

 

[scoreh3]

Good luck and my fingers are crossed . If that works I will start keeping JB Weld in the truck for road trips.

 

[SolidusJ]

Good luck and my fingers are crossed . If that works I will start keeping JB Weld in the truck for road trips.

No dice... Crack came right back with a tiny leak. I got one more idea, if that fails then I'll get a new rad.

 

[Alpha X]

I'd just consider it time to do an upgrade - Get a new radiator now and split the systems so the radiator doesn't have the internal trans cooler, and get an external trans cooler. If it's beginning to fail in one spot, perhaps it's beginning to fail in other spots soon too.

 

[SolidusJ]

I'd just consider it time to do an upgrade - Get a new radiator now and split the systems so the radiator doesn't have the internal trans cooler, and get an external trans cooler. If it's beginning to fail in one spot, perhaps it's beginning to fail in other spots soon too.

You read my mind, might as well do a transmission flush and filter also.

I want to make an X bracket on the center radiator support bracket to keep the trans cooler above the winch.Been wanting to take on this project, guess I'll knock it sooner than I thought.