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well i have the case of the Cracked radiator.... :(

JonBishop

JonBishop

Well-Known Member
Messages
724
Location
Glendora, CA
right where the arrow is pointing it has a crack about 4inches long....


so i was looking for a new one but i dont know really which one..... jus kinda PI$$ed cuz had a trip to tahoe for family on wednesday... grrrrrrr:gaah:
any of ther radiators better then others?...
 
06 H3

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
DO NOT TURN ON THE MOTOR Not sure if there are any other cracks but if so you could have the trans fluid and coolant mix and destroy the motor and trans.
 
Pappibri

Pappibri

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,611
Location
Cohoctah, MI
I had the same problem, fortunately for me mine was still under warranty. The new one they replaced it with 6 months ago has held up well so far.
 
bebe

bebe

Moderator
Messages
1,375
Location
Dayton, NV
Very common, my little H3b (08) cracked just before the warranty ran out (lucky me). It usually occurs on the top reservoir, the bottom is where the trans cooler is, that one is death, the top is (PHEW) not as catastrophic. YOU'RE LUCKY.:thumbs:

I don't understand - please forgive me - just get an all aluminum, (RDR or whomever) and never worry about it again.

If I wasn't selling the H3b, I'd do it just for the piece of mind. Why replace it with something that has even more of a potential (aftermarket rad made in godknowswhere) to completely screw up your entire drive train with a tiny little crack in the transcooler that you won't see until it's too late?

I know, I know....I'm harping...but I hate seeing it over and over...$3k bill because of a cheap plastic radiator.:gaah:
 
Last edited:
Steve #1

Steve #1

Well-Known Member
Messages
534
Location
TEXAS
06 H3 said:
What do you mean it doesn't make contact?
Click to expand...

The top of the new ones are slightly redesigned so they do not make contact with the radiator support.

For the record, this at least applies to the radiator without the trans cooler. I would assume they changed both, but we are talking about GM.
 
X

Xlr8n

Well-Known Member
Messages
140
Location
Midwest
fwiw: There are 3 known issues with the factory H3 radiator.

Two of these issues are with the top tank:

1) On some vehicle the tank makes contact with the metal radiator support and either wears through the plastic tank or puts undue pressure on the tank causing a crack over time. There is apparently a redesigned GM tank that avoids this contact.

2) On some vehicles the stock tank had a molding flaw in which there is a thin area to the right of the filler neck, often with a visible wrinkle in the surface in the plastic of the top tank. Even without any pressure or contact of the support, this area grows soft and weak over time and cracks open. The redesigned tank is supposedly made of a better resin with thicker tank walls.

Have not been able to verify if the redesigned radiator addresses issue number 3, which is the tranny cooler rupturing and contaminating both the engine coolant and transmission fluid, but I'd like to think that any update in molding and resin of the newer style tank would apply here as well.

If anyone has a part number stamped into the top tank of the redesigned GM radiator, please post it up here as I'm doing a bit of research on these issues. Thanks in advance.
 
JonBishop

JonBishop

Well-Known Member
Messages
724
Location
Glendora, CA
So thinking about going with the Silla, will that one hold up pretty well?... Looked at some all aluminum ones but my pocket can't handle it right now :(
 
JonBishop

JonBishop

Well-Known Member
Messages
724
Location
Glendora, CA
ordered!!! gonna install it on sunday! thank you everyone for helping :)

next question, is it a pretty easy install?.....

and does anyone have a set by set install?.....
 
alrock

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,677
Location
Scottsdale
Sure. . .
1) Drop it off at dealer
2) Give them keys
3) Go away
4) Come back
5) Give them lots of money
6) Get truck back

Well, that's how I did it but I think your solution makes more sense.
 
bendyprissy

bendyprissy

Well-Known Member
Messages
290
Location
Near Houston, TX
bebe said:
Very common, my little H3b (08) cracked just before the warranty ran out (lucky me). It usually occurs on the top reservoir, the bottom is where the trans cooler is, that one is death, the top is (PHEW) not as catastrophic. YOU'RE LUCKY.:thumbs:

I don't understand - please forgive me - just get an all aluminum, (RDR or whomever) and never worry about it again.

If I wasn't selling the H3b, I'd do it just for the piece of mind. Why replace it with something that has even more of a potential (aftermarket rad made in godknowswhere) to completely screw up your entire drive train with a tiny little crack in the transcooler that you won't see until it's too late?

I know, I know....I'm harping...but I hate seeing it over and over...$3k bill because of a cheap plastic radiator.:gaah:
Click to expand...
Do all of them have plastic tanks?
 
JonBishop

JonBishop

Well-Known Member
Messages
724
Location
Glendora, CA
did my radiator today, and it was pretty easy i gotta say.... fun too, anything i get to take apart and put back together is fun for me :)
heres the nice and new one :)
when i was taking out the old one i thought of the youtube vid of brodie doing the cleaning so i went ahead and jus cut out the notch and sprayed it
then the radiator was out, took like 20mins to get everything unhooked and got it out
heres the old nasty one

all in all very happy with it and was surprised how easy it was.... :)
 
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