2008-2018 Radiator Failure and Public Service Announcement (1 Viewer)

[sfo1]

Does this plastic get hotter than 200 degrees?

I have used G-Flex 650-8 liquid epoxy on a bunch of stuff - from delaminated skis to electronics w/great success. It says its good for up to 200 degrees.

Might be pushing my luck to use this for a preventative patch?

 

[AnyMal]

I know some have gone aftermarket and had codes and issues, but is there anything fully aluminum or metal out there that isnt trash? If im replacing, i may just “upgrade” if that sort of thing exists.

Otherwise who has the best JB weld recipe to share ? Lol

 

[LX Cruiser]

I used the original formula JB Weld. It’s good up to some obnoxiously high psi and 550°F.

4-6 hrs to set; 15-24hrs to fully cure. I will sand it down this weekend.

I would not use an epoxy only rated to 200°F. These trucks run hot and the coolant has no problem reaching or exceeding that temp on a regular basis.

 

[bloc]

I know some have gone aftermarket and had codes and issues, but is there anything fully aluminum or metal out there that isnt trash? If im replacing, i may just “upgrade” if that sort of thing exists.

Otherwise who has the best JB weld recipe to share ? Lol

There are no “upgrades” out there. Beyond the common failure of the old design the radiator performs perfectly, and fit, finish, and critically vibration resistance is superior to anything you’ll find out of all aluminum.

Anyone not pushing serious power upgrades dealing with heat issues has a cooling system problem that isn’t the radiator if it isn’t cracked.

 

[shtbrwn86]

I used the original formula JB Weld. It’s good up to some obnoxiously high psi and 550°F.

4-6 hrs to set; 15-24hrs to fully cure. I will sand it down this weekend.

I would not use an epoxy only rated to 200°F. These trucks run hot and the coolant has no problem reaching or exceeding that temp on a regular basis.

Can you paint the jb weld on the entire top of the radiator to strengthen it? Wondering if it would just crack from the inside

 

[bloc]

Can you paint the jb weld on the entire top of the radiator to strengthen it? Wondering if it would just crack from the inside

There is no need to coat the whole thing. The crack pretty much only forms at that corner.

So far everyone that has put a patch on it before an actual leak seems to be holding up, even if a crack was already visible, over many miles after the repair. Like, many tens of thousands of miles.. easily enough that their existing crack would have started leaking without the patch. Patches applied after started leaking don't seem to hold.

 

[Docwyte]

I would consider a patch something to do just to get you home, when you actually replace the radiator. It's not an expensive part, or a difficult job to R&R.

 

[bloc]

I would consider a patch something to do just to get you home, when you actually replace the radiator. It's not an expensive part, or a difficult job to R&R.

I totally agree, and have advocated strongly that replacement is the only way to get factory-like levels of durability and importantly, the ability to track the crack if it develops. And replace the other plastic degradation in the upper tank that I documented in this thread.

However at the end of the day lots are just running the patch and I have to admit it seems to be working well, as long as applied before it starts leaking. But I'll never run one.

 

[PDoyle]

Tick tick tick….

 

[AnyMal]

Tick tick tick….

Boom.

 

[Fisher23]

what IS the MTF (Mean time to failure) ?

 

[degmla]

2008-2018 Radiator Failure and Public Service Announcement

Strangely enough, my local dealer does not sell the radiator. I haven't called them to ask why but plan to as I get closer to the project. Normally, I like my local shop because I can just order the parts online and save around 25-30% over calling them for the same part. However, the other shops...

forum.ih8mud.com

Now I'm at 151k. So, almost 20k miles later, 26 months later, black vehicle, Texas heat, repair still looks the same (repair method linked above). No failure yet. (Now that I'm writing this, it'll fail in 2 weeks!)

 

[PDoyle]

While you guys are buying time on the rad… here’s a pic of my old belt at 145k so don’t neglect the other parts

 

[bloc]

At 150k my fan support bearing bracket was also just starting to get noisy. Lots of other threads on the various things to do along with the rad though.

 

[JPRS]

Though I purchased mine brand new in July of 2018 (and had thought I had escaped the radiator defect), the recent posts in this thread got me worrying again whether I really did or not. So, I compared mine with the photos provided by many of you and I believe I have the new radiator. Below is a picture. To add to the data in this thread, I purchased mine end of July, but the door jam says the truck was manufactured in Japan and says "06/18" (which I believe means it was manufactured in June of 2018).

 

[04UZJ100]

Though I purchased mine brand new in July of 2018 (and had thought I had escaped the radiator defect), the recent posts in this thread got me worrying again whether I really did or not. So, I compared mine with the photos provided by many of you and I believe I have the new radiator. Below is a picture. To add to the data in this thread, I purchased mine end of July, but the door jam says the truck was manufactured in Japan and says "06/18" (which I believe means it was manufactured in June of 2018).

View attachment 3247417

That's the new design....

 

[JPRS]

That's the new design....

Thanks. Lucky me. Mine might have been one of the first to get the new radiator.

 

[t4r2lx570]

2010 LX570, 150k miles. Thin crack along same location just less than 2 inches long. The qustion is, how long do I have! I'll order a new radiator today. There are some obvious marks from the previous owner days, assuming a dealer/repair shop checking for the same issue?

 

[t4r2lx570]

I used the original formula JB Weld. It’s good up to some obnoxiously high psi and 550°F.

4-6 hrs to set; 15-24hrs to fully cure. I will sand it down this weekend.

I would not use an epoxy only rated to 200°F. These trucks run hot and the coolant has no problem reaching or exceeding that temp on a regular basis.

When you used the JB, did you just sand the area, including raised section, and spread a little farther than the crack, or did you excavate any of the crack before filling?

Also, is there a dedicated thread with "how to" instructions on replacing the radiator? The only question on that I have is, do you have to add transmission fluid to the new unit since the tranny cooler is integrated. This was asked, but I can't find where it was answered.

 

[PDoyle]

YouTube will get you install info pretty quick. Just make sure the radiator is shipped correctly. And change your heater T’s. Should be a breeze.