Leaky radiator

[Bruce Hagemeyer]

I have a 2006 Marquis with the C-13 that has developed a radiator leak.  A year ago it started out as a damp spot on the bottom of the radiator and as expected the leakage gets progressively larger.  Now it leaks about 1 gallon per 750 miles (almost no dripping when sitting without pressure).

I can't see where the leak originates.  Are there any safe and reliable methods to seal the leak without removing the radiator?  Can these radiators be repaired?

Thanks...
Bruce

[Bill Sprague]

Bruce,

I'm sure there are others with recent radiator repair experience, but be sure to talk to Tim Bentley.  

[Richard And Babs Ames]

One of the easiest things to check is the clamps and fit of the hose connections. Hope not a serious leak as the modern radiators are hard to patch because of the material they are made out of.

[Roy Warren Co-Admin]

I don't have a Marquis, but have a Patriot Thunder.  We had a radiator leak at the welded seal of the aluminum radiator.  It had to be replaced.  We made sure when replaced we had a steel radiator and have had no problems since re-installation.  The folks in Bend know how to replace it.  Good luck with a repair/replacement.
Roy Warren

[Gerald Farris]

Bruce,
Assuming that your leak is in the radiator, and it probably is, if so you can try one of the pellet style "radiator stop leak" products that are on the market. It will probably stop the leak for a period of time, but the "stop leak" route is not a permanent repair. The leak may stop for a year or two, or maybe even three or four years, but it will come back.

One thing that you can do to slow the leak if your coach never runs above the 210 to 215 degree range for coolant operating temperature, is to replace the radiator cap with a seven pound cap. This will take some of the stress off of the radiator, and may make the "stop leak" repair last a little longer. However, the flaw is still there, and it is going to leak again someday.  

Your coach came with an aluminum radiator that is prone to leaks. Virtually no radiator shop will try to repair the aluminum radiator that your coach came with, and guarantee the repair. So with the high cost of R&R (remove and replace) for your radiator, the only option for a permanent repair is to replace it with a brass or steel radiator. Personally, I prefer brass, but either will work if the coolant is maintained.

Gerald
  

[Tim Bentley Co-Admin]

Hi Bruce,

Sorry to hear about your radiator problems, i'm not an expert but I can give you the benefit of my experience.   My radiator started leaking with about 50,000 miles at a rate of 1gal every 2500 miles.  I debated getting a new radiator at that time, but after talking to several experienced BAC members decided to go with Stop Leak instead.  Since it was an aluminum radiator, I chose a stop leak made of aluminum particles.  The stop leak lasted about 75000 miles but I always had in the back of my mind that eventually it would get caught and need  to replace it. As you know it finally went out as we were starting the rolling rally to Hilton Head.  We missed the rally and those after, and after 4 weeks we are still waiting for our coach to be repaired.  


I have been told that the aluminum radiators only last 7 to 10 years.  My replacement will be a brass copper radiator that is a little larger that the original one.   I had planned on getting the new radiator from the company in Sweet Home Oregon, but after the problems Garland had, and after my repair facility said that they will not deal with that company any more, we went to a company in Portland.  

To sum this up, you will eventually need a new radiator, but the one you have may last for many miles.  The other side of the problem is, if you wait, you may not be able to choose the location and company that does the work,  and you may be stuck somewhere for several weeks while the work is done.

If you get help, it is possible to do the work yourself, there are several BAC members who have done just that.  Our new radiator is likely to cost upwards of $8000, If you do it yourself it will cost half of that.

[Doug Neal]

I have used Bar's Leak with the pellets on my first car a 56 Chevy and several since then. It currently is in my Dakota and my Contessa. I have found this product to perform as advertised. The leaks were small. I can't tell you if it would stop something that was a stream. I say what do you have loose?

[Larry Fisk]

As many of you know my radiator cooling fan solved this debate for me when the bracket that held the motor in place for the cooling fan broke and the fan ended up in my radiator in Kamloops, Canada. A radiator shop in Kamloops installed a new core in my radiator and the shop Tim mentioned in Sweet home, OR supplied the new bracket for the cooling fan motor. The new bracket only lasted less than 2000 miles. I ended up having the local CAT shop in Anchorage, Alaska build me a bullet proof bracket in their fab shop. In the process of removing everything to build my new bracket on the bench to get the proper clearances for the fan they discovered my brand new fan that was installed in Kamloops was already damaged beyond reuse due to the junk bracket fabricated by the shop in Sweet Home, OR. I had to buy another new fan from BCS. All of this is documented here in the forum complete with photographs. Just a heads up again about the shop in Sweet Home. The redo in Anchorage to get everything done properly was an additional $3000. This does not include an additional 450.00 dollars for the new cooling fan I had to purchase again from BCS!! The original repair was 13,000 Dollars in Kamloops. The shop in Sweet Home did not reimburse me for any of this.

[Lee Welbanks]

As many of you know my radiator cooling fan solved this debate for me when the bracket that held the motor in place for the cooling fan broke and the fan ended up in my radiator in Kamloops, Canada. A radiator shop in Kamloops installed a new core in my radiator and the shop Tim mentioned in Sweet home, OR supplied the new bracket for the cooling fan motor. The new bracket only lasted less than 2000 miles. I ended up having the local CAT shop in Anchorage, Alaska build me a bullet proof bracket in their fab shop. In the process of removing everything to build my new bracket on the bench to get the proper clearances for the fan they discovered my brand new fan that was installed in Kamloops was already damaged beyond reuse due to the junk bracket fabricated by the shop in Sweet Home, OR. I had to buy another new fan from BCS. All of this is documented here in the forum complete with photographs. Just a heads up again about the shop in Sweet Home. The redo in Anchorage to get everything done properly was an additional $3000. This does not include an additional 450.00 dollars for the new cooling fan I had to purchase again from BCS!! The original repair was 13,000 Dollars in Kamloops. The shop in Sweet Home did not reimburse me for any of this.

I think I would be telling the shop in Sweet Home, Or if they have their fire insurance up the date, cause their about to have a accident.