can I save my radiator?

[sickcallawayc12]

Okay I have noticed a very small leak on the radiator of my 97 sl2. I belive it's a little under the top screw holding the radiator in place on the right side (facing the car). I'm guessing from the top of my head cuz I haven't looked at it in a few days but I know i saw the leak (aside from coolant all over the right side of the engine bay). I had this problem a month and a half earlier and ended up using 3 bottles of radiator sealer to stop the problem. I placed it in the expansion tank and drove the car for about 35 minutes so it would reach the radiator. It didn't stop the problem. I know there is a special procedure for adding sealer to the saturn cooling system (according to the owners manual) but don't know what it is. Anyone know what the procedure is? Will I have to get a new radiator? Another weird thing is that the first time that I flushed the cooling system is at 130000 (i know, flush it every 6000 miles) is when the problem started. It wasn't leaking before then.

[sierrap615]

you need a new radiator, 90% of saturn radiators that go bad crack right where you are talking about, mine included. that radiator stop leak is crap it clogs the cooling system, just hope it doesn't do any extra harm, i used some of it and two weeks after i replaced the radiator the water pump whent bad. there is a special 'ginger root additive' saturn uses but its not for this type of leak, it more of a preventive measure for the hoses. your 97 uses dexcool, its designed to last 5 years/100000miles not 6000.but i do bet the radiator was already weak and the new fluid was the scraw that broke the camel's back. check ebay for radiators, i got lucky and found one for $50.

[sickcallawayc12]

what should i look for in a radiator? I was gonna get one from radiatorbarn.com for about $120. I don't know if i trust other sites on ebay selling some for around $95. Will I have to buy any new accessories as well (hoses, fittings, etc.)?

[sierrap615]

hoses are your chouse, inspect your and decide. new fitting are a good idea, but not nessicriy. if you have a automatic trans, you need a radiator from a automatic car. if you have a manual trans, ether auto or manual donor will work. i don't know what years will work, but i *think* 94-02. i can remember if you have replaced the ECT yet, but if you haven't, you need to drain the coolent anyway. need a how-to?

[joyrider]

don't do this, but i had an 89 tbird that always had trouble w/ it's cooling system (can we say 3 water pumps!!) and i used jb weld on the radiator for a few months till i could afford another one.
hey, when you're desperate . . . !
sierra, i still think u been tippling!

[sierrap615]

i also tried a cheapo version of JB weld on my radiator, it didn't work for me. the only repair that worked was replacement

[sickcallawayc12]

The hoses are fine but I'll probably replace the hoses with metal ones i saw in a jc whitney catalog so that they last forever (not to mention adding color to the engine). I'll also buy a new radiator for the same model year from radiatorbarn.com one of these days. The jb weld is an interestig idea though; i'd probably do it if i was really desperate on fixing my car but im not. I blew the damn oil pump the other day so im not moving my car for a while anyway. I won't need a know-how to drain it cuz i'll have a mechanic do a few things besides the radiator once i buy the parts i want to install (muffler, oil pump, brake pads, header, valve cover gasket, and other parts). I also have reason to believe i had a bad water pump for a while cuz one week a while back(before i flushed the radiator) i checked the coolant level to see how it was and there wasn't much and it wasn't up to the proper level after filling it and driving around. I kept filling it and drove the car to circulate it through the cooling system but seemed to keep "disappearing" with no visual leaks.

[sierrap615]

why have a mechanic do it when you can? everything you listed i have done or am perpairing to do.

and i thought those metal hoses (for about $35 or $40 right?) were just covers for your current hoses?

dissappearing coolent? uh-oh - check your oil and ATF levels, make sure they aren't 'milky'. check the coolent cap. the waterpumpo has little "weep holes" when the pump is bad, that where it will leak.

[sickcallawayc12]

oil and coolant cap was okay, I assume the ATF is automatic transmission fluid but i have a manual (after my Probe I will never drive a compact with an automatic again). Will the manual fluid still make a difference? and im gonna have a mechanic do most of the work; if i replace the water pump oil pump alternator and drivebelt at once then i may do it myself. My concern is that i won't have a great workplace to do it myself; there's still gonna be snow on the ground when i do this in the next few months and it'll be pretty chilly. If this gasket isn't overstretched or anything like the other one then i'll probably put the valve cover gasket on, everything else goes to the pro. Good news is I know the guys at this place and they always give me good deals. and the hoses im talking about aren't stock saturn material or covers. They are made of stainless steel and run for at least $65.00.

[sierrap615]

if you have a manual transmission then don't worry about the ATF thing.