Indeed I was surprised how loose radiators are these days. My father
destroyed the front of his 2004 Saturn. After it was fixed I was checking
it over and I couldn't believe how loose the radiator was. I brought the
car back and they said it was right the way it was. I drove over to Saturn
dealer and checked the new ones out..... yep.... they are loose all right.


"TeGGeR®" > wrote in message
...
> "Pete from Boston" > wrote in
> ps.com:
>
>> I need a new radiator in my 90 Accord (155K) -- ridiculous leak and
>> I'd just rather put something new in than mess around with
>> patching/welding. I've been reading through a lot of radiator
>> replacement discussions in here and given the amount of time I've
>> already spent looking at and playing with it, I'm willing to give
>> doing it myself a shot.
>>
>> That said, I'm wondering about the pros/cons of plastic and aluminum
>> tanks. Having had leaks on two plastic-tanked radiators, I'd rather go
>> with aluminum if that's going to tend to develop leaks less. Someone
>> mentioned aluminum being heavier -- is this going to make any
>> substantial difference other than ease of installation?
>>
>> The prices on the ones I'm seeing listed on line are all reasonable,
>> but I don't see a lot of detailed info on one vs. another (which is
>> info much more in abundance on this group, thankfully).
>>
>> Any opinions/recommendations?
>>
>
>
>
> All-aluminum is best. If you can find one these days. They're getting
> harder to locate.
>
> An important point to remember is that the rad MUST be free-floating.
> When the upper mounts are bolted down, the rad should be LOOSE even when
> the engine is hot. It should wiggle very easily. If it is snugly mounted
> and not easily movable, excessive stress is placed on the tanks, leading
> to a greater probability of fractures.
>
> --
> TeGGeR®
>
> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/