Isuzu Trooper Owners Club UK™

[tonybach]

Hi,
Can anyone out there help me with a strange radiator problem.My 88 petrol trooper,91 k on the clock, has sprung a leak in the radiator a few inches up from the bottom and towards the middle, the small fins look a little bent and dented in the immediate area so it's probably a stone or something that caused it.However I'd like to know why it leaks in a strange way - It doesn't leak when the engine is running,and the engine runs as cool as usual which might not be the case if there were a blockage. When I turn off the engine it immediately leaks quite forcefully almost as if under pressure.I've tried a dose of radiator sealant to no avail.I don't really want to fork out for a new radiator but I'd still like to know, out of interest, why it leaks like it does.Any Ideas?
Tony

[Google]

[Peterjday]

Might be that with the engine running and so with maximum pressure behind the coolant and at max temperature, it is leaking but it turns to steam as it leaves the rad, so that you can't see it. (Because the rad is pressurised the boiling point of the coolant, mostly water, is raised to above 100C. So as it comes out of the rad at 100C+ it instantaneously turns to steam).

As the engine / rad starts to cool the water is ejected as water (so you can see it) rather than as steam.

Thats my theory anyway.

I also have this theory about brontosauruses.


_________________
Peter

[Paul Rainbow]

It could be that the expansion in the rad when hot is closing the gap, thus stopping any noticable leakage. Turn off the engine & water stops flowing & cools down, gap opens water escapes!

Your other theory Peter is about dinosaurs being thin at one end, much, much thicker in the middle, and thin at the other end?

Oh our wasted youth, eh?

[MONTYMON]

Not all dinosaurs are like that


_________________
Thats all for now TTFN

[Peterjday]

I successfully repaired a Nissan radiator as follows:
Carefully push fins away from damaged area. On the Nissan they just slid up out of the way.
Clean around the area down to clean bare metal. Very fine wet & dry or a fibreglass pen.
Coat with a fairly agressive flux. I used red Coraline.
Heat with a blow torch with a fine flame and apply regular 60/40 solder.
Be carefull if you are close to the header or footer.

Its a fairly risky process, but I could only buy a new replacement for the Nissan, couldn't get an echange.

If you can get an exchange and are not confident or skilled with such things, then forget it and go for the exchange.

You might also check you yellow pages for "car radiator repairs"; there are some in my YP. A repair might well be a lot cheaper than new.

And my theory was about brontosauruses, not TRexs.
_________________
Peter

[tonybach]

Thank you all,
I can't find a single brontosaurus in the yellow pages but I'm currently waiting for a call from a diplodocus who might know a guy that fixes the said item.I've been informed that the rad is very expensive to buy new and hard to find second hand/ reconditioned so cross fingers the guy in jurassic park can do it.
Cheers,
Tony

[Paul Rainbow]

I tried to repair my rad in my '89 as Peter suggests and all I found were more leaks, or leaking from the folded over fin as you have to get it REALLY clean for the flux & solder to take. I had quotes to re core the rad for around £150, but it would have taken two weeks. I then found a rad at a local Isuzu dealer, in stock, gathering dust I should imagine, for £200.

This another old dinosaur was kept on the road. And my Trooper.

[nobbygezza]

If you need a recon radiator i found these people very helpfull


Serck Intertruck Tel: 020 8805 7999


Unit C, Duck Lees Lane, Brimsdown Ind Est, Ponders End, Enfield, Middlesex EN3 7UH
Classification: Radiators - Motor

They have depots all over the country.
hope this helps.

[ethel610]

Had same problem with our '93.
Had rad recorred at a cost of £150
New ones hard to get hold of bar going to a dealer and i aint paying their prices