Anybody bought a new radiator lately?

[KRB64]

NAPA ordered one, wrong size. Going by their in-store computer the one that fits my '76 M880 is a pre '72 style. Part #889. When I go on-line to their site it shows 5 for my truck and the 889 is one of them. Go figure.

Anybody done this lately? All I need is the correct part number. Is NAPA wrong or is an M880 radiator not the same as the same year W200?

[KRB64]

M880's (at least mine) apparantly came equiped with a factory AC radiator, which is also the same as the pre-72s in case anyone needs to to know.

[KRB64]

Just great

So I get the new radiator in, fresh antifreeze and everything is peachy.

Drive to town once and put maybe 10 more miles on it here on the farm and now the water pump goes out.

Why couldn't it have started weeping while I had everything drained & apart? Guess I should have been proactive and gone ahead and replaced it huh? A nickel saved...

[Ron in Indiana]

I know what you mean. I had a similar experience with my Townwagon. I had it all back together ready to go to the Iowa rally when the water pump starts leaking. I was as hot as the headers but got it fixed in time to go west. Did Napa find the correct radiator? They had the rotor tagged wrong from China for the 75 crew cab. The other day I was at Napa and the manager said he had two rotors for a chevy the same way. QC is lacking in China. I got the bolts yesterday, thanks.

[MoparFreak69]

So I get the new radiator in, fresh antifreeze and everything is peachy.

Drive to town once and put maybe 10 more miles on it here on the farm and now the water pump goes out.

Why couldn't it have started weeping while I had everything drained & apart? Guess I should have been proactive and gone ahead and replaced it huh? A nickel saved...

Unfortunately that is probably why the water pump started leaking. I bet the amount of time you had it dry while trying to find the right radiator caused the seal to dry out and probably crack when you first started it up again. Seals are like that, they dont like when you take the fluid away that they have been in forever and not immediately replace it quickly.

[KRB64]

Ah, good to know. So I can blame myself instead of 'ol Murphy.

And it gets even better. The top bolt twisted off. But after pulling the pump I had about 1" to work with. No luck: heat, vice grips, ground flat for an adjustable - nothing budged it. So I took the radiator back out and drilled it. Easy out won't even get it though. I've drilled it over to nothing but threads left and a chisel doesn't either... So I guess I'll have to try & tap it even though its slightly off center, or if that doesn't work I'll drill it oversize & add a nut to the back. So much for overseeding pastures this weekend...

And the radiator NAPA finally got that worked was a pre-1972 model with AC. Go figure.

[Ron in Indiana]

To bad you have it down to the block. I've always had good luck with a little heat and candle wax especially with a steel bolt in cast iron. Can you use a Heli coil now? Hope you get it.

[KRB64]

To bad you have it down to the block. I've always had good luck with a little heat and candle wax especially with a steel bolt in cast iron. Can you use a Heli coil now? Hope you get it.

Tell me about the candle wax method?

I drilled it out for the helicoil and the shell of the threads came out finally. But I did something wrong. When I tried the bolt the ear popped off. So now I'm down to JB Weld...

Not sure where this will end. Hope you had better luck getting those last two bolts in your hub!

[Ron in Indiana]

The wax trick works pretty slick in most cases. You apply heat with a torch, preferably a gas welding tip to control the flame and heat. Heat the bolt, nut or stud but not to the point of red hot. It just needs to melt the wax and wick in the threads like soldering a pipe. If it's so hot that the wax smokes wait a bit and apply the wax. It may take more than once on stubborn parts. I did this on four broken exhaust studs with one only having enough to get a bite with a vice grips. Working it slowly back a forth the stud turned out like a new bolt. I also did this on a tapered axle brake drum. I had tried a hub puller for all it was worth with no luck. I did the wax and when it popped loose the wax had wicked up the 2 1/2" of the taper. Which bolt is this that you're trying to get out?
We ended up taking the hub to the machine shop where they drilled out the old bolts with it set up in a jig. It ended up that the other holes were to big for a 7/16 heli coil so we drilled and tapped for 1/2" bolts. We have that axle back together just waiting to set it up in the truck.

[KRB64]

I'll have to try that wax technique next time, sounds good.

Wish I'd known of that before. I soaked the bolt with PB Blaster and applied heat but it never budged. Its the very top bolt in front of the thermostat and the only one that isn't blind. The others go into the block and this one into a flange or little "ear".

Not sure what happened with the helicoil. I guess maybe all that cranking on it before had weakened it. I've never used JB Weld like this before, only to "fix" minor stuff. I hope it works. Not sure what to do if it doesn't.

Glad you got your hub together. Never as easy as it ought to be is it?

[KRB64]

My shade tree method didn't work. The JB was too soft, guess I mixed it up wrong. So with fewer options all the time, I glued the pieces back and then thru bolted that top bolt. So far so good, its been holding after several trips around the farm and down the road. We'll see.

[78clubcab]

As far as the radiator goes, I think I really got lucky and scored one on ebay. I got a Modine for a big block muscle car but the dimensions lined up perfectly and it bolted right in. All for $139.98 shipped, and it was NEW. My truck is a 400, non a/c.

[KRB64]

Cheaper than NAPA.