• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

Ebay Aluminum Radiator Installation

ssdvc

Well-known member
971
639
93
Location
CT
OK, so in addition to a terrible speller, a Master Mechanic I ain't.

I managed to strip out aua one of the oil cooler line fitting bungs on the radiator (this isn't going the way I thought it would). The aluminum appears kinda of soft to begin with and I think I may have applied a tad too much torque when putting it all back together.

My question is....Is there a way to repair just the threads of the bung, without too much drama? I really don't want to spend another $300 to buy a new radiator and to replace the bung at a radiator shop is a few hundred bucks.

This is really beginning to suck. And, before ANYONE chimes in, I know that perhaps it would have been smarter to just get my old one redone (which is still an option). Be that as it may be, I am not ready to give up on this CHICOM one....yet. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 

ssdvc

Well-known member
971
639
93
Location
CT
OK, a new radiator is in the cart............really as a last resort. I am exploring every option I can and I came across this. Has anyone used this method?

 

ezgn

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
650
1,039
93
Location
Lake Elsinore Ca.
OK, so in addition to a terrible speller, a Master Mechanic I ain't.

I managed to strip out aua one of the oil cooler line fitting bungs on the radiator (this isn't going the way I thought it would). The aluminum appears kinda of soft to begin with and I think I may have applied a tad too much torque when putting it all back together.

My question is....Is there a way to repair just the threads of the bung, without too much drama? I really don't want to spend another $300 to buy a new radiator and to replace the bung at a radiator shop is a few hundred bucks.

This is really beginning to suck. And, before ANYONE chimes in, I know that perhaps it would have been smarter to just get my old one redone (which is still an option). Be that as it may be, I am not ready to give up on this CHICOM one....yet. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
I think you will need to take it to a radiator shop. If the threads are actually stripped, you won't be able to tap the threads the same size as the cooler line fitting. If you crossed threaded the threads and did not get to far into the threads, a bottoming tap may repair the threads enough to hold. No need to over tighten the fittings, you can always tighten them up more if need be. Sorry for your troubles.
 

ssdvc

Well-known member
971
639
93
Location
CT
While I agree with going to a shop, I am wondering if the method I posted above would work? All the oil cooling lines are o-ringed and use that method (along with some pressure from the tightened fitting) to seal everything up. If the copper allows the fitting to be appropriately tightened down on the o-ring (that's an IF), then that could hold me until I get up the funds to have me old radiator fully repaired.

So, has anyone used this method to repair stripped threads?
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,552
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
Install a standalone oil cooler?
How does that work? I thought the whole idea was that the coolant in the radiator provided cooling for all the fluids (oil, atf) Just adding more hoses and more connections and the add on oil cooler is just adding for problem areas to deal with. Seems to me it worked all these years and parts are still available to fix it correctly. I know SSDVC I don't think he would like the add on engine oil cooler. I know I wouldn't. I have had them on vehicles before and they were a factory set up. Everything was well routed and designed that way. I would be more comfortable with SSDVC having a stock set up and getting it repaired correctly. He is not a mechanic and admits it openly. Good Luck SSDVC I was exercising my right to remain silent like you mentioned. Mumbling that you couldn't hear me don't count. And a few WTF's.
 

ssdvc

Well-known member
971
639
93
Location
CT
Rick, you'll be happy to know that I am taking the old radiator to a small local shop that I found out about yesterday. I am going to get it tested and see exactly what is worng with it. Hopefully, it's just in need of repair. If it's repairable, at a reasonable price, I am going to get it done and return it to it's proper place at the front of my 1009.

If it is not and it does requires a recore, depending on the price, I may go that route now. 3rd option is, since the ret of the new aluminum radiator is ready to go, just go ahead and get a helicoil put in and use the new one until I can swing the recore.

Either way, I am going to keep and repair the aluminum one and, at the least, keep it for an emergency spare.

As for an add on, external oil cooler, I appreciate the suggestion, but Rick is right. I am trying to keep things fairly stock mechanically, making improvements only where needed for reliability. For my purposes, the stock, in radiator oil coolers work fine.

Thanks for the tip on the copper/aluminum Keith. With the humidity levels here over the last few weeks, I am sure that repair wouldn't last very long.
 

Keith_J

Well-known member
3,657
1,313
113
Location
Schertz TX
The Helicoil should work if you can get the tap deep enough.

Helicoil taps work like any other tap, the ones normally available are starting taps, fine foe through holes. This fitting is a blind hole so you may need a bottoming tap. These have only 2 of the first threads tapered instead of 6 or more.
 

ssdvc

Well-known member
971
639
93
Location
CT
Yeah, if I do the Helicoil thing, I will defer to an expert or have a machine shop do it. I can't afford to keep screwing things up.
 

GunnyM1009

Well-known member
354
529
93
Location
Roanoke/Alabama
I wanted to do an Aluminium radiator until reading this thread. Mine currently still works it just looks like it's been used to clear some tree limbs with. The fins a very mangled on it. Now I'm not real sure what I want to do.
 

cucvrus

Well-known member
11,263
9,552
113
Location
Jonestown Pennsylvania
Yeah, if I do the Helicoil thing, I will defer to an expert or have a machine shop do it. I can't afford to keep screwing things up.
Before you say all is over I want to share my experience. I had this old lifted M1009 dropped off for many repairs and I wanted to share the radiator experience. I had quoted a new radiator and ended up with a fraction of the cost and a repaired OEM radiator. Check it out. Good Luck. I think you need a minor repair. (1) 1986 CUCV M1009 Decade after being wrecked. | Page 18 | SteelSoldiers
 

ssdvc

Well-known member
971
639
93
Location
CT
Before you say all is over I want to share my experience. I had this old lifted M1009 dropped off for many repairs and I wanted to share the radiator experience. I had quoted a new radiator and ended up with a fraction of the cost and a repaired OEM radiator. Check it out. Good Luck. I think you need a minor repair. (1) 1986 CUCV M1009 Decade after being wrecked. | Page 18 | SteelSoldiers
And Rick, honestly, that is the ONLY reason I am holding out hope for my old radiator. I am dropping it off tomorrow morning.
 

ssdvc

Well-known member
971
639
93
Location
CT
Gunny, I am not crossing off aluminum radiators............yet. It was my screwup stripping that bung out. I really think the unit I got, while not plug and play, is decent and can be made to work, with a few simple mods. And if I can make it work (being a shade tree mechanic, if that !), with the work you are doing on your truck, it should be a breeze !!

- One mod required is to mate the heater hose to the radiator. A metric to NPT adapter will be required for many of the aftermarket units. That mod is detailed earlier in the thread.
- Another one require is to adapt the threaded low level coolant sensor to the slip on nipple fitting on most aftermarket units. I took the old sensor and sanded the plastic body down so it would fit inside the hose nipple. Then I found a good fitting piece of hose and two clamps and BAM, done. Pics below.

IMG_3880.JPGIMG_3881.JPGIMG_3916.JPGIMG_3917.JPGIMG_3922.JPG

- Last mod was to slightly bend the radiator hold down pieces (to hold the top of the radiator in place) to adjust the fit for the slightly shorter height of the aluminum unit.

Oh, and the nipple for the radiator overflow hose is smaller than the stock unit. Either finding a bigger nipple to thread on OR, what I was going to do, was just go buy a brass step up hose barb.

I will get the aluminum unit repaired, funds permitting, in the future (if all works out with the original) for a ready spare. While I am at it, and when time permits, I will also work on ALL the fittings on the aluminum unit, just to make it better. With four cores, the aluminum unit should keep my 1009 nice and cool (although that cold be bad for New England winters!).
 

GunnyM1009

Well-known member
354
529
93
Location
Roanoke/Alabama
Gunny, I am not crossing off aluminum radiators............yet. It was my screwup stripping that bung out. I really think the unit I got, while not plug and play, is decent and can be made to work, with a few simple mods. And if I can make it work (being a shade tree mechanic, if that !), with the work you are doing on your truck, it should be a breeze !!

- One mod required is to mate the heater hose to the radiator. A metric to NPT adapter will be required for many of the aftermarket units. That mod is detailed earlier in the thread.
- Another one require is to adapt the threaded low level coolant sensor to the slip on nipple fitting on most aftermarket units. I took the old sensor and sanded the plastic body down so it would fit inside the hose nipple. Then I found a good fitting piece of hose and two clamps and BAM, done. Pics below.

View attachment 875326View attachment 875327View attachment 875323View attachment 875324View attachment 875325

- Last mod was to slightly bend the radiator hold down pieces (to hold the top of the radiator in place) to adjust the fit for the slightly shorter height of the aluminum unit.

Oh, and the nipple for the radiator overflow hose is smaller than the stock unit. Either finding a bigger nipple to thread on OR, what I was going to do, was just go buy a brass step up hose barb.

I will get the aluminum unit repaired, funds permitting, in the future (if all works out with the original) for a ready spare. While I am at it, and when time permits, I will also work on ALL the fittings on the aluminum unit, just to make it better. With four cores, the aluminum unit should keep my 1009 nice and cool (although that cold be bad for New England winters!).
Would be amazing for Alabama Summers though. It's been mid to high 90's down here for the last two months with humidity at 60 plus percent most days
 

ssdvc

Well-known member
971
639
93
Location
CT
Would be amazing for Alabama Summers though. It's been mid to high 90's down here for the last two months with humidity at 60 plus percent most days
Well Gunny, if your not in a rush, I'll be getting to the aluminum unit in a little bit and will post a conclusion.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks