Radiator cap problem

[harryhr]

I just love my CUCV Blazer when it decides to grant me another problem. This time it came up with three problems at the same time. 1st problem: Small coolant leak about three inches above the bottom of the radiator left side. Went and got some radiator sealer. Was going to take off the radiator cap to pour in contents. 2nd problem: cannot get the cap off. I can turn it counter clock wise till it's loose but it won't come off no matter how much I wiggle it back and forth. So I tightened it back up. 3rd problem: I opened the coolant reservoir and poured the sealer in (directions said the reservoir was okay too). Sealer started to leak out of the side of the reservoir through a small hole. I siphoned some out to below the hole. I'm going to remove the reservoir and repair it But I would like to pour the sealer into the radiator. How the heck do I get that cap off without damaging the radiator neck? I can replace the cap but not the neck.

 

[cucvrus]

Push down hard on the cap when the vehicle is COLD. Not hot. And throw the sealer in the trash. if the radiator is leaking get it fixed or replace it. Sealer will just screw things up. Do as you wish. But this is not going to help putting it in the over flow bottle. NOT at all. Get the radiator changed. BU850 at Autozone about $300. American and it will need a few other parts to do the job right. If you love the CUCV like you said take care of it like you love it. Don't treat it like a rental car and give it poor maintenance and run it hard and put it away wet. Good Luck. You will have about $400. in the job if you do it right and do it yourself.

 

[Kaiser67M715]

Agreed, sealer is a gimmick that makes things worse so you buy more parts-I've seen it seal a thermostat shut before; so imagine what it can do in some of the small cooling passages.

You can try soldering the radiator(if it is the original brass/copper, it sometimes works but mostly doesn't on aluminum) if you can't afford a new radiator at this time-the solder can plug up cores, rendering some loss of cooling ability, but it will buy you time to scrape money together for the proper fix


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Drock]

Agree, forget the snake oil, fix in a bottle stuff of any kind. They will simply cause destruction of other parts. Replace the radiator, and the thermostat and add a temp gauge while your at it.

 

[harryhr]

Thank you for the reply. Well for starters, I did push down very hard and turned the cap and it goes only so far and wobbles but won't lift off. Secondly, I do not have $400.00 to replace radiator. It's not glob sealer, it's liquid. The only reason I put it in the Coolant reservoir is because I could not get the cap off and the directions said it was okay to do. I had the feeling it wasn't going anywhere, but that's where you put engine coolant when the reservoir is low (below the cold line or hot line). I'm going to remove the reservoir and fix it with a repair kit I got at NAPA because I cannot find a replacement for it (not even at the junk yards). NAPA cannot find one for me. I don't care for AutoZone because the two stores in my area have nothing but unprofessional idiots that don't know a spark plug from a glow plug. I don't run my vehicles hard. Too costly in the long run to beat a vehicle to death. That's one of the things I hated when I was in the army. I always heard "Its not mine, so who gives a ****". I like the Blazer. Drove a lot of CUCV's while in the army but never got involved in the maintenance. The MP company I was assigned to as First Sergeant had the highest maintenance evaluation awards in the Battalion. My Blazer came from an Army Reserve unit near Philadelphia, Pa. It wasn't beat up. Just poor maintenance (found that out after purchasing it). Put a lot of mechanical parts in it since I've owned it. Anything else goes wrong with it I'm going to sell it.

 

[harryhr]

Thank you for the replies. I guess I will just dump the sealer in the trash like you all say to do. And yes, I was planning on installing a temperature gage and an oil pressure gage. Why change the thermostat? I havn't a clue to what all is involved in replacing a radiator nor do I have the room in the garage to do it. I do know how to install oil and temperature gages. Done those on M series tactical vehicles.

 

[Tinstar]

The cap might have caked up crap on it making it the way you describe.
Give it a little more force without breaking it and see if that works.

Totally agree on the stop leak replies. Waste of $$ and will plug your heater core for sure and does other nasty things.

 

[4x4 Forever]

Might be cheaper to take it out and have a radiator shop dunk it and fix what is wrong. That is alot cheaper than just buying a new one. If it is too bad, at least you tried!

 

[antennaclimber]

"NAPA cannot find one for me"

This will work with a minor modification. https://www.napaonline.com/napa/en/p/NDP6053401/

 

[harryhr]

I really don't think there is any gunk built up under the cap but I could be wrong. I've looked at the cap really close and it looks to me that there are four nubs on the radiator neck. When you turn to take off the cap, there are two short arms on the cap that that align with two of the nubs on the neck and there are two cut outs on the cap that align with the other two nubs on the neck at the same time. W hen the cap lines up with the nubs on the neck, the cap should come off, except mine just wobbles back and forth when I push down and try to lift off. When I go to take out the radiator, I'm going to have to get that cap off so I can drain the coolant' Thanks for any more info you can give me.

 

[Tinstar]

Use a Dremel and cut it off very carefully.
Last Resort.

 

[harryhr]

I thank everyone that replied to my post for your input and advice. I took my Blazer to the local radiator repair shop today. The guy at the shop looked it over and told me that the core needs to be replaced. If I wanted to keep the original Harrison/Delphi radiator, he would take out the old copper core and replace with a new copper core. Or I could go cheaper and replace the original radiator with an aluminum radiator, The only thing is, I would have to track down the aluminum radiator, buy it (save about $50.00) and he would install it. I opted to replace the core, which will have a life time warranty (free parts, replacement, and labor). I just want a One Stop do it all shop and be done with it. It goes in the shop next Wednesday. To be totally honest, without this site and everyone's advice/comments, I would be totally lost. Well, most of the time I'm totally lost and confused anyway.

 

[harryhr]

Oh, I almost forgot to mention...I watched this guy push down on the radiator cap with not much effort, turn it and took it off. Hunnnnnn, I'm missing something. No gunk in the coolant, nice and clean. Said the radiator has several tiny size leaks towards the bottom and sides.

 

[cucvrus]

Good deal. No worries. It happens. Run the radiator cap loose on the first safety catch for a while to buy you some time till you come up with the $400. to replace the radiator all the hoses coolant and thermostat. I would change the water manifold cross over gaskets front and rear while you have the coolant drained. But just get everything changed before winter so you can tighten the cap and have good cabin heat over the winter. Good luck. And thanks for sharing your misfortune with the group. At least you are honest about it and did follow up with the issue and the resolve.

 

[harryhr]

Is that your Blazer in the pic? I like the idea of no cap in back. I would like to do something like that but have a detachable canvas/vinyl top with frame for it. I don't run my Blazer in the winter. Too much salt used here in NY state.

 

[cucvrus]

This is my Mule M1009 I built it and can return it to stock M1009 if I so desire. I cut a civilain cargo cover and the front wall is from a Civilian pick up. Everything is bolted and riveted in place. the rear cover is custom made from a HMMWV rear cover. Tis is a very handy little truck. It also has the pickup rear tailgate on it. Very handy and clean.

 

[harryhr]

Very nice! I like what you've done with it. Right now I have two radio tables with two fully operational RT524's and two R442's installed. I want to replace the rear bench seat with two MUTT front seats or something similar. But that is a future project.

 

[Tinstar]

Glad you got it figured out.

Thanks for the update

 

[harryhr]

Hey antennaclimber, I used that part number and got the reservoir. Like you said, a small modification: Drilled a hole in the plastic front mount, bolted the bracket to the reservoir and made sure bottom half fit in the slot and bolted bracket to the body. Perfect fit. Thank you for the reservoir/NAPA information.

 

[harryhr]

Dropping off Blazer this coming Wednesday. I should have it back Thursday or Friday.