Radiator For 5-speed 2WD

[AR74]

I'm searching for a Radiator for my 86 5-speed 2WD Van but all I can find are Radiators for Automatic Transmissions with transmission coolers ??? Are they not making them for the 5-speed 2WD's anymore ?

[timsrv]

Aftermarket never made these without coolers. You can run these with manual transmissions, just simply ignore the nipples for the ATF cooler. The radiator will work just fine in that regard. The bigger concern is getting a quality radiator. Most (if not all) of the aftermarket stuff is junk. If your old radiator has good tanks, you're better off taking it down to your local radiator shop and have it recored with a quality core. It may cost a bit more, but should last much longer & cool better. Any time I have a van radiator recored I request a high efficiency core to be installed. I believe Modine makes one that fits the 2wd van radiators. Tim

[AR74]

Can they 4 row these ? The only problem is finding a decent shop around close would be the hardest !!! Most around here are very shady !!!

[timsrv]

Oh, I see your are in Arkansas........big problem . Seriously though, I'd probably go down and talk to a couple places 1st and perhaps observe what goes on while I'm there. If they don't know what they're doing it should be rather obvious. You might have better luck going to a bigger shop. Usually the busy places in the cities are trust worthy. Perhaps check for on-line reviews. Good luck. Tim

[timsrv]

Oh, and on my 89 2wd van I'm currently running a Modine 4 row high efficiency core installed into my original Toyota radiator tanks. Tim

[AR74]

I'll see what I can come up with . I appreciate it !!!

[AR74]

Would a 3 row aftermarket be better than what I have with the stock radiator or would having my old radiator cleaned and pressure tested for any leaks if a recore isn't an option ?

[timsrv]

Unless there was something obvious, before replacing a radiator, I would take it down to a radiator shop and have it evaluated. When I overhauled my 86 2 years ago I removed the factory radiator and took it down for evaluation (1st time it had been looked at in almost 30 years). They cooked it out & pressure tested it. Everything was good, so it just got a new coat of paint and I put it back into service. I've put close to 30k miles on it since then without any issues.

If you take care of your cooling system you can expect radiators to last a very long time. It's neglect and weak concentrations of antifreeze that destroy radiators. Mixing concentrated antifreeze with hose water can also be bad (depending on water quality). For this reason I only run the premixed -34° F Prestone anymore and I change it in <5 year intervals. If your coolant is still nice & green then chances are your radiator is still good. Tim

[AR74]

Thanks , I haven't had it very long so I don't really know the history on it , the coolant is still green so that's a good thing .

[timsrv]

BTW, having my old radiator cooked out, pressure tested, and repainted cost about $125. I consider that 30 year old OEM radiator better than any new aftermarket radiator. Tim

[timsrv]

Take the thing into a reputable shop and let them evaluate it. Unless you are dealing with scammers, these guys know radiators. If it's good, and they're honest, they will tell you. If it needs reworked or replaced, they will also tell you that. If it leaks it doesn't mean it's bad, it might just need a solder joint redone and it could be fine again for a long time to come.

When it comes to efficiency, OEM radiators do actually suck. High efficiency cores move a lot more BTU's than the OEM ones. They are however very expensive (could cost $500 - $600 to recore with high efficiency). If the OEM radiator cools the van good enough, then don't fix what isn't broken. If it's got a problem, or if you can view garbage and/or corrosion built up inside and/or blocking the tubes (when you're looking into it from a hose port), then it should be either cooked-out or rodded out, then pressure tested. Just do whatever your radiator guy recommends (assuming you can trust him). I usually take people at face value & I'm usually not disappointed. There are however some people I've learned not to deal with, but those are few and far between. Good luck. Tim

[AR74]

Thanks for the info. and help Tim !!!