BodybyFisher Posted February 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 I am not sure you can mix metals with an aluminum engine, but thanks for the thought, Mike Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL T Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 Don't bother !!!!!!!!!! These plastic side tank radiators suck ! "Retanking" is tricky at best. No guarantee that they won't pop a leak down the road. Best bet..........Get a aftermarket solid and old fashoned 100% metal side tank replacement radiator. My sisters old VWs side tanks popped and the local radiator shop was iffy at best fixing it and if they did no guarantee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got a solid metal (brass?) replacement for $165 from a local radiator suppy house and installed it myself...............geo I had my side tanks replaced about 50,000+ miles ago and have not had any problems. I used GM end tank replacements. I hardly see how you can compare a VW and a Cadillac radiator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonjaab Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 Well..........Wooptie, wooptie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must live a CHARMED life then! In MY experience a plastic retanking is "iffy" at best no matter what side tanks you buy ! Most likely those plastic pieces are made at the same 3rd world sweatshop and not by GM or VW.................. I think it would be mostly experience replacing those plastic side tanks. Having the CORRECT crimping tools not to mention the risk and time involved doing it your self....................... Would I rather spend $200 plus MY TIME on risking a tricky repair or spending the SAME $$ (or less) not to mention my TIME and buying a NEW radiator ???????????? Did I mention I was doing this repair while on vacation on the side of the road with borrowed tools in SanDiego to my SISTERS POS vw ? Mention VW to the local radiator shop and they either saw $$$$ signs or didn't want to be bothered. Couldn't see the poor girl gettin' screwed at a vw dealer !!!!! After a few phone calls the replacement (all metal) radiator was the best permanent repair that could be made so I could get back on the plane and head back home to Fla.....(After a stop in Vegas!)................. Pretty hard to keep a eye on a "cobbled" tank repair from 1500 miles away cuz I can't see that far !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 93 DeVille-13 Chevy Impala 72 GTO - 77 Triumph Bonneville 84 Z-28 Syracuse NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 I think that the Northstar already mixes metals in the cooling system, and that may be one of the reasons that it is sensitive to coolant maintenance. If I did use a brass radiator tanks, I would check and see if the core is aluminum. If so, I would use a multimeter to make sure that there was no electrical connection between either of the tanks and the core; if there is an electrical connection I wouldn't use that radiator. And, I would make sure that the radiator was mounted so that there is no electrical connection between the tanks and the body. When I had my radiator looked at, there was a split seam in the back of the right tank. The advice I got was that it couldn't be re-tanked, which I didn't quite believe. I think I caused it by overfilling the surge tank. I had a pulled head bolt and the car was overheating daily and blowing out coolant, and I was getting careless. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 I am not sure you can mix metals with an aluminum engine, but thanks for the thought, Mike Is the water pump cartridge all aluminum? Seems to me it is ferrous metal but I have been wrong before today. Putting aluminum heads on an iron block was not a problem; not sure what you would be concerned about, Mike. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted February 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 I am not sure you can mix metals with an aluminum engine, but thanks for the thought, Mike Is the water pump cartridge all aluminum? Seems to me it is ferrous metal but I have been wrong before today. Putting aluminum heads on an iron block was not a problem; not sure what you would be concerned about, Mike. I was not concerned with IRON I was more concerned with the suggestion above to use a BRASS radiator..... I would NEVER use a different style radiator with brass ends my mind IMMEDIATELY said it could be a problem from a reactive standpoint. See this link and this exerpt that I found on galvanic corrosion, BRASS is only SLIGHLY less reactive than COPPER: The galvanic corrosion rate depends on the electrical potential between the two metals. The Galvanic Series (fig. 2) orders metals based on the potential they exhibit in flowing seawater. The most reactive are at the top of the table, and the least reactive at the bottom. Fig 2. Galvanic Series (in increasing reactive order) Magnesium Zinc Aluminum (most types) Iron, plain carbon and low alloy steels Lead, high lead alloys Tin plate, tin/lead solder Chromium plated materials, chromium alloys, chromium type-steels Brass Copper Nickel Stainless steels Silver Gold *adapted from MIL-STD-889 Elevated temperatures, which are likely in cooling loops, accelerate galvanic corrosion. A 10°C increase in temperature can approximately double the corrosion rate. Corrosion inhibitors can be added to the cooling water. This retards, but does not eliminate, galvanic corrosion. Corrosion inhibitors bind with the ions in solution to neutralize them. The inhibitors are consumed in this process so they need replacing regularly. Non-aqueous coolants, such as oils, eliminate galvanic corrosion because they do not support ions. However, thermal performance is sacrificed, as the thermal conductivities of heat transfer oils are generally significantly lower than water-based coolants http://www.lytron.com/support/galvanic_corrosion.htm Well..........Wooptie, wooptie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must live a CHARMED life then! In MY experience a plastic retanking is "iffy" at best no matter what side tanks you buy ! Most likely those plastic pieces are made at the same 3rd world sweatshop and not by GM or VW.................. I think it would be mostly experience replacing those plastic side tanks. Having the CORRECT crimping tools not to mention the risk and time involved doing it your self....................... Would I rather spend $200 plus MY TIME on risking a tricky repair or spending the SAME $$ (or less) not to mention my TIME and buying a NEW radiator ???????????? Did I mention I was doing this repair while on vacation on the side of the road with borrowed tools in SanDiego to my SISTERS POS vw ? Mention VW to the local radiator shop and they either saw $$$$ signs or didn't want to be bothered. Couldn't see the poor girl gettin' screwed at a vw dealer !!!!! After a few phone calls the replacement (all metal) radiator was the best permanent repair that could be made so I could get back on the plane and head back home to Fla.....(After a stop in Vegas!)................. Pretty hard to keep a eye on a "cobbled" tank repair from 1500 miles away cuz I can't see that far !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lets stop this pissing contest. I was going to spend $135 for the correct tools, which included 4 side tank clamps to apply proper pressure BEFORE the tabs got crimped. I have NEVER done a half assed job in my life and I didn't plan to start NOW. If you didn't use the clamps its no wonder you had a problem.. For the record my radiator shop replaces side tanks all the time with no problems, I have dealt with them for 25 years... Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 Point taken, Mike. Which explains why folks hardly ever use gold plated propellers on a salt water boat. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted February 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 Point taken, Mike. Which explains why folks hardly ever use gold plated propellers on a salt water boat. One of the reasons anyway Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonjaab Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 NO PISSIN" contest......................... Just difficult doing a retanking on the roadside. Time was short, NO proper tools, never retanked one before, local rad. shop not interested in doing it. My choices were limited............. It it were one of MY cars...... for the aggrivation (spl) and the few dollar difference and did I mention TIME? A complete replacement unit no matter if it was brass, copper, aluminum, or horsefeathers would of been my choice..................... 93 DeVille-13 Chevy Impala 72 GTO - 77 Triumph Bonneville 84 Z-28 Syracuse NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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