Monaco500 Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Hello everyone, Thanks for such a helpful forum. Barry, thanks for your post on the ISC module. Good info for my archives! Well, the coolant leak on my '94 STS 4.6 Northstar is getting worse. After closer inspection, it appears that it is the side tank on the passenger side of the radiator. Does anybody have experience replacing one? What should I look out for? It appears to be a straight forward job, but there is usually a small detail or two that I do not expect. Are these replacement tanks expensive? Can I get one from the corner auto parts store? Thanks in advance! Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfreezn Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Eric, I just replaced the radiator on my 94ETC last fall. It was cracked on the front side of the passenger side plastic end tank. A new radiator from 1 800 radiator was about $160 delivered in 4 hours, and was of OEM quality with all fittings exactly where they were supposed to be. If you think about this, you are wanting to fix a 11 year old radiator that has two heat exchangers built into it, either one of which could rupture and cause a major failure. Side tanks are not too hard to replace but the crimping must be consistent and not excessive to allow the O-ring to expand and contract with heat. I would guess this is a dealer part and a minimum of $60 per side with a new O-ring gasket. This repair makes more sense when you are dealing with collision damage on a young radiator, and of course, a radiator shop will be glad to do it for you. Tell 1 800 radiator you have a $25 coupon, I have 3 I won't probably need and I could scan one and Email it to you. Jim in Phoenix (Moonlight Motors) Jim in Phoenix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsjoe Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 only snag I hit was a 5mm (?) nut holding a AC line on the drivers side, tight fit, other than that it goes quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyChris Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 i have experience in trying to replace the side tanks on my 94 sts. It is pretty tough IMO because without the tools the radiator shops use you are stuck using a regular hammer and a block of wood to bend the tabs up. The hardest part about it is getting the new one to seal by bending the tabs evenly to distribute the force on the seal. I pretty much agree with Jim about getting a new one. Funny thing is, about a month after we replaced the side tank we destroyed the radiator doing the engine job. Had to get a new one anyway. let us know what u decide Christopher Petro 94 sts 67 coupe de Ville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackc Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 As far as removing the radiator from the car, the only snag I ran into on my 93 was separating it from the AC condensor. The condensor rides "piggyback" on the rad, and i had to lift the condensor up and forward to get the 2 apart. If cost is a factor for you, side tank R & R is SOP for a radiator shop when they clean a radiator and the tanks are not very expensive. So if you choose that route, its likely you could save some money over a new radiator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 I have replaced the both tanks on my car. The tanks were about $30 per piece and came with all gaskets. i ordered from gmpartsdirect.com. The job is doable . I did it right on th estreet where the car is parked. took some four hours. No special tools. I recommend replacing the BOTH taks while you are on it. Removing the radiator gives you an opportunity to clean the core up. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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