My radiator has a small tube on the filler neck where the overflow hose connects, and it broke off!  I can push the tube back in, so I think I can at least drive it to the shop that works on radiators (Rad Air) but is this something that can or should be repaired (soldered back on) or would this be an opportunity to upgrade the radiator?  There are few, if any, actual radiator repair guys left.

I was wondering if switching to an electric fan would be a good idea.  The stock fan is working fine, but it seems to be a bit of a drag on the engine, until you get on the freeway.  I have a Duralast replacement for the stock alternator;  I wonder if I'm taxing the electricals.

There is no liquid in the overflow tube except when the radiator is very full and the liquid expands. It merely directs the liquid to the ground. I won't effect the driveability of the car. On later cars it goes into a bottle and then pulled back by vacuum when the liquid cools.

That's what I said, so I'm not worried about getting it to a repair place, but there is still the possibility of a little dripping from the crack.    Maybe the tube could be glued in or just put a bit of sealant on it for safety in the meantime, while I order a new aluminum radiator?

 

BTW- a couple summers ago, it was so hot that after I got back from a long drive, the vent on the overflow bottle was spurting!  Somebody thought I had a leaking radiator, but I put too much water in the overflow bottle to begin with...

Edited April 22, 20187 yr by TomoHawk

The repair took only a few hours;  I dropped the car off early in the morning, and it was done by lunch.  A new tube was soldered in, not the original, which was a good thing.  The old one had corrosion on the surface.