Radiator cleaning costs

[Clyde9]

From:SmallDiscoveries1  (Original Message)
Sent: 10/12/2005 2:58 PM

Thanks to my dad, the radiator is out of the 74 Indian. I dropped it off at the local radiator shop today. The tech told me to stick around so he could flow test it before I leave. He did that. Said it didn't flow real well, which is to be expected because of the stop leak. He said once he gets it boiled out, cleaned up, and patched, he will flow test it and pressure test it. He doesn't think it needs recored. Woohoo.

I will let you know what the final cost of repair is. They are typically pretty reasonable.



Message 2 of 6 in Discussion  From: ClydesdaleKevin
Sent: 10/12/2005 9:34 PM

Cool!...no pun intended...lmao!

Good deal!  Mine cost me quite a bit to get it recored, but now she runs at around 180 degrees, and never exceeds 190 even on the hottest days and steepest mountains.  (This is with a 160 degree skirted thermostat, new water pump, and all new belts).

Kev



Message 3 of 6 in Discussion  From: SmallDiscoveries1
Sent: 10/13/2005 2:46 PM

Well, I got a quote. I got a couple actually. Apparently it does need recored. I had a couple of choices on price and build. It is going to cost me $421.27. Sure beats $600 - 700 I have seen in other threads.



Message 4 of 6 in Discussion  From: ClydesdaleKevin
Sent: 10/13/2005 9:01 PM

That IS a great price!  I think I paid over 600 bucks to have mine recored.

By the way, see if the shop can "upgrade" from a 2 row to a 3 row core, or a 3 row to a 4 row core.  It shouldn't cost any extra, since the cores are pretty much all the same in price...labor is what costs ya.

Kev



Message 5 of 6 in Discussion  From: SmallDiscoveries1
Sent: 10/14/2005 12:05 PM

That price is for the extra row, I believe. The other quote was about a bill cheaper!



Message 6 of 6 in Discussion  From: ClydesdaleKevin
Sent: 10/17/2005 7:56 PM

That's still a VERY outstanding price, bro!  It takes a LOT of work to recore a radiator (lots of brazing, lots of checking for leaks and sealing the system).  For an extra row, its definately worth it.  If your haven't SEEN my rig, I don't have NEARLY the radiator exposure that you do on a Winnie, and I'm still running less that 190 degrees in ANY condition after the recore....VERY much worth the money!

Make sure you get the right thermostat.

Kev



Message 2 of 8 in Discussion  From: MaryK2U
Sent: 3/13/2008 11:14 PM

We sprung a leak!  Ken pulled our radiator (he invented a new catagory that's worse than "pain in the a**"!).  Our 454 has 29K on it, but he is going to replace the water pump too, as long as the radiator is out.  We have a 4 row radiator and the cost to recore is (ironically) $454.   OUCH!

Mary & Ken



Message 3 of 8 in Discussion  From: ClydesdaleKevin
Sent: 3/14/2008 5:30 AM

That really isn't too bad a price, Mary and Ken, although every little bit you have to spend adds up, eh?

But try this first before you pay to have it recored:  If your rig has a 454, then you probably have a Chevy P30 chassis...it is the same chassis Chevy made for all their big trucks, like delivery vans, ice cream trucks, Frito Lay trucks, box vans, etc...and of course motor homes!  That said, you can still get brand new radiators for them!

You might be able to get a brand new radiator for about half that price...in any event, it would be worth pricing it and finding out.

Kev



Message 4 of 8 in Discussion  From: MaryK2U
Sent: 3/15/2008 2:22 AM

Hey Kev,
We tried, but the cross-over radiator (NAPA) wasn't the same.  The guy at Performance Radiator in Phoenix told Ken that our particular radiator was obsoleted 2 years ago.  FYI...we snickered over the reference to FritoLay....Ken is a maintenance mechanic at FritoLay, and I was the FritoLay Carton Point for AZ and parts of Southern Cal.  We actually met at FritoLay!  We've only been married 4 years.
Mary



Message 5 of 8 in Discussion  From: ClydesdaleKevin
Sent: 3/15/2008 6:52 AM

LOL!  When I was stationed in Connecticut, I owned a house near the big Frito Lay plant there...it always smelled like potato chips in the morning...and congrats, you newlyweds!

I would still consider calling around some more...try different radiator shops, or get on line and check around...if it was only 2 years ago that it was obsoleted, SOMEone has to have a new-old-stock radiator kicking around on the cheap.

Kev



Message 6 of 8 in Discussion  From: denisondc
Sent: 3/15/2008 1:53 PM

I got the radiator recored in my Winnie in 2001. It was the beefy unit used with the 413, was a 3 row, and it cost about $500. I had asked them at the time if there was a 4 row available. He looked it up and said a 4 row was listed, and it would cost about $800. So I continued with the 3 row, that had been entirely adequate for so long. I plan to replace the radiator each ten years - will get it cleaned or recorded again in 2010.



Message 7 of 8 in Discussion  From: 1oleman0
Sent: 3/23/2008 8:21 PM

FYI back online now. Didn't get to do what was wanted! Will cost me 382 dollars to get my radiator recored. Couldn't get it to stop o-heating. Ed



Message 8 of 8 in Discussion  From: ClydesdaleKevin
Sent: 3/23/2008 10:39 PM


That is a good price for a recore (lots of labor), but I know it all adds up.  Did you try finding a new one to retrofit?  Its typically a lot cheaper if you can find one.

Kev