New Radiator----

[trwp72]

Well, I finally got a chance to go get the radiator for my 91 that was given to me... (Out of an 1987 Crown Vic) Had to pull it from the car... it had brand new looking coolant in it... nice bright green.... and the radiator looks almost new! Putting it in tommorow... pictures when I do it tommorow...

The car also had a perfect A/C compressor, and was converted to R-134... and is still pressurized... and is the right one for my 84 "baby" LTD... So I will be getting that too.... Since the A/C compressor is locked up on the 84... If you try to engage the compressor, it breaks the belt... But the 84's system does still have pressure in it... so I know it doesn't leak anywhere!

Funny that the radiator fits the newer car, and the A/C compressor fits the older.... The car is sort of "in the middle"!!!! Tom...

[gabegt90]

Sounds cool mang I replaced my radiator from a 90 towncar the only thing different is the tabs on the bottom are a different position for the fan shround to go in

[trwp72]

I did a little trick I learned from working at Advance Auto parts... looked up the numbers online for the radiator on the 91 and the 87... they matched... so it is a perfect fit.... Did the same thing for the A/C compressor to make sure it would fit.... Sort of an online parts interchange manual!!!

[gadget73]

The AC compressor changed in 1989. The evaporator, condensor, and lines changed in 1985 from threaded fittings to spring lock connectors. Compressor made no changes till 89 when the compressor got smaller, and the comopressor manifold changed. Lines are different again too I think.

[trwp72]

Here is the picture of the new radiator... the old one fell apart as I was taking it out!!! The radiator has a rod going down the middle between the top and bottom, on both sides of the core... As I was taking it out, it fell apart! Then the top came loose, and it just crumbled.... I have NEVER seen one do that!!!! Also, I was cleaning the new one up a little, and used a very fine soft wire brush to clean some junk out of the fins... and realized that the core for the new one is brass! I thought they were all made out of aluminum now... (the old one was) I guess who ever ordered the radiator for that car got one of the more expensive ones!!!


(I was going to take one with a the flash, but after I took this one, the battery died!)

It went right in the car... only problem I had (other than being attacked by the damn mosquitos) Was getting the cooler lines started without cross threading... and getting the damn radiator shroud bolt to start on one side!!!

[gabegt90]

looks nice tom One question tom how does salty air rust things You said that was what happend to your old one

[Blaze86Vic]

Salty mist from the salt water deposits salt on metal, this salt acts as a catalyst and advances the rate of oxidation in metals. Mind you the mist is so lite it is not detected by any human means as mist but just regular air.

[trwp72]

What Blaze said... on a nice clear day, if you go to the beach here, and look down the beach, there is a white "Haze" that you can see... what you are seeing is the salt content in the air.... around here, you have to constantly at least rinse your car off... or it will start rusting out.... I rinse mine off every other day... and then wash it at least twice a week.... Tom...

[gadget73]

Salt + aluminum = white powder that you can't do anything useful with. Aluminum reacts very poorly with salt, and goes away in short order.

[trwp72]

salt + aluminum = white powder that you can't do anything useful with. Aluminum reacts very poorly with salt, and goes away in short order.

Yes. it does... I found out from the Fire Chief that the old radiator was re-cored by the County shop.. and they put in an alunium core "So it wouldn't rust!" What idiots.... uh, brass doesn't rust??? (probably cheaper, and would make them more money in their budjet if the had to replace it more often!!) So that is why it turned to white powder... it was only about 4 years old, as they put the core in it right before I bought it....

Another thing....no more "gurgling" noise from the right side of the dash!!! The car would always gurgle in the morning when you first started it up... sounded like water sloshing around on the floor.... guess it was because of the radiator... letting air in the system when it cooled off.. thru the leak in the top of the radiator???