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Posted by: jimkelly Nov 27 2015, 01:31 PM

I have a renegade radiator in my v8 car and it is leaking. I bought the radiator from renegade probably around 2005, not much miles on it, but lots of years.

any suggestions on who I can buy a replacement radiator from? and cost? model number would be great.


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Posted by: GeorgeRud Nov 27 2015, 02:10 PM

If a local radiator shop can't help you, I imagine Renegade has them available. I've heard that galvanic action can cause breakdown of the aluminum, but all of mine are aircooled so not an issue!

Good luck!

Posted by: veekry9 Nov 27 2015, 02:17 PM

http://www.griffinrad.com/company.php?tid=33

A custom rad for a custom install,front,side,rear.

Posted by: colingreene Nov 27 2015, 02:22 PM

Depends on where the leak is coming from
Saldana Radiator in Indiana has always been my go to radiator people.

Posted by: mb911 Nov 27 2015, 02:49 PM

Typically a good all aluminum radiator can be fixed I have done many of the years. They must be TIG welded and pressure tested.. Good luck

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 27 2015, 02:53 PM

I just emailed griffin. dtf.

Posted by: sb914 Nov 27 2015, 03:45 PM

So my car had a renegade radiator that had less than a thousand miles on it when it started to leak.i pulled it out, took it to a rad shop and he could not fix it.he tried to fix but just couldn't hold pressure. So I ordered a new one from renegade. and less than a year went buy and it also leaked.the rad is floated in with all the proper schrods.it has the rubber on the sides and the bottom and the little supports on bottom per renegade install directions.I also have ground straps. So I called Scott the owner and ask him first he ask me if I could move rad up and down and side by side and to make sure it's not ridged as the car will flex with that much power.told him yes it floats.so then he went on and on about aluminum not being as pure as it used to be and I mean on and on.to make a very long story short he told me to use bars leaks rad stop leak. I was surprised that this was his fix being a hign end shop.Anyway I went ahead and used them as I didn't want to spend another 500 on another rad.it hasn't leaked since,but I'm sure it will.next time I'm going to go with someone else.

Posted by: Andyrew Nov 27 2015, 03:56 PM

Where is the leak coming from? Mine started leaking at the fill neck...

I would think that any reputable radiator shop would make quick work of the leak.

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 27 2015, 03:58 PM

bars.. huh..


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Posted by: jimkelly Nov 27 2015, 04:02 PM

looking at radiator from front, but I have a grill blocking obscuring the view, the leak seems to be along a horizontal tube at the far drivers side of the radiator. pic of center of radiator, so no value related to our discussion

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Posted by: Andyrew Nov 27 2015, 04:29 PM

I wouldnt throw stopleak out as a quick solution. However I would give your local radiator shops a call and tell them you have an aluminum radiator leaking from the core and see what they charge to fix it. It might be one pinhole leak that they can fix really easily.

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 27 2015, 04:40 PM

yeah.. I may have one reasonably close.. I will call them tomorrow..

Posted by: matthepcat Nov 27 2015, 04:46 PM

I had a similar experience. Maybe try a copper core radiator. In theory that material should have more "flex".

Posted by: Chris914n6 Nov 27 2015, 05:22 PM

Back in my day Renegade radiators were made by Ron Davis. Maybe they will warranty their work as they have a rep to keep.

http://www.rondavisradiators.com/

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 27 2015, 06:36 PM

removed shroud cover. seems leak is clearly far more on the passenger side, up high. and radiator is 30.5" x 14.5".

also note that this celica radiator on ebay for $170 is almost exactly the same size.


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Posted by: matthepcat Nov 27 2015, 07:51 PM

Believe me it's not worth repairing. It will leak again in months. Just buy cheap new and replace every few years. I had a custom built Fluidyne unit that used a high performance Pantera core. Was more robust than the RH unit, but that as well had a tiny leak after a year of mountain drives.

Posted by: Andyrew Nov 27 2015, 07:59 PM

Thats the radiator I have and Mike Bellis has. He's ran it and hasnt had any issues, I have just fabricated my mounting and seems like its a good quality dual core radiator.

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 27 2015, 08:25 PM

celica radiator threads and a pic from each

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=114780&st=300

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=187914&st=400

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=220569&st=0

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=196107&hl=

and an interesting one, non celica.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=132273&hl=


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Posted by: Andyrew Nov 27 2015, 08:33 PM

Yup. You can see that I mounted mine really close to the front for extra trunk room since I am doing some other things with my trunk.

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 27 2015, 08:55 PM

just ordered to splices from jags that run, a 1 to 1.5 and a 1.25 to 1.5, to I can mate up radiator to my existing hoses.

http://jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Parts_Cooling_TransHoseSplicers.html

Posted by: Cairo94507 Nov 28 2015, 08:08 AM

That just does not make sense. Aluminum radiators have been the performance solution for decades and I have never heard of them springing leaks routinely. What is going on to cause these units to fail? I do not like the bars leak fix either.

Posted by: rmdinmd Nov 28 2015, 08:12 AM

I have never known bars leak to work for any period of time. Years ago if it was just one tube the Radiator shops would close off the leaking tube.

Posted by: Cracker Nov 28 2015, 08:51 AM

Jim - I attached a little message on your thread earlier in the alignment post - don't know if you saw it. Anyhow, why don't you consider a steel radiator? I highly doubt weight is important with your application and they are used in OEM ALL the time. I'm using a steel unit and I have a problem OVER cooling. Just another option (that is stronger) and less leak prone. All the best.

Tony

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 28 2015, 08:55 AM

I did miss that post. someone mentioned copper core. for $140, i think i'll give aluminum one more try. but will keep steel in mind. thanks

Posted by: crash914 Nov 28 2015, 09:46 AM

be sure to use the correct coolant for aluminum.

You might have to use the "Extended life" coolant. Just read the label carefully....usually the color is different. I like BMW coolant, its blue.

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 28 2015, 10:12 AM

few more pics of the shrouding.


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Posted by: dlkawashima Nov 28 2015, 01:47 PM

My Renegade radiator also failed. Contacted Ron Davis and they said they will not warranty or even touch a radiator installed with the Renegade Hybrids kit. They said the mounting method is a flawed design that does a poor job of isolating the radiator from the stresses introduced by the relatively flexible nose of the 914.

Renegade now gets their radiators from CBR Performance. I *think* they're custom made for Renegade, but the model that's closest in size is the CBR1003, about 31”X14”X3”. They're not cheap.

The 2000-2005 Celica radiator is approximately the same size and quite a bit cheaper. You can find them all day long on ebay for less than $50 (with plastic water tank). You can even find all aluminum ones for under $100, including shipping.

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 28 2015, 02:55 PM

I bought this one today. thanks.



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Posted by: ThePaintedMan Nov 28 2015, 03:10 PM

Chads74 has a Renegrade radiator too, and he's had it repaired at least twice. Renegade will NOT warranty them, despite the fact that the radiators are $800+. That's in my opinion - knowing that and how many people are having problems with them tells me they don't value people's business. Right up there with AA.

Posted by: Chris H. Nov 28 2015, 04:40 PM

Dang that Celica radiator is really becoming the standard! I've been using it for a couple of years myself. BIGKAT pointed it out (shocker). Fits great. Cools well.

Posted by: Mike Bellis Nov 28 2015, 08:17 PM

Works great!

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 29 2015, 08:14 AM

ray (aka: A&P Mech) provided me these additional pics of his celica radiator install. many thanks to ray for sharing these with us

and here is his link to the grommets he used. I think the tabs at the top of the radiator have a different OD then the bottom tabs. I will confirm. I plan to make vibration cushions of similar dimension with smooth-on product.


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Posted by: A&P Mech Nov 29 2015, 10:21 AM

Jim, you are correct. The top and bottom isolation mount posts are different sizes. The post for the lower mount is larger than the top. All the pictures of the radiator that I found show the radiator sitting up side down from the way the that the Toyota OEM lower vibration mounts would dictate. I mounted mine based on that.

Posted by: 76-914 Nov 29 2015, 10:56 AM

Jim, once your radiator is installed and topped off with fluids take your VOM and place your + lead in the liquid and the - lead to ground. Your checking for stray voltage which will amplify the electrolysis. Do the check with the key on and off. Let us know what you find.

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 29 2015, 12:34 PM

i'm thinking you are serious? just never heard anyone mention this before but then again, most of us to not have a radiator in our cars. you are wondering is stray voltage could be exacerbating a corrosion issue in my coolant system. interesting

Posted by: 76-914 Nov 29 2015, 12:51 PM

Absotootely. The reason I wanted to see the voltage with key on/off is to isolate and ground any devices dumping voltage into the coolant. The transmission even does it to some extent. You, and I repeat, you cannot have too many grounds. In severe instances you can use an anode fitting to control it. Your Al radiator and CI block are worlds apart on the Galvanic chart. This will get you up to date............ http://www.engineersedge.com/galvanic_capatability.htm

Posted by: dakotaewing Nov 29 2015, 08:10 PM

Jim or Ray, can you provide the link for the grommets please?

Also, Ray do you have any more detail images of your mounting frame,
especially where the mount bolts into the body at the base,
and the mounts at the top connecting to the radiator?

Thanks so much for what you have already provided !

Thanks! Thom

Posted by: A&P Mech Nov 29 2015, 09:02 PM

The link for the lower vibration mounts is:
http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Toyota-16535-03050-Radiator-Support/dp/B00FZH30ZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448761251&sr=8-1&keywords=Genuine+Toyota+16535-03050+Radiator+Support





There are a few more pictures in my build thread.

Posted by: dakotaewing Nov 29 2015, 10:07 PM

Thanks Ray! What were you using for the uppers?
I looked at the images for your thread, but didn't see a reference.
Looks like a aluminum mount with the rubber bushing ?
Thanks again for the additional images !

Posted by: A&P Mech Nov 29 2015, 10:22 PM

You are correct. I made aluminum mount and found a thick walled rubber gommet at the local hardware store that fit the radiator.

Posted by: chads74 Nov 30 2015, 12:05 AM

This is some great info. Like George said I have had nothing but issues with my RH radiator. It first started leaking after only a couple hundred miles and when I called to ask RH about it they just said good luck. Well I have been looking for a replacement ever since. Maybe George can have it all reinstalled by the time I get home... What do ya think George??? jk I wouldn't want to miss any of the fun.

Posted by: jimkelly Nov 30 2015, 07:21 AM

seems ray welded tabs at the far ends of the lower mount as to stay away from the sheet metal work zone but i assume the lower mount can be attached to car anywhere along that bottom section of frame. those tabs must be a semi bitch to get bolts thru?

Posted by: A&P Mech Nov 30 2015, 01:48 PM

I placed the tabs in that location to avoid drilling through the floor. The thought was to keep the attachment hardware inside and out of the elements. It was probably over thinking it a bit but It really worked out great. The bolts are pretty easy to get in and out and the mount is very solid when bolted in. It almost feels like it is welded in place.