F body radiator failures?

[Pronto]

So, yesterday a local Turbo Buick enthusiast had a little Christmas soiree at their shop. We got into a discussion about aluminum radiators. He had an older Champion 3 row that survived for a few years after a catastrophic engine failure that sent cylinder pressure though the hoses and radiator. It ballooned the hoses and one end tank. When he replaced it he ordered a new 2 row Champion but that debacle is another story. He said that is why he won't run an F body with plastic tanks. He believes the tanks would blow off sending coolant under the tires. His case was a very severe situation but not out of the realm of possibilities for any of us under boost. To be fair, there is nothing saying a hose couldn't fail, or outlet crack with an full aluminum radiator that's been pressurized like that resulting in coolant under the tires. Has anyone experienced a failure with the plastic tanked F body radiator? Not just a leak from age or hitting it by mistake but from pressurization or plain poor manufacturing? I know there are lots of them out there and a few of us here are considering them for the weight savings and low cost.

 

[ITSAV6]

I had the factory rad on my IROC crack an end tank but not from a head gasket failure. Did blow a head gasket on the buick(ROL suck)but the rad held up fine but I was only at 13#. Does make me wonder what would happen at 25#.

 

[mtocrs1]

The cap should release at 16lbs.


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[bison]

I've never had one fail. I've never pressure tested them either. It may be very well possible that an aluminum sheet metal tank could fail just as well or possibly easier if it was flexed multiple times from compression entering the cooling system. Anyone with a hard running car should be monitoring cooling system pressure. It's possible to integrate a safeguard based on cooling system pressure with aftermarket ecu's


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[achalmersman]

I would think that engineered / ribbed plastic would actually be stronger than thin sheet aluminum as far as bursting is concerned. That stuff is strong. And I don't say that because I have one, I actually have an Alradco

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[Royal-T-Ltd]

In the past, the only failure I've had was with the unused heater hose block off cap separating at the seam and puking coolant.... the radiator itself worked great.


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[TurboTnZ06]

I blew #6 head gasket in 3rd in 2015. Pressurized the valley and cooling. The cap released and it also emptied the entire cooling system through the engine into white smoke. My engine bay was pretty wet. It did hairline crack the Fbody radiator where the tank met the core, and it busted my original heater control valve to the point of leaking. It all held together and nothing appeared on the track after I told the timing lady what happened that they should check the top end.

 

[Mr.Spool]

So, yesterday a local Turbo Buick enthusiast had a little Christmas soiree at their shop. We got into a discussion about aluminum radiators. He had an older Champion 3 row that survived for a few years after a catastrophic engine failure that sent cylinder pressure though the hoses and radiator. It ballooned the hoses and one end tank. When he replaced it he ordered a new 2 row Champion but that debacle is another story. He said that is why he won't run an F body with plastic tanks. He believes the tanks would blow off sending coolant under the tires. His case was a very severe situation but not out of the realm of possibilities for any of us under boost. To be fair, there is nothing saying a hose couldn't fail, or outlet crack with an full aluminum radiator that's been pressurized like that resulting in coolant under the tires. Has anyone experienced a failure with the plastic tanked F body radiator? Not just a leak from age or hitting it by mistake but from pressurization or plain poor manufacturing? I know there are lots of them out there and a few of us here are considering them for the weight savings and low cost.

I have seen that as well and I run a full custom built aluminum radiator.you need to be really pushing things to be cracking end tanks.I have also seen inter coolers split as well but that's another topic