Random coolant leak from front driver's side

[dn010]

If you say the plastic is getting damp maybe try taking the shroud off and looking at it (it is a pain in the ass to remove but if you can't find where it's coming from you may have no choice). Even if your coolant "evaporates" on the radiator, it will leave behind a dried trail so you can follow it. Warm it up, park it on ramps if you have them and then see what you've got going on under there. Even with all aluminum, it is possible to have a pinhole develop.

[DaraSue]

After tightening the clamp I took it out for another test drive (about 10 miles) and it was dripping again when I pulled into my driveway. This time I had my shop clothes on so I felt around under there as soon as I got in the garage and I didn't find any moisture up by the hose. I took it out again for another short drive (about 5 miles) and got the same results (poked around with a paper towel to see if it came back damp that time). I'm still not sure where it's actually coming from but it doesn't seem to be the hose.

When I called Danny at CA (where it came from) and sent him some pictures of it, he offered to send me a replacement radiator. How big of a job is it to replace it? Now I'm just debating whether I want to try and do it myself or dump it at the shop and let some other sucker deal with it. I took the intake manifold off and got it back on in some semblance of working order myself, but the time I tried to bleed the cooling system it wasn't exactly a resounding success (I was in a Motel 6 parking lot at the time, but still...)

[opethmike]

After tightening the clamp I took it out for another test drive (about 10 miles) and it was dripping again when I pulled into my driveway. This time I had my shop clothes on so I felt around under there as soon as I got in the garage and I didn't find any moisture up by the hose. I took it out again for another short drive (about 5 miles) and got the same results (poked around with a paper towel to see if it came back damp that time). I'm still not sure where it's actually coming from but it doesn't seem to be the hose.

When I called Danny at CA (where it came from) and sent him some pictures of it, he offered to send me a replacement radiator. How big of a job is it to replace it? Now I'm just debating whether I want to try and do it myself or dump it at the shop and let some other sucker deal with it. I took the intake manifold off and got it back on in some semblance of working order myself, but the time I tried to bleed the cooling system it wasn't exactly a resounding success (I was in a Motel 6 parking lot at the time, but still...)

It can be a bit of a pain in the butt, particularly so if have fasteners that are rusted in place, or spinning in their captive nuts. It is also quite awkward lowering and raising up the radiator assembly, especially if alone.

I think that by doing the intake manifold job yourself that you have shown you have a good foundation for doing your own work. Since you did that successfully, I would say that you should try the radiator replacement yourself. I would recommend having a friend available to help lower the old radiator out, and put the new one into place.

[dn010]

I think bleeding, while it's a big part of the process, is the least of your worries. The hardest parts of removing the radiator in my opinion is removing the nuts holding the condenser and fan housing on at the top of the radiator, kind of hard to access it up there. The other part that was a pain was removing the plastic radiator shroud as I called it above, but on the store page it's called the radiator duct 105506. You will have an easier time since your radiator was replaced more recently than mine was - the rivnuts spun with the bolts making it a challenge to remove the "duct" and then you kind of have to bend it a certain way to clear the AC hoses and everything else in the way.

If you can do all the intake work yourself, I don't think there is any problem replacing the radiator. You'll need something to drain the coolant into and again, get ramps if you don't have them. It makes it so much easier unless you have a lift. When you're done and the radiator is replaced and filled up, while bleeding the system I found it most helpful to jack the back of the car up and occasionally feel the front passenger side of the radiator (the tank), if it is cold and the other side is hot you know you have an air bubble. Once the radiator is hot on both sides you know you've got the air out (of the radiator)

I say you can do it, but if you don't want to deal with it, by all means - drop it off!

[Mike Griese]

Another option is to get some ultraviolet responsive dye. Put it in your coolant system, get some leaks and check them out with a black light. There will be a glow wherever there was coolant.

[dn010]

Another option is to get some ultraviolet responsive dye. Put it in your coolant system, get some leaks and check them out with a black light. There will be a glow wherever there was coolant.

At this point, if Dara ruled out the hoses and drains, it can only be something with the radiator itself.

[PJ Grady Inc.]

The supply of OEM radiators was depleted years ago so yes thos one is aluminum. From the location of the leak I can safely assume it's either a loose or striped hose clamp, or bad hose or radiator. Based on the information so far I'm a defective or damaged radiator if the hose and clamps are good. If you have the skill to pull you intake and reassemble it properly you probably can handle a radiator install with one caveate. The radiator/condensor assembly is quite heavy and hard to manage without help from an assistant....either human or mechanical.
Rob

[opethmike]

The supply of OEM radiators was depleted years ago so yes thos one is aluminum. From the location of the leak I can safely assume it's either a loose or striped hose clamp, or bad hose or radiator. Based on the information so far I'm a defective or damaged radiator if the hose and clamps are good. If you have the skill to pull you intake and reassemble it properly you probably can handle a radiator install with one caveate. The radiator/condensor assembly is quite heavy and hard to manage without help from an assistant....either human or mechanical.
Rob

Yup, 100% agree with Rob. Have a friend and make a day of it. Wrench, drink some beers, eat some junk food, wrench some more.

[dn010]

Trick is to sell it as, “After this you get to tell everyone you worked on a DeLorean”. Works like a champ


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[DaraSue]

Thanks, everybody. After all that I ended up taking it to the shop to see if he'd spot anything I was missing. I wasn't really looking forward to trying to do it myself in a freezing cold garage and I don't have very many mechanically inclined friends (plus my work schedule makes it difficult to sync up with even the ones who aren't mechanically inclined).

I had Danny hold off on sending the replacement radiator til I get a second opinion but I'm wondering if I should go with a different vendor even if there is something warranty-fixable wrong with this one. If there's a chance I might have to deal with this same issue this time next year I'd almost rather just spend the extra money on a new and hopefully better one.