My OEM radiator opened up a 3 inch horizontal crack in the plastic tank near the filler neck. It started a few weeks ago and got worse until I found the source.

2 Spectra radiators from Autozone leaked at the same corner near the cruise control, from in between the plastic tank and the crimping.

1 Ready Rad from OReilly leaked near the rightmost fan screw post also from in between the plastic tank and the crimping. This one I noticed had already been returned at least once.

Radiator cap on or off doesn't matter. When it heats up it starts seeping out. No it doesn't blow bubbles when I rev the motor.

Do these parts store rads just suck that bad, do I have the worst luck in the world, or is there something else going on?

 

So crappy radiators don't have OEM quality? Not a surprise

If you have concerns over the plastic shrouds you could purchase a Koyo or similar aluminum radiator?

 

Shrug, tell me where I could get an OEM radiator on a Sunday. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else had any luck to report with off-brand stuff. I can't believe they are really this bad.

 

Very true.

Generally speaking the off-brand stuff is the off-brand stuff. Axles, master cylinders, etc. The fitment can be off and their price is cheaper due to cheaper materials.

The re-manufactured units can be just as bad since you don't know what condition they were originally. You could temporarily fix it with like JB Weld until you can pick up a new unit. I'm assuming your OEM one cracked after like the 10+ years of use?

 

The plastic endcaps on my accord rad crapped out.. top one after about 9 yrs, bottom one after about 13 yrs...
Both times I got my radiator shop to upgrade me to a brass end instead of the crap plastic.. Definitely more durable, I wish they still made them like that..

 

Got mine from radiatorbarn.com

 

yeah every aftermarket radiator I've ever bought was all brass and no plastic

 

we have a large radiator shop here in MN, I use them every time I have had a leak and never have had an issue with the replacements as they have lifetime warranty..........my 94 honda accord is 15 years old on the same radiator

 

Yes, I'm not the first owner but it was an OEM radiator that finally cracked. I'm going to go see how much a rad shop wants to re-tank it, but otherwise I'm tempted to go with an all-aluminum replacement. I'm starting to hate this plastic stuff.

 

I must be lucky, I put an autozone bad-boy in my accord around six years ago and haven't had a problem yet.

but it is time to replace the o-ring on my distributor. it leaked oil onto my heater hose and caused it to swell up and fail. of course it had to happen after a 45 min. commute to work.

 

yeah i'm lucky too LOL autozone radiator in the integra about 6 years ago. havent had an issue yet. i went to remove the hose one day back then and the damn plastic hose mount for the upper hose snapped off. the plastic just gets old. crappy design but 4 radiators today...you just have bad luck. pressure test the next one if youre still having issues. i know is not sunday anymore LOL

 

Luckily, I am still on my original rad since 95. I had replaced a celica's radiator from Autozone before and even bout a china one from ebay before but never had any issues with those. And that was almost 7 years ago. Both were aluminuim.

 

I bought a $15 rad off eBay, it's half as thick as the oem but it's been fine for over two years now.

 

I bought this one when it was on sale for $15:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWNX%3AIT

After several short drives, it has not leaked. I guess my luck really was that bad with the parts stores radiators...