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[GMCnet] Radiator Repair / Recore [message #85259] Wed, 19 May 2010 12:48 Go to next message
Richard Brown is currently offline  Richard Brown   United States
Messages: 281
Registered: May 2009
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Senior Member
Just as information to members here, I'm posting info about current recore price. A local radiator shop in Tyler quoted a price of $582 to re-core radiator on my GMC. I plan on shopping around to get a second opinion. I may even repair it myself, since I worked on A/C units and large condensers in the Navy that were similar in construction. It is only a single tube that is damaged. I feel like had I not mentioned that it was from a motorhome, they may have opted to repair rather than re-core. Just my gut feeling on this, tho. When I was in high school, I worked at a radiator shop after classes. They repaired lots of Chevy radiators, but only re-cored or replaced Caddy ones. When a luxury car radiator came in, they would call it a "MOM" job. When I asked the repairman what that meant, he said "Made Of Money". It was assumed a Caddy owner wouldn't bat an eye about re-coring or replacing a radiator, whereas a local farmer wouldn't go for that. Not saying
that it is the case here, but I'm taking no chances. It's only common sense to carry it to several shops. I'll keep the forum updated on prices as I get them.

Richard & Carol Brown
PO Box 941
Lindale, TX. 75771
1974 GMC Eleganza SE (DILLIGAF)
wings77sporty@sbcglobal.net
(903)881-0192
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Richard & Carol Brown 1974 Eleganza SE 1174 Hickory Hills Dr. Murchison, TX. 75778
Re: [GMCnet] Radiator Repair / Recore [message #85270 is a reply to message #85259] Wed, 19 May 2010 13:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ken Henderson is currently offline  Ken Henderson   United States
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Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
Senior Member
Richard,

Before you spend a lot of money on repairing or recoring the radiator,
remember that you'll still have some old, somewhat degraded components, even
if only thinner-than-originally tanks and oil coolers. For only a little
more than the cost you were quoted for recoring, you can get the all-new,
modern technology, more efficient aluminum radiator.

Patching one or two little leaks yourself is one thing; paying someone to do
it, only to have another pinhole appear next week in another area, is a
whole 'nother proposition -- not a good option, IMHO.

Ken H.
Americus, GA
'76 X-Birchaven
www.gmcwipersetc.com


On Wed, May 19, 2010 at 1:48 PM, Richard Brown
<wings77sporty@sbcglobal.net>wrote:

> Just as information to members here, I'm posting info about current recore
> price. A local radiator shop in Tyler quoted a price of $582 to re-core
> radiator on my GMC...
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
Re: [GMCnet] Radiator Repair / Recore [message #85272 is a reply to message #85270] Wed, 19 May 2010 13:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
k2gkk is currently offline  k2gkk   United States
Messages: 4452
Registered: November 2009
Karma: -8
Senior Member

Price for NEW heavy duty one at Jim Kanomata's Applied GMC is
just 798 plus shipping and any other accessories you might want
or need. Hose kit (upper and lower) @ $58 and radiator cap @ $17.

I'm a great believer in do it once and do it right. Saves money
and grief in the long run.


* Mac Macdonald *
* Oklahoma City *
** "Money Pit" **
* '76 ex - P.B. *




----------------------------------------
From: hend4800@bellsouth.net
Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 14:14:28 -0400
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Radiator Repair / Recore

Richard,

Before you spend a lot of money on repairing or recoring the radiator,
remember that you'll still have some old, somewhat degraded components, even
if only thinner-than-originally tanks and oil coolers. For only a little
more than the cost you were quoted for recoring, you can get the all-new,
modern technology, more efficient aluminum radiator.

Patching one or two little leaks yourself is one thing; paying someone to do
it, only to have another pinhole appear next week in another area, is a
whole 'nother proposition -- not a good option, IMHO.

Ken H.
Americus, GA
'76 X-Birchaven
www.gmcwipersetc.com



---------------------------------------------------->
On Wed, May 19, 2010 at 1:48 PM, Richard Brown wrote:

Just as information to members here, I'm posting info about current recore
price. A local radiator shop in Tyler quoted a price of $582 to re-core
radiator on my GMC...
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http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist

Re: [GMCnet] Radiator Repair / Recore [message #85274 is a reply to message #85259] Wed, 19 May 2010 14:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Rusty is currently offline  Rusty   United States
Messages: 197
Registered: October 2005
Location: Philadelphia Pa
Karma: 0
Senior Member
Ken Frey put a re-cored radiator into my coach 2 yrs ago, I think it cost me 500 including his labor. In retrospect if I had to do that again I would go aluminum. Still, I've had no issues or leaks since then.

Rusty
75 Glenbrook
Philadelphia Pa
Re: [GMCnet] Radiator Repair / Recore [message #85288 is a reply to message #85259] Wed, 19 May 2010 14:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rallymaster is currently offline  rallymaster   United States
Messages: 662
Registered: February 2004
Location: North Plains, ORYGUN
Karma: -4
Senior Member
I concur, get the aluminum radiator, only costs a little more and it even
uses a higher pressure cap, which you can actually find at the parts
places, should you need one.

TWID
That's what I did.
ronC

On Wed, 19 May 2010 14:14:28 -0400 Ken Henderson <hend4800@bellsouth.net>
writes:
> Richard,
>
> Before you spend a lot of money on repairing or recoring the
> radiator,
> remember that you'll still have some old, somewhat degraded
> components, even
> if only thinner-than-originally tanks and oil coolers. For only a
> little
> more than the cost you were quoted for recoring, you can get the
> all-new,
> modern technology, more efficient aluminum radiator.
>

Ron & Linda Clark
1978 Eleganza II
North Plains, ORYGUN
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Ron & Linda Clark
North Plains, ORYGUN
78 Eleganza II
Re: [GMCnet] Radiator Repair / Recore [message #85295 is a reply to message #85259] Wed, 19 May 2010 15:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Richard Brown is currently offline  Richard Brown   United States
Messages: 281
Registered: May 2009
Karma: 1
Senior Member
Ken;
I just came back from getting a second opinion. I'm not sure of the diagnosis yet, but I found another shop by asking a mechanic I know where he carries his to be fixed. The shop he sent me to works mostly on large truck radiators and is a family owned shop that has been around for 2 generations that I know of. It's off the beaten path but had a couple of big log trucks waiting to be worked on & 1 in the shop. He told me that he would inspect it to be sure it would hold solder, but he felt that it would since the damaged area only involves 1 tube and is smaller than a 50-cent piece. I feel like they know what they are doing from looking at some of the repaired radiators they had in the shop waiting to be picked up. It will be inspected before they attempt to repair it for corrosion. The price quoted was approximately $100 to inspect the radiator, repair all leaks, boil it out & pressure test the radiator. If it was not repairable, I would owe nothing to
find out. The info I have about this shop is that they work on vehicles too big or too old for the other shops to work on. When I asked the mechanic that I know how long they'd been in business, he said "Forever"... They were around when his dad was a teenager. I figure anyone that could recognise the radiator by sight should be experienced to repair it (the older man there had repaired a few in the past).
I'll update the group when I have more information, but I feel that they would be a good shop to include in a preferred list when it comes out. I'll post their info after the work is done & I've installed it in the coach & run it a while.

Richard & Carol Brown
PO Box 941
Lindale, TX. 75771
1974 GMC Eleganza SE (DILLIGAF)
wings77sporty@sbcglobal.net
(903)881-0192
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Richard & Carol Brown 1974 Eleganza SE 1174 Hickory Hills Dr. Murchison, TX. 75778
Re: [GMCnet] Radiator Repair / Recore [message #85311 is a reply to message #85295] Wed, 19 May 2010 19:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mike miller   United States
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
Senior Member
Richard Brown wrote on Wed, 19 May 2010 13:22

... The info I have about this shop is that they work on vehicles too big or too old for the other shops to work on. ...


If you can not find a GMC (TZE) specific shop, This type of recommendation for a shop is the next best thing. Very Happy

I agree with most of the replies about a new aluminum radiator. (Good upgrade over fixing the old.) But I have been told the new radiator "can not" be repaired. Also it less likely to NEED repair.

You pays your money....


Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo' http://m000035.blogspot.com
Re: [GMCnet] Radiator Repair / Recore [message #85321 is a reply to message #85311] Wed, 19 May 2010 20:36 Go to previous message
shawnee is currently offline  shawnee   United States
Messages: 422
Registered: February 2004
Location: NC
Karma: 0
Senior Member

If you can not find a GMC (TZE) specific shop, This type of recommendation for a shop is the next best thing.
I agree with most of the replies about a new aluminum radiator. (Good upgrade over fixing the old.) But I have been told the new radiator "can not" be repaired. Also it less likely to NEED repair.
You pays your money....[/quote]

Mike,

The aluminum radiator can be repaired by anybody that can weld aluminum. It can also be repaired with JB Weld in an emergency. We recommend using a screen before the lower radiator section to prevent any damage. Blaine Merrill makes an excellent one. If it is just a small leak you can use stop leak.


Gene Dotson
74 Canyonlands
www.bdub.net/Motorhome_Enhancements New Windows and Aluminum Radiators
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