radiator damage 1998 V70 T5 Topic is solved

enotslim · Post by **enotslim** » 08 Mar 2017, 10:30

I would love some advice on a leaking radiator in a 1998 V70 T5.

1. What:
The white oval in the photo shows that the metal tabs that normally hold the central metal until with the fins to the plastic tank on the passenger side have all slipped off. Top to bottom. Every one. Coolant pours out between the two parts. Nothing appears to be broken (the tabs all seem intact, no crack in the plastic tank, etc.) and all the hoses are in good shape and fittings/connections are intact. Local Volvo shop (over 20 years servicing only Volvos) says they have never seen this before and quoted $1,100 to replace the radiator ($650 parts, $450 labor).

Is this a common problem?

Is it possible to reassemble this radiator by slipping the metal tabs over the plastic lip and expect it won’t leak? Can this be done without removing the radiator? Is there a gasket in there? Adhesive?

I can find what looks like a correct replacement radiator for under $100 online. Is there some reason using this is not a good idea?

2. History:
The front of the car scraped a curb while parking. Didn’t seem to be a big collision. Then drove about x miles without heat coming from the interior heater and the temperature gauge was slightly high for a short period. Rested several hours and driven another miles without heat but the temp gauge did not register high. Outside temp was about 9˚F.

The plastic under the car that protects the front end from road debris is scratched (been that way a long time) but not cracked and doesn’t look like it took a big hit.

3. How did this happen?
Impact seems the obvious explanation but there is no sign of a major impact when examining the plastic shroud or the other parts that it protects from debris. Could a glancing blow to the driver’s side of the radiator deform the unit enough that all those tabs would just slip off? Maybe they can be slipped back on. Increased pressure from overheating seems like it would do other damage, like blowing the hoses before separating all those tabs/crimps. That requires a lot of force.

Thanks for reading this far,

Dave

Post by **theWIFES_S70** » 08 Mar 2017, 10:43

Man, radiators fail... All that heat and pressure. From what I can tell, there's no rhyme or reason to them failing. Not flushing radiators or using good coolant contributes to failure. But since our cars last so long, and some parts are very good (like the original Volvo radiator), these things just go out. Sorry to see this and sorry you're getting quoted an arm and a leg.

You could take it out, let it dry, and try to jbweld it back together again and then reinstall it. But taking all those hoses out of the way and putting it back in, I don't know.... I wouldn't do that. You could end up spending hours just to do it all over again...

Don't get a sub-$100 radiator for a T-5. Get the best you can from IPD, eEuroparts, or FCP... Baby Boy Ben has a great video on Youtube about how to replace the radiator on a Turbo 850. Will be very similar.

Post by **scot850** » 08 Mar 2017, 13:05

If you are planning to keep the car, and it did not over-heat, then I suggest you look at a radiator made by Nissens from FCP or someone like that. It is unusual for a radiator to fail like yours. Is it a Volvo or aftermarket part? These radiators do fail either by cracks appearing in the join between the core and the plastic ends where yours failed, or the top hose shearing off.

What I would suggest is that you have the engine mountings checked as they can contribute to the failure. Specifically check the upper torque mount and most importantly the one under the crankshaft pulley. When these fail they allow the engine to move a lot and stresses the radiator on the RH side. Also I recommend replacing the top hose as an old hose usually has difficulty sealing at the top of the radiator.

I would ask what parts they are replacing as the radiator for your car from FCP is $300 for a Volvo one and about $140 for a Nissens.

The job is little tricky on a turbo engine but not too bad. Hardest part is removing the mounting bolts for the radiator as they are exposed and rust badly and can cause the welded captive nuts to shear off. By some PB Blaster or Deep Creep and fit the little red tube and fire it down the side of the radiator either end. If you look carefully you can see the threads of the bolts maybe 2/3rds of the way down either end of the radiator before trying to get the bolts out. Even if you don't do the repair yourself, whoever does should appreciate it!

Good luck!

Neil

Post by **abscate** » 08 Mar 2017, 17:47

Dave, I recently did a post mortem on the radiator that failed the same way

There is a rubber gasket on the plastic to metal joint. I even suggested it might be worth trying to reseal these when they leak.

I still have the old one, which is only 4 years old and has about 45000 miles on it. Never overheated

I could bring it to Boston next Tuesday if you want to try a repair on a newer one...

Pm me

I'll try to link to thread below

Post by **abscate** » 08 Mar 2017, 17:48

Found it

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=79799&p=429881&hili ... ns#p429881

enotslim · Post by **enotslim** » 09 Mar 2017, 16:16

I left out the mileage in the original post. The car was driven 14 miles urban/suburban (not highway) without coolant (no interior heat) in two runs of 7 miles each. Exterior temp was 9˚F. (It was a very cold drive.) Temp gauge rose only slightly and only for a short time. Is this a good measure of what actually matters without coolant to transfer heat to the thermostat? In my defense, it wasn't me. It was my son who clearly has something to learn about cars. Of course, my fault for not teaching him.

The car started and drove fine twice for about 10 seconds to align for a tow and then for the lift. Seemed fine to me and no obvious heat related malfunction according to my experienced mechanic. What are the chances that there was NOT thermal damage to the engine while driving 14 miles with no coolant? They will replace the radiator, test the car and take back the part for full refund if the engine is damaged, charging only labor for installation (not removal). But will heat-related damage show itself after more miles (when I don't expect them to refund the part)?

Thanks for reading.

Dave

enotslim · Post by **enotslim** » 09 Mar 2017, 16:56

My mechanic is very surprised he did not detect signs of themal damage to the engine even during a quick 10 second run.

Dave

Post by **abscate** » 09 Mar 2017, 17:32

Enlightenment has burst upon us.

Those short runs of 7 miles boiled coolant and blew the radiator out. The gauge didn't record high temperature because there was no fluid on the gauge.

You need to check compression on all 5 cylinders stat to make sure you don't have more damage than you might want to get into.

Post by **rspi** » 09 Mar 2017, 20:35

Sad to say, but it's hard to tell until everything is back together and you test it for a head gasket breach. When the car runs out of coolant and there is none on the sensor, it will not register on the gauge inside the car. Chances are, the head gasket is leaking and it will need a rebuild.

I once drove a car 30 miles with no water pump impeller. Keep the temp under 250° and I was fine. A tow is always cheaper than a head gasket job.

enotslim · Post by **enotslim** » 10 Mar 2017, 00:03

Son says car ran fine except for no interior heat. You're saying the head gasket/compression can become damaged without any obvious, severe performance problems (for a short while), correct? I can probably evaluate gaskets/compression for $400 to repair and test with a full refund for the radiator if engine is damaged.