Blue Box Radiator Critique

Post by **ZionXIX** » 22 May 2020, 06:13

So my new blue box radiator arrived yesterday. There appears to be some damage here and there
Need opinions on whether it warrants

Post by **abscate** » 22 May 2020, 06:49

That goes back.

Second photo - the flow tube is kinked up and badly pinched

All the little damage to the sheet metal vanes looks ugly but aren't relevant.

Post by **scot850** » 22 May 2020, 21:31

At their prices it goes back. No excuse for that. Just sucks as it is wasted time, but better now than when installed. It is in way better condition than the one I had delivered from Tasca and 'handled' by UPS. I don't think they have ever delivered anything that has not got huge dents and rips in the packaging. In the case of the radiator, it arrived with the 2" bend in the middle. Short of someone jumping on it, I have no idea how they managed that. The guy just dropped it and left. I was furious. Tasca were great and I had a new one first thing the next morning from NY to Calgary Canada.

I am still not 100% sold on the OE radiators. They have a weakness in the original design. It had an extra sleeve in the top hose outlet. Problem is with age it works loose and then the radiator top hose shears off. The last one I bought was an aftermarket one. It has a reinforced top hose outlet. It was a Nissens.

Good luck!

Neil.

Post by **kallekula** » 22 May 2020, 23:40

I've been happy with Nissens so far.

Post by **kranz** » 23 May 2020, 04:01

I would send that back.

I've used Nissens for replacement radiators a couple of times now and been quite satisfied with their product.

But I did have a bit of trouble with a former forum sponsor. Here is what they sent me as a "NEW" Nissens radiator. The cooling fins were all dinged up. Greasy paw prints all over. The box it came in was bashed up and had been previously opened with a box cutter. No sign of coolant in it so I guess by their standards it was still new.

Post by **ZionXIX** » 23 May 2020, 05:59

Thanks guys, I've sent fcp an email with photos. Jus have to wait for a call tag now. I just dont understand how it gets damaged? It was double boxed and had no damage on the outside of the box. Maybe it got damaged shipping between volvo and fcp?

Post by **amblerman** » 23 May 2020, 12:10

btw I bought a nissens radiator a few years ago (one of the last manual specific ones) and it had the "cut" you see in your last photo.

I don't understand the purpose of that but it seems deliberate and not just damage. Unless your last photo was to illustrate the bent part of the wing. If you were pointing that out, then yes, that would be damage but the kind I'd live with.

All your other photo would not make me happy.-A

Post by **Goupil** » 23 May 2020, 14:11

I installed a Nissen in my car back in December and it also had that cut, I had to do a bit of clearancing for the intercooler and didn't notice the cut when installing, it got me scared for a second when I noticed it

Maybe it's for heat expension ?

Post by **j-dawg** » 23 May 2020, 22:27

abscate wrote: 22 May 2020, 06:49 All the little damage to the sheet metal vanes looks ugly but aren't relevant.

Pro tip for other circumstances - grab a pick and you can open those vanes back up. The damage won't go more than 1/8" into the radiator. Reopening the air passages is tedious, but not hard.

It's probably not that beneficial to overall performance unless you have a lot of them smashed shut. But it's a nice way to spend half an hour with a podcast and some tea.

Post by **abscate** » 24 May 2020, 04:04

I think everyone knows this but for new to car repair, here’s where the water flows