2002 Kenworth t800 rad

A

allan5oh

New member
Looking for a decent rad that can cool 800 HP if possible. Really haven't kept up with what's out there, I see some are actually going to aluminum (on purpose).

I'm sure a core would be fine. My ends are in good shape.
 
chevota84 said:
Radiator supply house

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X2

Ordered last 4 I needed from them. Got a 4 row non dimpled coming this week for a 2002 W9 that’s 800hp (250 euro HP) . Just don’t buy their charge air coolers, don’t cool for shit. Can’t beat a duralite
 
Anyone know what it takes to recore one of these? There's bolts everywhere, is there a gasket of some sort or is soldering needed?
 
allan5oh said:
Anyone know what it takes to recore one of these? There's bolts everywhere, is there a gasket of some sort or is soldering needed?
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Don’t do it, it’s horrible. I fell for that once, it will leak and you will be tightening bolts every time you raise the hood. I think it was a month before I got to to completely stop.

Over-tighten when you bolt the tanks on it will distort the flanges and it will leak. Not tight enough and it will leak, even painted both sides with Permatex 80019 and it leaked.

I’ve seen a radiator shop do them and they put some powder in the tanks and pressure test them hot.

Do yourself a huge favor and don’t even remotely think about doing it because it’s not worth the effort. Call RSH in Oregon and tell them you want a GOOD 4 row, not a cheap one and borrow Kurt Cobain’s shotgun to get the “core your own” idea out of your head.
 
allan5oh said:
It sounds like one of those things where you have to do it 10+ times for it to be worth doing it yourself.
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I can’t see it ever being worth it unless you have a new core damaged by like a deer strike. Keeping the old tanks on a new core doesn’t make much sense to me. Even then you really only save money if your time isn’t worth anything.
 
I had the radiator in my Freightliner recored at a local shop. Did a good job. No leaks in it anywhere.


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RockinRam96 said:
I had the radiator in my Freightliner recored at a local shop. Did a good job. No leaks in it anywhere.
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We don't like to re-core them here either. The time it takes to do it right usually ends up more expensive than a complete radiator. If a guy does the work himself it's one thing, but if your going to pay someone to do it, put a radiator.
 
What does a brand new complete radiator cost?

If I remember right it was less than $1,000 to have mine re-cored. If I was to purchase a complete new radiator it was going to cost me at least double that, plus shipping.
 
RockinRam96 said:
What does a brand new complete radiator cost?

If I remember right it was less than $1,000 to have mine re-cored. If I was to purchase a complete new radiator it was going to cost me at least double that, plus shipping.
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I had mine done previously at West End Rad. But it never really cooled that well.
 
Snedge said:
We don't like to re-core them here either. The time it takes to do it right usually ends up more expensive than a complete radiator. If a guy does the work himself it's one thing, but if your going to pay someone to do it, put a radiator.
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And the guys that do them for themselves never seem to really put a value on their time.
 
RockinRam96 said:
What does a brand new complete radiator cost?

If I remember right it was less than $1,000 to have mine re-cored. If I was to purchase a complete new radiator it was going to cost me at least double that, plus shipping.
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4 row complete shipped was $2001.00. If you wanted cheaper you can definitely get cheaper like a 3 row northern or Detroit that will rot before the coolant is put back in. This was for a 2002 W900L that still had the original (600k miles) and I’m completely done buying discount parts. Only thing worst than fixing something is doing it again when the Chinese part fails.




SmokinCAT said:
And the guys that do them for themselves never seem to really put a value on their time.
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I do, fuck that job. It’s like rebuilding an Eaton transmission, scatter parts all over the shop and lose 3 fingernails to save $200.


Like the firewood cutters and deer hunters.
 
Signature600 said:
LOL Tell us how you really feel.
Chris
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I’m still pissed I had 2 friends tell me “just core your radiator it’s not that bad”. Then when I’m elbow deep in the fan shroud burning myself on a hot engine after unloading one night with a flashlight in my mouth trying to tighten bolts for the 30th time one says “oh yea you will do that for a while before it seals up…….

Karma caught up to one after he used pistons I said not to and clutch I said wouldn’t hold. Got to replace both when he realized I was right.
 
jfaulkner said:
I’m still pissed I had 2 friends tell me “just core your radiator it’s not that bad”. Then when I’m elbow deep in the fan shroud burning myself on a hot engine after unloading one night with a flashlight in my mouth trying to tighten bolts for the 30th time one says “oh yea you will do that for a while before it seals up…….

Karma caught up to one after he used pistons I said not to and clutch I said wouldn’t hold. Got to replace both when he realized I was right.
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We must be lucky. We recore quite a few here in the shop, probably a third of them are bolt together cores, and about 1 goes in a truck every year. So far, no loose bolts? We do a lot of solder together core replacements for tractors and equipment.

Now, we don't use cheap cores...built by a place in Northern KY/Cincinnati...and honestly, we can probably buy some replacement radiators cheaper than coring some of these, but we have had great luck doing it this way, and can modify the cores if we want this way; IE change tube layout, size, etc.

Also, my radiator guy in the shop has been doing it for 30 years, maybe he knows a trick he hasn't taught me? All I can see is he has rolls of cork gasket he uses on the bolt together headers, and uses all new bolts and serrated flange nuts when he goes back together.

I guess actual results may vary :hehe:
Chris
 
Signature600 said:
We must be lucky. We recore quite a few here in the shop, probably a third of them are bolt together cores, and about 1 goes in a truck every year. So far, no loose bolts? We do a lot of solder together core replacements for tractors and equipment.

Now, we don't use cheap cores...built by a place in Northern KY/Cincinnati...and honestly, we can probably buy some replacement radiators cheaper than coring some of these, but we have had great luck doing it this way, and can modify the cores if we want this way; IE change tube layout, size, etc.

Also, my radiator guy in the shop has been doing it for 30 years, maybe he knows a trick he hasn't taught me? All I can see is he has rolls of cork gasket he uses on the bolt together headers, and uses all new bolts and serrated flange nuts when he goes back together.

I guess actual results may vary :hehe:
Chris
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If you figure what you are paying him to core them you would find out it probably isn’t cheaper. I’ve heard all the tricks, tighten them until the gasket starts to bulge then quit. Come back tomorrow and tighten again then pressure test for 12hrs or whatever. I cut the banding on the box, screwed in a couple fittings and bolted on brackets for CAC and condenser and set it in the truck. New bolts/tanks/flanges even the mounts are new.

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And it’s 2022 why the fuck are we still using cork gaskets? Haven’t we proven rubber stops water/fuel/oil?


Next asshole you get in your store wanting “cheap” parts curb stomp them for me. There is a difference between price shopping stores with a part number, and just wanting cheap Chinesium shit.
 
It was probably ten years ago that someone told me cork valve cover gaskets would stop the leaks on my small block ford. I asked if they really still sold that shit haha cork anywhere on a radiator sounds like an absolute shit show to me.
 
jfaulkner said:
If you figure what you are paying him to core them you would find out it probably isn’t cheaper.

Next asshole you get in your store wanting “cheap” parts curb stomp them for me. There is a difference between price shopping stores with a part number, and just wanting cheap Chinesium shit.
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I didn't say we were doing it cheaper, I even said we know we can buy some complete radiators cheaper than doing it this way. We for sure can buy radiators cheaper than fixing them most of the time, and we do...but, if we are having an issue with a machine running hot, need a special style core, etc we can build a better part than we can buy.

All I was saying is that we haven't had any leak.


Most of our core customers don't even ask what a part costs anymore...now, the guys that come in twice a year, and the antique crowd, yeah they like to whine a little. I don't listen to it anymore, I just ask "do you want it? I'm holding it in my hand, or I can order you a junk one off ebay and do it again next year" 90% buy my part, the other 10% is the people that can't even find their own parts on ebay or amazon, so pay me $50 to get them "aftermarket" parts that I find online in 10 seconds via google.

If you're that stupid or lazy, I'll take your money!
Chris
 
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