radiator issue and possible upgrade question
 

hey everyone

99 ws6. last week i replaced the power steering pump, in doing so i wanted to do a coolant flush to be on the safe side since apparently the stock ps fluid cooler has a habit of cracking and leaking ps fluid into the coolant. i replaced the hoses did a coolant flush...long story short, while driving on 287 yesterday for whatever reason the neck on the radiator cracked and blew off the hose. i am positive it had something to do with the clamp it was a major pita to put back on. im assuming the radiator is the original from 1999. i was able to attach the hose and fill the rad with water and limp it to pep boys and get the things i needed.

i can barely attach the hose onto the neck and im lucky i got it home without it popping off again. im looking at radiators now. advanced auto has a replacement for $152. looking at jegs there are some worth much more than that. my plan in the future for this car is a bolt on car, intake, heads, cam, headers etc. hopefully somewhere in the near 375-400 hp range. would it be worth it at this point with my future plans to upgrade my radiator or will a stock one do with my future plans?

thanks in advance for the help.

Jon

I'd say stay with stock for now. Considering this car isn't a track only car, more of a daily driver, or going 400hp by means of forced induction, and that 400 is about 80hp away, theres no need for a radiator 4X the amount of a stock unit. Run seperate coolers for the P.S. and oil ( make sure to use a thermostatic bypass for the oil) and you should be set to do what you want.

Upgrade to an LT1 OEM rad.

Stock rad should do the job but ^^ this would do it betta.

Stock rad.

My OEM in my 99Z crapped out this way, too. I was in Somerset at the time too, btw. Lol.

is this a common problem with these cars and these radiators? I'm 99% sure that clamp was put on flush with the neck.

thanks for the help everyone I ordered a stock radiator.