how much you think it would cost?


Viper has a leak

7/25/2014 7:08:10 PM

Check out Sapps Welding. They work with aluminum and do radiator repairs. I had them do the oil cooler for my motorcycle and they did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price.

http://www.sappsinc.com/

7/25/2014 7:26:31 PM

Thanks.

If anyone is interested, dealership quoted me $1,200. I think the father-in-law and myself are going to take the radiator off on our own and drop it at a shop.

7/25/2014 9:06:21 PM

Jeebus, couldn't you just buy a new OEM/Dodge radiator for way less than that?

7/25/2014 9:28:16 PM

I'm sure there's a Ron Davis or a Griffin radiator that you can use aftermarket that'll work for FAR less money. if you go that route, just make note/find the oem specs and find the closest match with those guys. You should be able to buy a new alluminum radiator for at least half that, if not less. $300-$600 would be my ballpark on a quality aftermarket radiator.

[Edited on July 25, 2014 at 9:38 PM. Reason : .]

7/25/2014 9:33:19 PM

All of the Viper elitists say to stay away from the new aluminium radiators. They've discontinued the OEM and the replacement is now all aluminium. I think the OEM has brass ... I am thinking that we can take it off and get it welded or recored for a few hundred.



[Edited on July 25, 2014 at 9:50 PM. Reason : I just want cheap, high quality... too much to ask for? ]

7/25/2014 9:48:09 PM

I'm curious why the elitests recommend against aluminum radiators...

7/25/2014 9:54:38 PM

^^ gotcha

^ I was curious, too, so I did a quick google and looked at random viper forums. Seems they don't cool as well and aren't reliable

That was just a quick look, though - I could be way off

[Edited on July 25, 2014 at 10:29 PM. Reason : Looked at viper forums]

7/25/2014 10:04:57 PM

Don't go too thick or dense of a core some people make that mistake and over heat at stop lights cause their rad fans can't move any air through them.

7/25/2014 10:23:08 PM

^ There is this downside, but if you get an alluminum equivalent of the same specs (# cores, core thickness, etc) I don't see how this would be a bad thing. An all aluminum unit should be more reliable than mixed metals of copper/aluminum/plastic...

7/25/2014 10:24:41 PM

Lemme let the wife pop out a kid or two and we will put these suckers on the market

7/25/2014 10:24:43 PM

^ Why do I have the feeling you accidentally posted in the wrong thread in reference to trading your testicles for a vehicle...

7/25/2014 10:28:55 PM

I edited my post - I was just looking at viper forums. There were even a few posts bitching about various replacements not even fitting properly

7/25/2014 10:29:56 PM

Just a mildlyinfuriating day....

So I had dropped it off at a dealership (w/ official Viper certified tech). I say "It has a leak from the front, driver-side radiator area".

They call and say the radiator needs recored. $1200. I do my research and say fuck all that noise.

Call them today to tell them I am picking it up to handle it myself. I pay $100 to get my keys back and get a note from the tech saying "Leak from radiator, driver side". They didn't evaluate the leak in any meaningful way and didn't find the actual source. I went to drive away and decided to look at the fluid level before leaving - glad I did because the radiator cap was off and sitting on the engine. Fucking shit.

7/28/2014 4:31:07 PM

http://www.ebay.com

search term: c&r radiator

nascar-level

7/28/2014 5:27:19 PM

Sounds frustrating to deal with. I’d write an email to the service advisor.

I had an experience with Leith Porsche some time ago where they didn’t catch a minor leak in a radiator in a pre-purchase inspection. A few days later I got a questionnaire about my experience with them, I made note of the over sight. The next day I got an email from the service advisor apologizing along with a full refund to the credit card for the entire pre-purchase inspection (which is rather extensive and includes computer read outs from all sub systems, etc). Anyway, hopefully they can set you straight.

As a side note, I would not shy away from an all aluminum radiator from a quality perspective however I’m often leery of using aftermarket parts on a high end/exotic/collectible for several reasons. Fitment is one, originality is another. Good luck in any case.

7/29/2014 1:54:07 AM

Quick update if anyone cares... Family mechanic took a look, put it under pressure, and could not replicate the leak. I've driven it a few times now and no leak afterwards for the past few weeks. The guess is that the thermostat got stuck (since I let it sit for about 2-3 months) and there was an overflow from the reservoir.

tldr; Dodge fixed itself.

9/16/2014 4:54:07 PM

I would definitely ensure that the t-stat doesn't make a habit of sticking

9/16/2014 5:17:38 PM

interesting

9/16/2014 5:57:02 PM

I'll throw a +1 for Sapp's into this thread.

9/16/2014 9:39:02 PM