Blau Radiator Leaking

[urquattro]

> > My 1986 5ktqcs had its radiator replaced about a
> > year ago with a Blau unit,
> > all metal.  The radiator is now leaking around the
> > end caps.  Has any one
> > had an issue like this?  I do not see how a 2 yr old
> > radiator this new can
> > already be leaking.
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> Buy an original?  My crappy plastic radiators and
> heater cores all lasted over 10 yrs. and 175k miles.
> Haven't had any problems with the replacements either,
> even running the "bad" green stuff.  I paid $160 for
> the orig. AKG? radiators.  Just something to think
> about.
>
... my response to the why? question is ... while I too have had a poorly
made all metal rad fail prematurely IMO by sprining leaks, I have never had
one fail in a way that led to an almost immediate and complete loss of
coolant as can and will happen ... unexpectedly, with the plastic tanked
units.  You are right, the factory units last a long time, but for my $160
I'd rather notice a small leak while servicing the car than get a call from
the wife who had the upper rad fitting blow on the freeway ... (BTDT ...
DWTDIA)

While it is true that I still have not replaced the heater core with its
plastic caps or the afterrun pump with its myriad of failure modes, I have
adopted a "no plastic" cooling system components strategy after a lot of
BTDT over the last 23 years of Audi ownership ...

Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)