Rad plastic inlet failure mode

[cobram at juno.com]

If anything, they last longer with the non-Audi stuff, or they've
improved the radiators.  6 years was about maximum life for the radiators
before they blew apart on the early type 44's, pretty red/rust OEM
coolant all over the place.

If you can find it, metal radiator is the way to go, slow leak at first
when they start to fail, no catastrophic failure to strand you.  The 5KS
got hit in the front left fender hard enough to break the mounts and put
a 2 inch dent in the all metal radiator, where it hit the hydraulic pump
bracket.  That was a few years ago (radiator was about 5 years old at
time of accident), still no problems, if it was of the plastic variety it
would have been junk.  Not to mention the propensity for the plastic tank
supply nipple to break when leaned on or changing the hose.

It's the heat and time that breaks down the plastic making it brittle.
Mercedes tried using plastic goosenecks with less than stellar results,
they went back to metal.

BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/


On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 08:32:44 -0400 Kneale Brownson
<knotnook at traverse.com> writes:
> Another consideration in the mix of factors here may be the chemicals
> in
> the coolant.  Could it be the Audi-specified coolant would not react
> so
> much with the Audi-supplied plastic radiator parts as would the
> general
> run-of-the-mill US coolant chemicals????  How many 12-year-old Audis
> still
> have ZVW237104 in them?
>
>
>

________________________________________________________________
The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!
Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER!
Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!