Re: Plastic radiator tanks

["Graydon D. Stuckey" <graydon@apollo.gmi.edu>]

Jeff,

	Interesting that you would call me for a tinkerer already.  It 
sounds like you have done alot of auto work yourself.  I got a nice '86 
RX7 rad from my buddy at the Mazda dealer bodyshop.  Unfortunately, the 
spigot was broken off the bottom tank, and NOONE would sell the bottom 
tank separately.  I thought I was going to have to junk the rad.  I 
finally found a seriously wrecked rad at the wrecking yard with, you 
guessed it, a good bottom tank.  I carefully pried up all the little 
aluminum tabs, and removed the old tank.  You have to bend them as little 
as you can get away with.  When you get both apart, clean them up 
carefully, and then reassemble them.  Some shops have a special jig for 
holding the rad while they crimp the tabs.  If you can find one, it might 
be worth the $20.00 that they will charge you.  Be careful that the core 
does not spread apart too much, and be careful that the O-ring stays put 
while you crimp the coretabs over the tank edge.  If you are very 
careful, you should end up with a good rad.

Good luck,

Graydon D. Stuckey

'86 Audi 5000 CS Turbo Quattro		'83 Mazda RX7, SCCA Solo II F-Prepared
'83 Mazda RX7, street car		'85 Mazda RX7, street car
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