Radiator replacement

Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Ford SportTrac Forum

Help Support Ford SportTrac Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
J

Jim Rice

Member
Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
80
Reaction score
0
Location
Las Vegas, Nv
I have developed a small leak in my radiator, I was wondering if it is something I can replace myself or let a shop do it with an estimated replacement cost of 450-500 bucks. I think this is a fair price but was wondering what other Trac owners think. The 450 -500 is total cost including labor.
 
If you know how to loosten and tighten clamps, lines, and mounting bolts, you can do it yourself.



IMO, $500 is outrageous. I have to work 2 1/2 days to bring home $500.00. I coule replace the radiator in an afternoon and I know it was done right.





Tom
 
Caymen,



$500 does sound high, but that included the part. So, assuming the part could be gotten for $150 or maybe $200 for a good price, that makes labor $350 to $300, which is about 4 hours for most shops...you are right, that sounds high.



Still, I can't replace a radiator in an afternoon, myself, and make it worth $300 for me to do it. I say that because I could be doing other things during that same time that I enjoy more than would net me $300. It's the whole "opportunity loss" thing. But that's a whole other thread...



Still, Jim R should consider DIY, and shop around, both for the part and for the service.



TJR
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Tom,,is right. If you can wrench at all. Radiators are easy. Shop around, I say $200 @ the max. Get a new cap reuse factory clamps.
 
You can do a radiator in an afternoon. That includes changing clothes, doing the job and showering.

It goes really fast.
 
Still, I can't replace a radiator in an afternoon, myself, and make it worth $300 for me to do it. I say that because I could be doing other things during that same time that I enjoy more than would net me $300. It's the whole "opportunity loss" thing. But that's a whole other thread...
Click to expand...



I see this another way. First off, I do not have children. So I am gearing my response to you.



One does not know what the future holds. Are we going to continue down the road to 3rd world nation-ness, or will we decide to take our future back into our hands and straighten things out? I like to error on the side of caution.



So, you take your son into the garage and make him watch/help you (depending on his age) and teach him "to fish" instead of just "giving him a fish". IIRC, your son drives, and I am sure he isn't making no $40,000+/year, so money is tight for him. Teaching him to work on cars can save him money for a better future.



Personally, my wife comes with me to help me work on vehicles. She will also grab the wrenches and work on the parts too. Tonight may be the night I get killed at work. We may have a crane fail, a tank explode, a fire,...whatever.



If I were to die today, my wife would have an understanding of what it takes to do a repair on her vehicle. With that information, she would know if the mechanic is trying to pull the woll over her face or if he is being honest with her. She can also decide if this is a project she could do herself and put the money into her pocket.



IMO, there is no better time spent than with the ones you love teaching them valuable life skills.





Tom
 
Good point, Caymen.



It might surprise you to find out that my 17yo (soon to be 18yo) son and I wrench on his car together. Not major things mind you, because they haven't come up, but simple stuff like replace a side-view mirror; replace a worn out switch; fix a cig-plug outlet went bad, etc.



We do those things together because he can't afford to pay someone else to do them given what he makes. And, these are good skills to learn. More important than the skills is the confidence that you can tear into something, fix it, or at least make it no worse and put it all back together.



Also worked with him to change his own oil, once, and he has done it alone since. I even change my own sometimes, because surprisingly even today, that's one thing I can do and save time and money doing (that is a sad statement, IMHO, about quick lube places...which can such anyway).



Sounds like from your response you assumed I wasn't doing these things with my son???



Tom
 
"Are we going to continue down the road to 3rd world nation-ness, or will we decide to take our future back into our hands and straighten things out?"



There's a man with a gun over there

Telling me I got to beware

Paranoia strikes deep

Into your life it will creep

It starts when you're always afraid



a few lyrics from buffalo springfield summing up tom's thoughts :bwahaha:

 
Not that I wouldn't consider letting somebody do a radiator for me depending on time and money (I've done my share of radiators), but there once was a time that American men knew more about repairing their automobiles than they did fine wines.



I certainly wouldn't pay $400-500 for it. Its really a simple job. A few clips and a 95% chance of scraped knuckles, but it can be done before dinner is ready. Always replace the cap (which reminds me I need to check mine).
 
Hugh,



You still have to purchase the radiator, regardless, so it's not $400 or $500 one is saving by DIY, but I get your point.



Yeah, it would be nice if more men these days knew how to DIY, especially the under-educated poorer men because they can least afford to pay someone else to do for them and have fewer opportunities to do other things in their spare time that pay well in order to make extra money would allow them to pay for services. For them, DIY is time well spent...but as you said, they have to know what they are doing or at least the confidence to tear in and figure it out along the way.



Again, the term here is "opportunity loss" and it is more often than not the reason that so-called rich people don't fix their own cars, or mow their own lawns, etc. It is often not because they can't, but is instead simply due to the fact that in the long run it would cost them MORE to DIY.



If spending 2 to 4 hours replacing a radiator has one money ahead when all things are considered then by all means, DIY.





TJR



 
there once was a time that American men knew more about repairing their automobiles than they did fine wines.
Click to expand...



The average American male knows more about fine wine than car repair? I did not know that was a fact. The trend towards androgynous males over the years is easy to see, I subscribe to the birth control theory for that, but does being effeminate make one an epicure?



Maybe I just don't understand it because I know far more about cars than I do about wine. IMO wine is weak, expensive, and not worth it. Real booze or bust.



Again, the term here is "opportunity loss" and it is more often than not the reason that so-called rich people don't fix their own cars
Click to expand...

True, but I'd expect a qualifier here. There are at least some "rich" people who do DIY. Even "rich" people need hobbies, and perhaps some of "rich" people subscribe to the idea of the "self-made man" and take pride in DIY, rather than taking pride in being able to delegate menial tasks to men of lesser means.



For instance, Jay Leno is reasonably wealthy and performs all of his own car work, and he could certainly make more money paying someone to do these things whilst he performed stand-up comedy.



I know that I, personally, don't have the time to spend 4 hours on a radiator, but I'd be inclined to make the time as I don't trust shops at all. WAY too many bad experiences. Sure, there were some good ones, but even with those I don't know how well the job was done.



...and when GoodYear forgets to properly reinstall the brake line and your fluid spills out and you are left with only rear brakes in rush-hour traffic, you will understand my personal distrust of the shop.



:soap:

 
"but there once was a time that American men knew more about repairing their automobiles than they did fine wines."



no doubt about it.

as history repeats, things change.



BTW:

"fine wine" was not on american man's drink list prior to the 70's, more like beer and liquor. :haveabeer:



 

Latest posts

Top