Farmall 460 - radiator replacement

[dhermesc]

Looks like two choices - Ones priced around $540 - with no indication of where they are made - and the ones that admit they are made in China for $160.

Son replaced the water pump last summer and filled with about half the antifreeze it needed. Started the tractor in extreme cold the radiator froze - splitting it. No radiator shops in my area anymore.

 

[Charlie M]

Its almost a certainty the $160 one is junk for that cost and country of origin. Good radiators are not cheap. Maybe a phone call to the place selling the $540 can tell you where its made - could be still made in China.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

There may be no difference between them at all, just one vendor selling on thin margins and the other grossly overcharging.

That said I might be tempted to give the $160 one a chance. I've had good results from inexpensive radiators in the past.

 

[dhermesc]

Also checking out used ones.

I messaged one guy asking him how he checked to see if they were good - apply pressure? He said if the radiator was full when he parted out the tractor with no visible damage, he assumed it was "good". To clean an old unit out I would let it sit for couple days with white vinegar in it then flush it. He priced use gas radiators at $100 and a diesel tractor radiator at $150. I thought they used the same radiator gas or diesel 460.


Edited after Charlie M's post:

The guy did say he would give a 90 day warranty - but then I have the time of installing and then having to remove and install again.

 

[Charlie M]

I've bought a couple of used radiators from a couple of salvage yards and both said they had cleaned and pressure tested the radiator and would warranty it for 30 days. Both are still working well. Don't remember for sure but I think the owners of this site was one of them.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

There may be no difference between them at all, just one vendor selling on thin margins and the other grossly overcharging.

That said I might be tempted to give the $160 one a chance. I've had good results from inexpensive radiators in the past.

BE, ever notice that some folks are always willing to encourage "other guys" to spend big $? gm

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Also checking out used ones.

I messaged one guy asking him how he checked to see if they were good - apply pressure? He said if the radiator was full when he parted out the tractor with no visible damage, he assumed it was "good". To clean an old unit out I would let it sit for couple days with white vinegar in it then flush it. He priced use gas radiators at $100 and a diesel tractor radiator at $150. I thought they used the same radiator gas or diesel 460.


Edited after Charlie M's post:

The guy did say he would give a 90 day warranty - but then I have the time of installing and then having to remove and install again.

Personally I would slap the radiator on and run it. Your efforts to clean the radiator may well expose leaks that were not there before. The less you mess with an old radiator the better.

Luckily it only takes about 1/2 as long to remove and replace the radiator the second time