radiator tank keeps cracking

[kustomiser]

this is the second radiator i have put in the expedition in the last month. the first cracked on the passenger side tank about 6"long down the center line. put another radiator in that was checked before installation and now after 2 weeks it is cracked in the same place. is this a common place for failure? the radiator was out of a 2001 but was in perfect condition. also the "t" that goes to the rear heater also broke. any ideas as what is going on??

 

[toms89]

this is the second radiator i have put in the expedition in the last month. the first cracked on the passenger side tank about 6"long down the center line. put another radiator in that was checked before installation and now after 2 weeks it is cracked in the same place. is this a common place for failure? the radiator was out of a 2001 but was in perfect condition. also the "t" that goes to the rear heater also broke. any ideas as what is going on??

What are the condition of the rubber bushings it sits into? Maybe physical damage caused by vibration. Possible overpressurizing?? Can try replacing overflow cap to be certain?! Could be a design flaw but I have not heard of others having issues?! Sure they will chime in if there are others with the same issue.

 

[JUST4FUN]

overpressurizing could be the problem here a bad head gasket would cause this

 

[jdan]

Put a pressure gauge on it and run it. If the needle bounces then it's a cylinder pumping pressure into the cooling system.

 

[kustomiser]

thanks for the help i am leaning towards a blown head gasket. 240,000 miles and a lot of them were hard miles by the previous owner. he never did any maintenance just drove the crap out of it. i have a friend that has a repair shop and he is going to look at it this week. also has any one ran a aftermarket radiator like a be cool or a griffin wondering if there worth the money

 

[jdan]

Dunno if they make it for an Expy but look around on Radiator Barn web site and see if they offer a CSF with more rows in it.
I bought one for a different vehicle and it was waaaaayyy better than the other aftermarkets I've dealt with. Came with metal tanks instead of plastic and cooled a lot better.
Paid more but was worth it compared the the Auto Zone rad I kept having to replace once a year..