Hello all,

So I currently have the 2.8 motor installed in my car and I'm having some serious overheating issues. I've got it down to a radiator issue I believe so I'm looking to remove and replace it this weekend.

However, I'm soon going to be swapping my motor out to the 3.4 and I was wondering if the only difference between the two radiators is that they are swapped. (i.e. the cap is on the passenger side on 3.1/3.4 and on the drivers side on 2.8, and the hoses are swapped).

I should be able to put in the 3.4 radiator and run different hoses to the 2.8 until the motor is changed correct?

Thanks!

 

Check to make sure the air dam is still under the radiator support before you go through the trouble of swapping the radiators. And then you'll have to switch over the thermostat housings as well to get the hose neck pointed in the right direction if they're different.

 

Air dam is installed and looks good. I ran a pressure test this weekend and the radiator blew coolant out of the bottom in two locations: 1. Lower hose, 2: Base of the radiator, until I pull it out, I can't tell if it's cracked. I'm also leaking around my newly installed t-stat and gasket. It seems to be mixed responses on the board about using RTV around the gasket is there any more knowledge on this?

Also, is there any gain to go to a 3.1/3.4 radiator? My 2.8 t-stat housing should fit on the 3.4 right?

 

LIM on all 3 engines is pretty much identical, so yes, the stat housing will fit. Some older cars actually required RTV to install the housing INSTEAD of a gasket. You will want to make sure the stat is seated in the groove in the LIM properly before you do anything else, and make sure the seating surfaces on the LIM and stat housing are clean. If it still leaks there, then RTV it.

Check the lower hose first as you have to pull it off to get the rad out anyways.

 

okay thanks, I'll put a new gasket in and RTV it this time around. My lower hose was just replaced in March when I did my coolant flush. But I'll check to see if its collapsed, I'm thinking it cracked at the hose connect.