betterthingstodo Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 I received my parts to change out my radiator and noticed the cuts in the top and bottom of the radiator frame. Has anyone else noticed this, any reason for concern?Thanks!-Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karlson Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 something is wrong, when mine was installed, I didn't see anything like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve s Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 that is the oem one. apparently, all the new ones come like that. i just got mine, the box was unopened. it looks exactly like that. even took it back to the dealer. all the other ones (at least the ones we checked) were similar. donno why it's like that. it's as if someone took a big ol dremmel and hacked it. seems to work fine for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmelviØØ7 Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Normal, everyone I have installed in the last 2 years has been like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlvinL Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Maybe a defective batch or lot from the manufacturer or expansion 'joints'? Wierd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmelviØØ7 Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Maybe a defective batch or lot from the manufacturer or expansion 'joints'? Wierd.There have been quite a few of those lately, but not because of those slots. I put 3 radiators in the same car back in June, all in the same day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geevs Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Bought an OEM rad straight from the dealership. Opened the sealed box, inspected the rad and noticed the same thing. The box was not damaged, and the rad was well-secured inside the box - so it couldn't be shipping damage. I guess it's really that way from the factory. Have not had any problems at all since rad installed almost 3 months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazykn Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 I'll add to that, yeah that is the same thing I got too when I bought the OEM rad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlvinL Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Put some thought into this and I think I know why. The heater core will expand with heat but the sheet metal top and bottom are not part of it so will stay cooler. Without the slits, it won't expand along with the rest of the core and thus stresses the plastic end caps. It just seems a cheap engineering fix but hey, does the aftermarket rads have this relief? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geevs Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 I did not see the same slits on the Nissens rad I installed on my other car just recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betterthingstodo Posted October 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 I just received confirmation from my supplier that all the radiators in stock contain the same cut, stops just short of the cross flow tubes. He didn't have an answer as to why though. Expansion and contraction relief sounds plausible but indeed a cheap fix.I should add that it's been roughly 20 years since I've really done any DIY repair so I appreciate everyone reporting similar finds. I'm sure this is small potatoes to most of you but I'm nervous enough as is.I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me as I tackle the radiator and thermostat install this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilled man Posted October 12, 2007 Report Share Posted October 12, 2007 Put some thought into this and I think I know why. The heater core will expand with heat but the sheet metal top and bottom are not part of it so will stay cooler. Without the slits, it won't expand along with the rest of the core and thus stresses the plastic end caps. It just seems a cheap engineering fix but hey, does the aftermarket rads have this relief?you are correct, on the HVAC Side of the buisness you will see this in large coils for AHU if the coil and the frame are made of two different materials they each expand and contract at different ratios Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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