Hi all, My vehicle is a 97 Ranger XLT w/ 3.0 engine and five speed manual transmission. Mileage is 114,000.
My original radiator started leaking a couple of months ago in the finned area. I bought a new replacement from O'reilly along with a new cap and installed it myself. After a few days I checked it and found it leaking from under the cap. Bought another cap and it leaked also. The manager at the parts store replaced the radiator on warranty and the new one leaks at the cap also. Bought a new Stant cap and it leaked also. The store brand is Murray. Anybody else ever have a problem like this? Btw, the truck is not running hot and never has.
Maybe some of you guys could steer me towards a radiator that you've had good luck with. Thanks for your help on this.

 

Welcome to the forum

Thats a new one for me?

So the rad cap is leaking not the Overflow hose?
This hose can get hard and crack, then leak

Rad cap should have a rubber gasket that seals against the lip of the rad cap opening.

And the larger valve in the cap seals pressure in via its rubber gasket against the lower lip in rad cap opening.
So you have two seals there until engine warms up.
When coolant expands from heat Rad pressure will get to 15psi, and a 14psi rad caps larger valve will be pushed open and coolant will flow out the overflow hose to the overflow tank, until pressure is below 14psi then larger valve closes.

After you shut off the warm engine the coolant cools down and shrinks back to "normal" volume, if any coolant was sent over to overflow tank when engine was warm then pressure in rad will drop below 0psi, -1psi, the smaller valve in the rad cap will be pulled open by the negative pressure and coolant will be sucked back into the rad from the overflow tank.


One thing to check that has happened to me and was a head scratcher.

I had a pin hole leak in upper rad hose, it sprayed a fine stream on to the water pump area.
Water pump leaking, replaced it
Water pump still leaking..............WTF!!!
Redid water pump gasket
Water pump still leaking.................

I did all the work while engine was cold.
The pin hole didn't really leak until engine was warmed up.
I was checking if I could see the leak with engine warmed up and happen to move my hand passed the pin hole leak and felt it on my hand, couldn't see it.
Replaced upper rad hose and my leak was gone, lol.