So about two weeks ago my friend and I were driving around Wichita Falls, pretty sure it was doing a late night McDonalds run. Anyways he noticed that there was a bit of steam coming from the front drivers side of the hood. I looked at my temp gauge and it was in the norm so I didn't think much about it because we were only 3 minutes away from campus.

Next coming back from Autzone I noticed a little water trail that followed my car from the driveway to its parking spot...So I was like, "Oh great, some sort of leakage!"

Well I went to Autozone to get some A/C recharge cans with leak sealer, because my A/C system had a very slow leak ( I'm thinking dried up seals since the engine was sitting for so long with no charge in the A/C system).

Well after I get done charging up the A/C system, I go in the cab and press the gas petal to rev it up to ~1500-2000 RPMs to make sure it was blowing cold air. It was. Awesome right!?

That's when disaster hit, I hear a pufffffshshhhhh and steam is shooting out the drivers side plastic tank of the radiator. FML ...

I get towels (I had them on hand) and stuff down there so the fluid doesn't get all over my CAI and everything else. After everything cools down I noticed there are no cracks in the plastic tank at all. It appears to be coming from where the radiator is clamped to the plastic tank.

After doing some research it sounds like the O-ring that seals the plastic tank to the aluminium radiator has gone bad.

Well right now I don't have the money for a new radiator ATM. ($110 at Autozone) Because I still owe $500 for my tuition at the end of the month, and every last penny I have is going towards that.

So I go off to autozone, and get this bottle: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...er=560508_0_0_

I read the bottle, followed the instructions and it seems to work for a week.

Just yesterday though, coming back from donating plasma for $$, I was idling at a turn light and we all know how a stock camaro's fans don't kick on till around 220 degree or so. So my car is getting warm, finally the light turns green and I turn to go on campus and park. Well I got that same trickling water path that followed my car into it's spot.

FML again..

Is there any other temporary fixes that I could do that would help by me some more time? I only drive my car about 4x a week, short distances.

I've noticed if I stay moving and have air flow through my radiator it doesn't leak at all. My impression is that when I idle, the system gets hot, builds pressure and the gasket on the 15 year old radiator can't handle it any more and starts to give way.

The radiator cap is brand new, 18lbs. I have a feeling a should go to Autozone and rent that tool to check my system pressure and see at what pressure my radiator starts to leak, but right now I rather just get a temporary fix if at all possible??

Thanks for any suggestions you might have for me.

I would just put this under General Tech, but that forum doesn't get as much action as this one does.

 

I would pick up a used LT1 radiator. I almost bought one for like $40ish. I'm sure you can spare $50 or so.