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RA has two one metal designated for the RWD auto trans for $170 and a plastic which is the one I have that is now leaking for $87. Would the one for the auto trans work on mine?
Also should there be a sound of liquid moving when you take the oil fill cap off when its running? It sounds almost like a gurgling drain.
Yes, it will work. The only difference between the auto and manual optioned radiators is the auto trans cooler barbs in the bottom tank. The metal ones are way better IMO (the top plastic tanks on most cars are known to crack from age or being careless with coolant levels). I was in a jam with my Gen 1 radiator and managed to find a semi-compatible one from a 2.0 van (you've probably seen a few of my posts about wanting to upgrade to an electric thermofan). I took the mounting straps from my shot radiator, found another brass/copper radiator with the sensor bung in the bottom tank and had everything swapped onto the donor van radiator.
The noise you've described is mostly normal. You'll get air bypassing through the oil drain galleries in the head (oil and air are competing with the same galleries). BUT if you're getting 'blow by', that might not be a good sign. If you can smell fuel vapour from the oil filler, that's strike #2
Thank You again Geezer. The blow by hose on top of the valve cover goes right into a white filter on the air cleaner and it does not have oil in it so I'll count that good.
The plastic rad is leaking at the bottom somewhere. I was thinking I may have cross threaded the plug when I drained it a few months ago to add coolant so it would stand the cold. I may just pull it and try to pressurize it to see what kind of leak it is.
The plastic one has barbs for trans cooling on it but I never hooked it up because it does not have trans cooling lines and it runs hot already, that would just make things hotter. I don't know how I would connect lines to the trans anyway.