triple-point

Folks,
I have a 1990 F150 2wd v8 302. I'm getting some tranny fluid in the coolant reservoir. I assume the radiator needs to be replaced, but now I'm wondering if the leak could be coming from the auxiliary transmission cooler that is in front of the radiator? Should I just fork over the $$ and replace the radiator and the transmission cooler? Do I only replace the radiator? Is there a way to tell if the leak is coming from the radiator or the tranny cooler?

Nitehawkjr

Sounds like the cooler in the radiator has the leak. All the auxiliary coolers I've dealt with are air cooled and are not connected to the coolant system so the radiator is the only one that can leak fluid into the coolant.

triple-point

Thanks nighthawkjr. Looks like your right. I followed the lines a bit more closely and thought about it: a line from the tranny comes into this auxiliary cooler first, then goes out to the radiator. So there are only two lines in this auxiliary cooler, and no radiator coolant lines go into this auxiliary cooler. Gonna just replace the radiator. Hope thats it for a while!

Thunderslide

you might be able to replace the cooler in the rad, When my dad owned a rad shop we did that often. Not sure if it is done any more.

triple-point

Gonna replace the whole radiator. I don't tow or offroad. Pretty much treat it as a 1/2 ton...collect firewood and take it camping with the kids. The one in there looks like it has plastic sides and is only 1" thick. It actually has Ford embossed on it, so its either original or replaced with factory oem.

The plan is to replace it with a cheap autozone spectra 1 row...unless someone really thinks otherwise? comments?

texasedition

I would go ahead and change out radiator and the cooler. You will also need to perform a coolant flush to get all that tranny fluid out, wouldn't hurt to do a trans fluid exchange either.

mustang8998

I would just by-pass the one in the radiator and flush the cooling system. No need to replace the radiator.