I have owned my 1998 E-150 for 4 years. I have little previous owner maintenance info, but the cooling system has been flawless, towing a boat, up mountains and on long drives in hot weather or also just driving in -40 weather. The plastic radiator tank has now cracked. Time for a new radiator. Searching for a good replacement has, so far, been a sad journey. I want a good radiator. Even the Motorcraft RAD43, a "Direct replacement," appears to only be a single row radiator. My current radiator is thicker, presumably double row, and I'm assuming a single row will not cool as well as a double row. I can live with a plastic tank, as long as it is a good one. All aluminum would probably be better, again, IF well-made. I don't want to compromise cooling performance, which has been excellent, I don't want a piece of junk, but hopefully I can find something for $500 or so. Any suggestions? I don't value warranties, because they are useless to me: we live in Montana and travel to remote parts of B.C., Yukon, and Alaska. I need reliable, not an insurance policy. Has anyone found a replacement radiator that performs well and lasts? Thanks!

 

All aluminum if you can afford it. Upgrading all the rubber hoses to silicone (if available) is far more important in extreme cold weather, also replace the tstat and make sure it's at 195 degree.

 

Thanks for the thoughts. Is there a brand of all-aluminum that you favor? I'm sure there are cheapos.

 

Don't know how many miles are on your vehicle, but going where you go and doing what you do, if the water pump has never been replaced, when the radiator is out that is the time to replace it. and the belt . You having that vehicle for as long as you owned it probably know you have to keep an eye on the front brake pads because they give no warning except a grinding noise and then it is too late and calipers, pads and rotors all require replacement
I did learn that Ford brake pads lasted almost twice as long as after market pads. And believe it or not they ran longer and better with Motorcraft spark plugs.
Changing the spark plugs on the pass side of a 351engine on an Econoline was not much fun.

 

Thanks for the thoughts. The van has around 140,000 miles on it. The spark plugs were done last year, and I check the brake pads regularly--they are almost new thickness. Thanks for the advice on the water pump. I will also look into the silicon hoses recommended previously.

 

A little FYI, if you just check the outer pad, you could get misled, a sticking caliper will keep the inner pad against the rotor and you cannot see the inner pad unless you remove the wheel.

 

I have a 1987 E-250 with a 302 cui engine and agree with the reply about changing the spark plugs on the passenger side. After many years of ripping the skin off the back of my right hand I finally figured out that removing the alternator was the way to go. It's much easier to get at them.

 

On those older vehicles, found it much easier to remove battery too and save hands !