Well maybe not, but I fixed the problem—I totally forgot to update this thread, AS IF…lol. Just for anyone needing help with this same issue, I’ll offer two answers. Since this was long enough that I’d forget what exactly happened, I’ll just tell you what all I’d done to get me back up and running. I’m going to attest to a re-install of the timing-chain cover. After those fresheners to the newer salvaged engine, I think I’d flubbed the reinstall and didn’t seal the gasket on both sides. Anyhow—I also checked my radiator for leaks but guess what happened? Yup you guessed it—I used my garden hose to pressure test it……NOPE….bad idea. So water doesn’t compress and if whatever you’re filling with it fails to withstand its pressure…..it will expand it. So after installing a newly salvaged radiator…lol…and dropping the )
#%?$ng car off the Jack…then reinstalling the newly salvaged and slightly bent(but pressure tested) radiator…..and using the cars dead weight to straighten the then, v-bent radiator support….and painstakingly JB Weld back together 20 pieces of fan shroud…….runs great. NOPE….in my driveway as we speak removing that, now, leaky radiator to try and plastiweld it with some window-screen and black zip tie as a filler. If it pressure tests fine—back into service it goes. Yes I’m a cheap so and so. But I guess you couldn’t tell that already from my 19 year old minivan..

 

It's not a matter of being cheap, If circumstances allow, there are some things that will work and end the problem and then there are steps we try ,,,,,,,,hoping to solve the problem. And this is where Murphy comes in.
A refresher about Murphy's law,, if it can crap out at the worst time , it will.

When we do a patch job, if it works and holds up, great. But the way it goes is just when we think we got away with a band aid fix and temporarily forget about it ,, it doesn't let go in the driveway, but out on the highway several moles away from civilization and there we are . So if possible try to do it the better way and we all know what way that is.

 

Another patch job coming right up. Had to plastiweld my radiator

 

Keep some comfortable shoes with you while you drive, you may need them.

 

Hey, a lot of guys like a challenge and winning is nice.
However , you decide, you might buy some interests in the patching material company, just kidding.

From considerable experience, we seem to be at the point that we know what we really need to do , and being frugal is not very much of a consideration here.
If a new radiator is not on your horizon, what about a used one from a salvage yard? Should cost a lot less than a new one and just last until you get more patching stuff ready?
With all that patching experience and still having a problem, could there be another reason it might be building up excessive pressure and blowing the radiator apart?
Something simple like a defective radiator cap can do this. I believe they releive the pressure back into the degas bottle around 15 psi.
We could always leave the radiator capon loosely , but that opens the door for other problems , wanna try it?

 

And wouldn’t you believe it…I didn’t even start the car and it started leaking right from the same damn place. I think I’ll hit up Autozone with their lifetime warranty.