My "new 1995 945...
I was just arriving home friday evening ~5:30 when a small crack developed in the driver-side plastic side tank of my radiator. I parked as usual, didn't see or hear anything. I went inside and came back out 5 minutes later and a leak had sprung. I checked my temp sensor and it never got past normal, so I don't think I was driving w/o coolant. I also had ample coolant to leak out as the car cooled, plenty still in there even now.

I've been reading about these failures on the brickboard and faq. Most sound catastrophic, so I appear to have really lucked out. I already ordered a replacement nissen tank from Eeuroparts, as well as a replacement expansion tank and coolant sensor from FPC Groton. Since this was a friday PM order, I doubt that they will get shipped before monday next week.

Now that the car has cooled, I examined the break. The top of the driver-side plastic expansion tank has a 3/4-1-inch long crack in the middle, perpendicular to the hose inlet. The crack is on the smooth part of the tank, not near any bends, curves, or the inlet. There is no other damage. It almost looks as if someone took a knife and made a cut in the tank...

I know this HAS to be replaced, but is it possible to patch this crack to get me through a few days until my new radiator arrives? I was hoping some two-ton plastic epoxy or something similar might tide me over.

Alternatively, I have my 86 740 "parts car" with a slightly smaller, though intact, radiator. Can I use a smaller radiator on my 940? The 940 has the correct bolt holes for a smaller radiator...


--
Volvo #6: all wagons.... 1972 145S, 1976 245 DL, 1983 245 GL, 1986 740 GLE, 1990 740 GL, now a 1995 940...What's Next?