Figured I would price a few parts while I have some down time and to prepare myself in case I have to replace items. The radiator is a replacement, about 8 months old. Do you recommend a Rad cap from the dealership or would an aftermarket replacement be ok?

 

i tried a aftermarket and it didnt last long, got a oem cap and its been happy ever sense. try a new cap first it may be the issue. then check the hose that goes from the radiator to the reservoir for any signs of damage or leakage. known place for leakage is where the battery sets on it. if battery leaks it drains down and im sure eats any metal on that overflow inlet.

 

aftermarket when it comes to caps really doesnt make a difference. you dont need to go to a dealer either. just hit the pepboys, or whatever auto parts store you have and pick up a replacement for $10.
but i agree with craby. the place that the hose on mine has been bad each time was beneath the battery. if you pull that battery up, i can just about promise you that it is going to be so corroded youll be shocked.

 

Ok, I finally have an update and I think I found the issue. The metal portion of the hose on the coolant overflow tank was corroded. I scraped it with my fingernail and my nail went right into the tube. When I tried to remove the hose the metal tube came apart and broke off. I also found that when I poured the coolant out of the tank, the bottom was nothing but rust sludge. I have rinsed the bottle six time so far and I am still getting brown water out of it.

So I can find the expansion tank thru Parts geek, but it doesnt look like it comes with that inlet tube. 94 1994 Chevrolet Camaro Expansion Tank - Cooling System - Dorman, Replacement - PartsGeek Anyone know where I can get this part? It also does not look like it comes with the rubber mat that sits between the battery tray and the battery.

Thanks for your help on this guys! Oh here is a pic of before I took the tank out.

 

it was hard to find oddly enough but here is a good one.
93 02 Camaro Firebird Coolant Tank Return Hose Line | eBay

also, the rubber mat. you can just go to a hardware store and you can find a cheap rubber mat to lay down.

 

Very cool, thank you for the link.

 

not a problem. always here to help.

 

yep that pipe a problem. it pushes coolant out of the radiator through that pipe when the engine warms up and sucks air instead of coolant back in when it cools. im surprised you found that part. its one of them hard to find items.

 

yea, it wasnt easy to find. so wait, isnt it supposed to suck coolant back instead of air?!

 

A broken/cracked one will suck air, a good one will suck coolant back like it's supposed to.