LOL, No Prob... Before you bleed again, open the bleed screw when the engine is cold (stone cold) and check there for air. If so, top off directly into the bleed screw hole. Do this until it no longer needs topping off... Took me two or three times until all the air bubbles were finally gone.

 

I’ve had a Nissens & an el cheapo side by side & only one thing is different = Nissens sticker vs no sticker. Plastic is plastic & if you get one that survives shipping it’s a winner lol.

 

This^
and I've got $100 says they're made in the same factory and sold to half a dozen different companies.

 

Funny you should mention plastic...

I turned the car on to test some other stuff and it made a coffee grinder noise then spat pieces of plastic out from under the car. Took the upper shroud off and found this between the fan and the radiator.



Doesn't appear to be any damage to the radiator, but I feel like this might have been useful for something. Any idea what this was?

EDIT: Per the RAVE manual, it appears it may have been the sealing strip from the bottom of the radiator. I have no idea how it got where it ended up.

 

That looks like part of the lower shroud. Heck most of em are broken by now anyways. As long as you have the 4 screws securing the upper to the radiator, and the back two secured to the lower shroud you'll be fine.

Yep I truly believe the Nissens unit and the generic unit roll down the exact same assembly line. I've seen way to many auto parts go by the name Gates, AC Delco, GMB, and a few others only to find the only difference in the part = the box it came in or the name on the box. The part itself is identical with the same exact markings or place or origin.

 

Well that's a relief (note to self: find the missing two quarter-turn fasteners from the upper shroud).

Considering they're all made in China now, I'm not surprised they're all pretty much the same; the days of Chinese welds falling apart and plastic shattering are pretty much in the past now.

Can you explain how you got the side tanks off? I'm assuming it's easier to clean the sludge out that way.

 

You just pry the aluminum retainer off the end tanks. In my experience the tanks "spring" when removed from the radiator and the sealing edges bow in. Almost impossible to get them back in the correct shape and sealing once off, takes lots of blocking and heat on the tanks, and silicone for sealing. Still might start leaking at some point. I have also started just throwing them away and going with the ebay radiators, no difference to the Nissens that I can see.

 

That's fair. So we'll just say that's a no go. Still looking for a way to salvage the radiator I have, but just in case, is this the sort of ebay radiator you're referring to?

Link

I'm debating whether to remove the radiator from the vehicle and flush separately, or just do the traditional flush/fill with water/drain/fill with coolant method (again). Any recommendations welcome. Or just bite the bullet and replace it.

 

i flushed mine in place. just removed the upper and lower hoses after draining the coolant and put a garden hose in the top hose inlet and pushed the water through.

edit: to be clear, i did not flush the radiator through the engines' entire system. i disconnected the bottom hose from the radiator and let the water run out there.

 

If you flush it in the truck(engine running), you will be dislodging some of the sludge in the radiator, which then can get stuck and gum up somewhere else, like the heater core(flush the heater core both directions with a garden hose regardless)
I'de save the hassle and just buy a new one.