Fourmile 4/27/19

[Java]

Great time in Fourmile yesterday! The trails were mildly muddy and the watercrossings only about hub-deep. Beautiful day, nice people. A BIG thankyou to everyone for being so kind to Kix and making his first 4x4 run a fun one. A couple of pics from my wife's phone, I still have to go through mine.

[Tom]

Thanks to Paul for planning and leading this run. Beautiful day with a bit of a cool breeze. Nice to meet new people and see old friends. Took it easy, no pics from me.

Very scenic easy trails with a bunch more to explore in the area.

[Java]

Took my jeep out to wash it today and smelled coolant, my radiator cracked on top overnight. I just ordered a Murray radiator, waterpump and thermostat, and I have hoses and a new belt that I'll also do while I'm in there. I feel pretty lucky, we wheeled all day and took the long way home yesterday through florrisant and deckers, but it failed in my garage.

[open_circuit]

You just had a cracked radiator less than 2 years ago. Thought you replaced it then? Bad luck...

[Java]

I had a local shop fix it, $40.00 cash. I should have replaced it, but I priced them out and the OEM Mopar one costs about 350.00, the shop liked the quality, the leak was at a metal seam, so I had it boiled out and welded. That shop is now 12 condos and the radiator is 13 years old, so it's time. I googled a bit and Murray seems to have a good reputation, fwiw. Figured I'd do the whole cooling system except the heater core and put a new belt on while I'm at it.

[Java]

Turns out this happened because a small piece of red permatex, about the size of a caterpillar cut in half lengthwise, came loose from (probably) either the water pump or thermostat housing and floated around inside until it got to the top of the radiator. When I found it it was between the two seals of the radiator cap- there is a lower one below the spring and one on the base of the cap itself, the permatex was between them. The space between them is also where the radiator vents / drains into the overflow tank, the permatex was against the drainhole and the overflow tank is basically empty. I guess the radiator pressurized to the point of finding the weakest link, which in this case was a seam right near the top.

Did Jeep use red gasket sealer / maker back in 2006? When it was assembled there must have been too much permatex and it squeezed out to the inside of one of the housings where lived a long, happy life until this weekend when it came loose. I can't find any record of me doing either the water pump or thermostat and I'm hoping I can blame someone else.