Radiator cracked after blown head gasket replaced

ZuZack

New member
First time poster here...Earlier this week I had a blown head gasket replaced on my 2001 Cherokee and my AC fixed after noticing oil in my coolant and my car overheating while driving on the interstate. When I got home from the mechanic after the repairs, I heard some hissing. I got out to check it out and saw coolant leaking from under the hood somewhere making a puddle on the ground and smoke coming out the front. The smoke stopped after 20 seconds, but the hissing lasted for awhile. I got it towed back to the mechanic in the morning and they told me I have a cracked radiator. Now I'm wondering if their repairs could have caused the radiator to crack or if it was just bad timing? Also, surely they would have noticed if the radiator was cracked before they gave it back to me when the fixed the head gasket right and AC right?

Thanks guys
 
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Was it an original radiator with the plastic top?
If so they do leak and crack where the plastic meets the metal. If it was all aluminum then no they don't usually crack.

Did you notice the temperature on your ride home?
They may not have gotten all the air out.

Did it overheat when driving or once stopped?
If it overheated once the engine stopped it may be a cracked head that took out the radiator. Many times a cracked head gets superheated and the air coming in through the crack allows the water to boil, pressure rise and crack the radiator. They should have checked for cracks when they did the gasket. Heads with 0331 cast number are prone to cracking. If they fix the radiator and it still overheats, check for water in the oil again and look for cracks in the head.
 
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Unlikely the repair caused the damage unless you overheated due to air in the cooling system. My guess is the radiator was already aged/stressed from when the head gasket failed.
 
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