well, here's the update:
yesterday, while waiting out a beautiful Sunday at the shop, I decided to head back to the rear of the coach and start to 'disassemble' the radiator housing mounts. This is QUITE a job, as Freightliner builds these in such a way that it's really almost impossible to get to some of the bolts and nuts holding on not only the main radiator assembly, but all of the 'extra' items, like the coolant reservoir, the oil and transmission fluid dip-stick lines, the brake fluid reservoir canister, etc. The rear of your diesel radiator area is also VERY dusty and black dirty! Everything you touch is black dust. I was successful in removing most everything to relieve them from the main radiator brackets, but without having access to the rear of the radiator, I'm not really sure how ANYONE can remove the hoses and lines behind it.
I will admit that there is a lot more room to work when you remove the lower cover, and all the 'rubber' matting that they install, in an apparent effort to minimize dust getting into the backside of the rear cap!
today, the shop opened, and they quickly did a pressure test and found the obvious leak, where I knew it was...it's really hard to know whether it's the aluminum 'radiator' itself, or the black plastic modular edge, which are also prone to cracks.
after some checking, the manager quoted me $3,100 to install a NEW Frieghtliner radiator. after some balking from me, he went back and found another supplier for the same size and fit radiator for 'only' $2,300 installed. I still balked.
I guess I had done some 'work' that was not really needed, so I replaced some bolts, tightened them down.... and
so, with only 50 or so miles to get 'home', I packed up and left. No drips all the way home. No drips after arriving home. Nothing. at least not yet....
maybe I'll have them do the work, maybe not, but since no travel is in the near future, and it would take them several days to get the radiator anyway, I'll keep thinking ...
to be continued.. : /
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