Two radiator repair shops in town, old guys, hymm, I am an old guy too now. went out of business when brass radiators were replaced by aluminum and plastic.
Plastic and aluminum radiators are a throwaway part and have yet to find a good cleaning agent that doesn't eat away at the plastic or the aluminum even if it doesn't leak.
Neoprene hoses with clamps were never much of a problem either, if a heater hose was bad, could be easily replaced, sold these by the foot. Now its all snap together plastic, actually one hose cut to length fit all, now all these hoses are special and peculiar to each vehicle. Sit on the shelve for years, and the IRS charges taxes like crazy, because inventory for them is profit.
You pay though the nose for these.
O'rings have no place in either cooling or AC systems, with high pressures and temperatures they baked on and can't think of a better word than b!tch to remove. With a quick coupler, have a male and the female, males were not too hard to clean off but those females are a b!tch, any remnants of the old O-ring left in there, won't get a new seal. Should actually be coated with silicone so they won't bind or twist, but actually preferred using non-hardening Permatex, also would provide lubrication but also better seal protection.
With AC most of the BS started when Al Gore took an interest in AC, use to use brass fittings with aluminum tubing, those always gave a good seal with a wrench and some muscle power. Also dumping that good old Scharder valve, that could be replaced for pennies, went to a quick coupler for the R-134a ports with a large neoprene disk that would never reseat properly, and the whole line has to be replaced. Stupid really stupid, and steel caps were also replaced by plastic, they will harden with age, crack, with more leaks.
O-rings don't seem to stick to plastic as well, can be soaked in denatured alcohol to soften them up for cleaning. But once cleaned and lubricated, they snap together so nicely, but getting to this stage is a first class PITA.
Ever hear of a PCV valve that could be replaced for pennies with neoprene hose? Don't even look at the price for that piece of plastic crap used in the Cruze for replacement, you will get a heart attack for sure.
Charging $$$$$ per hour, dealers can't even to afford to do these jobs right, so best to DIY.
Can't help but feel with all this new crap to make assembly so much easier, why does that sticker price keep on going up? If anything, should be going down. But until the American public wakes up and starts leaving this crap in the showroom, that price will keep on going up.
Shame on me for telling the way it is.
