Hey guys. I replaced my radiator and was looking thru the repair manual and it mentioned a radiator ground strap. Well mine did not have one and I cannot tell where it should have been. Can one of you guys with a loyale tell me where it was mounted? My thermo switch has its own ground, not sure why the radiator whould need a ground? Best spot I can think of is off of the metal fan shroud and to the block.  

 

Wonder if having no ground excelerated this issue?

 

 

 

Or maybee it was just age combined with the horrible de-icer the DOT uses on our roads.

I can't remember seeing a ground strap on my EA82s.  Most of the radiators had plastic tanks (thus the 2-wire fan switch), so any strap would either be part of the electric fan shroud or screwed to the top-strap of the radiator.

Never seen a ground strap on any of the EA82's I've torn apart.

 

Most of the radiators looked just like yours with the fins either falling out o just gone. It's the salt.

 

If you had a grounding issue on a radiator and your coolant was bad enough to work as an electrolyte then it would corrode the radiator from the inside out and start leaking. Which is not what you're seeing, the radiator is corroding from the outside in because of salt.

Even if you needed a ground to the radiator (and I'm not sure why you would--the fan has its own), isn't it in direct contact with a metal body part at at least one point? I took the rubber thingies off the bottom for a while because they were dust, but even with those in place, you're bolted to the metal 'header' piece at the top...and very snugly in there if mine is any indication.

Your book was referring to ea81 body cars like brats and early 80s GL/DLs.

 

You loyale doesn't need It and the radiator is just old.

Your book was referring to ea81 body cars like brats and early 80s GL/DLs.

 

You loyale doesn't need It and the radiator is just old.

 

I finally realized that.

 

Yeah the coolant and the inside of my radiator look great. Car ran cool around town but started to heat up on freeway commutes. Pretty shocked how bad that radiator was. Thanks guy.

I am certain my '88 GL-10 wagon had a strap on the top of the radiator tied to the front metal channel in front of the radiator. I'm not sure what that piece is called. It is important that the radiator be bonded to ground, like the engine block is also, so no potential difference can build up between the two points that are isolated by the radiator hoses.

 

That is one bad radiator in the picture alright.

I am certain my '88 GL-10 wagon had a strap on the top of the radiator tied to the front metal channel in front of the radiator.

 

Then it was added.

 

EA82 cars did not have a ground for radiator.  Ever.

Some car manufacturers put them on there to keep electrolysis from building up, from what I understand, keeping it from eating the radiator up or clogging it. I really don't see how it could hurt to put one on it, it's just another step when pulling the rad and how often do you do that?