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NEED RADIATOR 1997 XL 45 LEMIRAGE BADLY!!! CHEAP!!
In need of a radiator for a 1997 XL 45 LeMirage … Salt got to the fins and turned them to powder.
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13 Replies
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Prevost and cheap has never been a great combination. However, you might want to try one of the junk yards that have been listed here previously. I doubt the radiators have changed much from year to year. You could call Prevost to find out if a 2000 XL radiator is the same as a 1997. What about the XLII?
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There are shops that can recore your existing radiator. Do a google search for those closest to you.
What you describe is not uncommon and recoring is an excellent alternative to buying a new one.
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Thanks guys! we are looking into a recore now, but wanted to see if anyone had a radiator available here.
Thanks again
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I bet somewhere there is a direct replacement radiator but then you run the risk of having the same or similar problem, and you almost have to take it apart to determine if its cooling system was well maintained or if the tubes are blocked or coated with mineral deposits.
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Dick Karth will be along shortly….He just went to this movie.
AKA…Dick in Wisconsin
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Thanks Al for the generous and kind introduction.
I noticed the radiator in our 1998 XL-45 shell started to leak at a campground in Fredericksburg, TX in March of this year. The diesel truck shop across the street said they were capable for looking at it and probably fix it but they were really back up and short-handed. Prevost PASS wanted us to travel back towards Austin or San Antonio to a handful of Volvo shops. The campground pointed me to an RV and Truck repair shop in Kerrville, 28 miles. Called them, the owner could pronounce Prevost correctly, said they had worked on Prevost coaches before had done radiator fixes on many Class A motorhomes and large trucks … most of the time having them recored by the same company.
Did you know that Kerrville, TX (the home of Mooney Aircraft when they are in production) is half way between California and Florida on I-10 and common place for RVs (big and small) as well as buses to break down? I didn’t either.
We calculated that we were getting about 8 to 14 miles to gallon of coolant on the trip to Love’s and Kerrville.
They pulled the radiator. The fan clutch had been hitting the brace across the radiator and apparently that drove the cooling fins on the clutch into the radiator (or stones were driven in from the road). Plus in one corner the aluminum fins of the radiator had corroded away. The radiator shop said they couldn’t fix it, they would recore it. I’m not sure that road salt was the problem with our radiator as much as we didn’t run the coach much in the winter where salt is used and I think the same was for the previous only owner. I think my problem might have been the squirrels using our coach and race trailer to store black walnuts, which apparently are corrosive when they get wet.
I contacted Prevost parts. They had a radiator in Nashville and Quebec. IIRC $4,800 plus freight. I might have a post somewhere else with more contemporaneous information and data and comments and suggests from the Forum members.
Some of the Forum members said to replace the radiator. Some said recore. I relied most heavily on Dan Hilger’s recommendation. He said he recores the radiators on the farm trucks and tractors all the time with no trouble.
So I went the recore route. So far so good. IIRC I saved about $1,500. Once you see how the radiator is built: brass tanks on either end (than are bolted together) with the core between them and the copper tubes in the core soldered into one half of each brass tank. IIRC they pressure tested it before they released it to shop for installation. If you go the recore route, hopefully you’ll get a tech who has recored hundreds if not thousands of similar radiators. The process was held up a few days because the recore shop had to special order the core because the Prevost radiator was “thick” and not necessarily a common core. Think about that if trying to fine a “standard replacement.
Getting the engine side of the radiator clean and the area between the radiator and the CAC I think is very important. That is where the damage can be done, especially down low were “stuff” can be trapped.
Thanks again Al!
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I opened my Radiator door, drivers side, Wondering if anyone knows the purpose (function) of these two smaller radiators in front of the Engine radiator?
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My guess is the small one is a cooler for trans or power steering, the large one is a condensor for dash ac.
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i would be very happy if that large one was part of the old AC system. I can remove it.
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We replaced our radiator a few years ago after discovering a “rotted” area in the lower corner which was ready to fail. Our quote for a recor was about $1000 less than a new one from Prevost. They had one in NJ and reduced the price 10% just for asking. That made it an easy decision and we are glad we went with new. During the removal almost all of the mounting bolts snapped off. Whoever does it is going to need a forklift or tractor with a loader. IMPORTANT…put new thermostats in when changing out the radiator. You’ll be glad you did!
2025 Marathon H3 / 4th Prevost
21 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel 4x4 -
OK, I traced the lines, the large one is an AC condenser and the small one is a Diesel cooler. I am going to pull this AC condenser out, i bet I have better cooling without 1/2 the radiator covered.
Jeff and Lindsay
91 Marathon XL -
What condition do you expect the charge air cooler, hoses, etc, to be in ??
“Bad” would be my quess unless it’s already been changed? They have a reputation for rotting too.
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8v92 Don. No CAC
Jeff and Lindsay
91 Marathon XL
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