Blown radiators

[chuck white]

A few days ago I noticed my radiator has blown..Not punctured. This is my second one with only 50 hours on a new LS Engine..The builder installed a "Burp tank" above the engine and it is mounted to the cage..The builder told me to keep the burp tank full and check at each start up to be sure its full..The tank has a 16# cap..I questioned this, asking about fluid expansion. Again, Was told to keep the tank full, so I complied..
My thoughts are to fill the tank half full to allow for expansion thus keeping the coolant pressure down and perhaps saving the radiator.
I would appreciate your thoughts on this..

thanks
frustrated

 

[hdsadey]

Who made the rad? Was it furnace brazed or epoxied? Rad should hold #16 pounds whether it's full or not. Should hold way more. At #17 pounds it should bypass the cap. Check the cap for an issue. Griffin rads used to be the top dog but it was sold to a conglomerate years ago, went from furnace brazed to epoxy to make more profit, too hot and the epoxy melts out, garbage at that point, no repairing it. Only other thing it could be is a cooked head gasket, head lifting or cracked head allowing compression into the coolant. Might not effect it at an idle but wide open could be pushing pressure. Cylinder leak down test will show that. Combustion gas tester will show in coolant too.