Radiator repair.

[dirtautoguy]

I have an all alluminum radiator that appears to have sprung a leak from a little pinhole. The hole is in the top near the upper radiator hose under the fan shroud.

I need to look at it a little closer still but I’m curious on some thoughts on how to fix it? I “think” it’s a bad weld on the aluminum. It’s pretty accessible. Iv read some different options on fixing it from tig, or brazing to using epoxy.

I have used jb weld on a dirt bike radiator I had crack and it help up great. I sold it before it failed again but I used it for a few years after I repaired it. I don’t have hardly any experience with tig or brazing and All I have is a propane torch.

So I’m curious about thoughts on this? Iv heard that if I used epoxy and it fails it makes it harder to weld later.

 

[someotherguy]

I'd suggest you take it to a radiator shop but I wonder if any still exist. The cheap Chinesium radiator market has probably all but killed that trade. Used to be we'd take radiators to the shop for repair long before considering buying a new one, but that was decades ago.

They'd stick them in a special work table/tank of coolant before welding, to keep the heat from transferring away from the area they were welding and causing issues in other spots.

Richard

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

There are a few in SW Houston, I used one to R&R the radiator in the Burb 4 years ago. Pretty sure they're still there. I think most larger cities should have at least one, it'll be in an industrial area because of the chemicals they use.

 

[dirtautoguy]

From what could see the leak is right on top I’m wondering if it could be done with it in the vehicle?

There used to be a radiator shop about 30 miles south of me but I know it changed hands and does mostly heavy mechanic stuff now I don’t know if they kept the radiator equipment.

There is a fabricator shop in my town but I’m not sure if that’s something they could seal up or not. I’m sure they don’t have equipment to pressure test it.

That’s why I went with an all alluminum radiator. I went through 3 radiators in about 2 years and got sick of replacing them even if they are cheap. This one’s been in this truck for almost 5 years now and this is the first issue Iv had

 

[GoToGuy]

It's all aluminum? If it were mine and knowing how much $$$ quality aluminum radiators run. I would find, search, lookup a weld shop that can do tig and get it repaired the correct way. Yeah there's probably a lot of, " well my second cousin did it this way". Sure you can do half measures and cheap it out, but isn't the idea to repair it so it doesn't happen again?
Good luck.

 

[Hipster]

Idk, 9 times out of 10 we put aftermarket rad's in collision damaged vehicles. Never really too much issue unless they leak right out of the box which is hardly ever.

Radiator after radiator sounds a bit odd. Have you checked to see, if for some reason, you're building excessive pressure in the cooling system?

I've dealt with some all aluminum rad's and some of them, while quite pricey, also suck. I put whatever cheap shyt rad Advance supplied me in mine and it's been in there years.

 

[Schurkey]

I went through 3 radiators in about 2 years and got sick of replacing them even if they are cheap.

Radiator after radiator sounds a bit odd. Have you checked to see, if for some reason, you're building excessive pressure in the cooling system?

Excess pressure was not my first thought, although that's a possibility.

If this were MY vehicle, I'd grab a QUALITY, high-impedance (10,000 ohm impedance or more--really common now, wasn't in 1975) voltmeter. Put the negative lead on the battery negative post, turn on the ignition, dangle the positive lead in the coolant without touching the metal of the rad. Anything over about a quarter of a volt is trouble, and less is better. These folks suggest a voltmeter set for "12 volts" but if your meter has a lower-voltage setting (like 0-to-3 volts) I'd use that.
www.northernradiator.com/knowledge/electrolysis

Northern Radiator | Electrolysis 101

www.northernradiator.com

"Radiator voltage" will corrode pinholes in the rad, and aluminum would be worse for that than brass/copper, which is bad enough.

Two possible causes of radiator voltage: Worn-out coolant, and insufficient ground cables/corroded ground cables.

Years ago, folks would dangle a zinc or magnesium anode in the coolant somewhere. The zinc or magnesium would corrode instead of the metal of the cooling system--a "sacrificial anode".
www.amazon.com/RAD-CAP-SACRIFICIAL-ANODE/dp/B07H5ST7W2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=4RDEZ10WM50P

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or

www.amazon.com/Westerbeake-Universal-Engine-011885-inches/dp/B0088I3F1M/ref=sr_1_3?crid=4RDEZ10WM50P

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[0xDEADBEEF]

I'm not a welder, but I believe to really do it right you have to grind the crack out and then fill it with weld. If you just solder/braze on top or flow it back together with heat, it will probably break again, and maybe even spread wider.

 

[454cid]

Is it the tank that's cracking? Is the hose well supported, and not bouncing as you go down the road?

 

[dirtautoguy]

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I looked at it closer last night. It is leaking on the upper side of the yellow circle. And runs down the inside of the radiator where the tank meets the core. It does not leak until the thermostat opens and then the hotter it gets the more it leaks which makes sense.

Im fairly certain there isn’t excess pressure. The temps don’t ever get over 210. The radiators been in there a while but the coolant isn’t that old. It’s been drained or partially replaced since then for other projects. And I’m pretty sure I don’t have a head gasket issue anything else that could cause excess pressure?

It’s all supported by stock mounts and supports.

Iv heard of electrolysis though I didn’t know how to check it. I’ll check that out tonight. Unfortunately we are currently down to 2 vehicles and we need them both to commute. I feel much better about getting it welded if possible than slapping epoxy on it.