repairing aluminum radiator

phat46 · March 17, 2004, 04:57:54 PM

This may have been covered before but I can't find anything in the search feature.
I bought a new aluminum rad last week for my truck project, and managed to put a hole in it before I got it installed. does anyone have any good DYI fixes? It's about an hour drive back to wherei had it made, so if it can be fixed here I'd like to try it myself. This has not been a good week...

Bruce Dorsi · March 17, 2004, 07:37:45 PM

Personally, I would choose to spend my time in transit.

If you attempt repairs, and later have a problem with their product, they may deny any accountability since the radiator has been "butchered."

If you have them repair it to their satisfaction, they should stand behind their workmanship in the future.

......Just MY thoughts.

unklian · March 17, 2004, 08:11:37 PM

Repairability is the one big plus for a Copper rad.
I would hesitate to run a custom Aluminum rad
on the street for this reason.
Just my $.02

Sean · March 17, 2004, 09:22:58 PM

Where's the hole? If its in one of the tanks, it should be pretty easy to weld up. If its in one of the tubes, I'd take it back to the people that made it.

phat46 · March 17, 2004, 09:57:38 PM

Quote from: "Bruce Dorsi"Personally, I would choose to spend my time in transit.

If you attempt repairs, and later have a problem with their product, they may deny any accountability since the radiator has been "butchered."

If you have them repair it to their satisfaction, they should stand behind their workmanship in the future.

......Just MY thoughts.

Good thought, they gave me a two year warrentee (?) on it, at $450 I don't want to buy it again. The hole is in a tube, my fault, I let a piece of square tubing that was propping the hood to the proper height fall against it. Ya gotta pay for your own education in the School of Hard Knocks I guess.
The thing is a work of art as far as I'm concerned, good for 700 horse power, that gives me a margin of 300!

rooster · November 04, 2004, 07:54:16 AM

Was wondering how it worked out on getting the small hole repaired! My son crashed his s10 and has a simular small hole leak. We have tryed Aluminua seal but didnt work very long! I was thinking epoxy (JB Weld)! Really dont want to replace with a new one at $150. :?:

34ford · November 04, 2004, 09:17:51 AM

Quote from: "rooster"Was wondering how it worked out on getting the small hole repaired! My son crashed his s10 and has a simular small hole leak. We have tryed Aluminua seal but didnt work very long! I was thinking epoxy (JB Weld)! Really dont want to replace with a new one at $150. :?:

Rooster,

Fixed the power steering cooler on my daughters car. It's a foreign and has a small 6 x 8 aluminum cooler for the power steering pump and it had a good size crack where the tube went into the cooler. Roughed up the area around it and applied some Goop Super Weld Epoxy to it. Says it's good up to 250 degrees. Here's the site http://eclecticproducts.com/goop/ep_questions.asp Been on there for 4 years now and no problem. Have also fixed stuff with JB Weld too.

bob

purplepickup · November 04, 2004, 10:16:48 AM

Quote from: "phat46"The hole is in a tube, my fault, I let a piece of square tubing that was propping the hood to the proper height fall against it.

I'm always doing things like that too. :? If I'm working near a radiator or fitting one up I tape cardboard to both sides to protect the core. I also tape around screws where a screwdriver is likely to slip and screw something up. The first week I had my Harley a wrench slipped and put a deep gouge in the tank. :cry: It's funny that after a few of those goofs, I don't even get very mad anymore. It's just one of those things to watch out for next time.
......That is if I do it. If someone else messes up my stuff I'm a little less tolerant :evil:

alchevy · November 04, 2004, 12:25:33 PM

Duct tape, cardboard, a sharpie, and don't forget wd40...things that will save you a lot of $$ if used in cases like this. Other than radiators, good to cover that big hole in intake manifolds while building a car. So which came first, the auto or duct tape?

No, before you ask, I have not dropped anything in the intake manifold...because someone told me before hand to cover it!
AL

kb426 · November 04, 2004, 05:25:34 PM

Tig weld only. You need a welder with the real small tungsten, 2% not pure, and a welder that goes done to almost nothing in amps. 4043 bare rod, 1/16 or smaller. The welder needs exp. at real thin materials. Good luck.

phat46 · November 04, 2004, 09:52:06 PM

Quote from: "kb426"Tig weld only. You need a welder with the real small tungsten, 2% not pure, and a welder that goes done to almost nothing in amps. 4043 bare rod, 1/16 or smaller. The welder needs exp. at real thin materials. Good luck.

I got mine repaired at a local welding shop, took the guy about one minute, cost $10...

HOTRODSRJ · November 05, 2004, 06:13:29 AM

Quote from: "phat46"
Quote from: "kb426"Tig weld only. You need a welder with the real small tungsten, 2% not pure, and a welder that goes done to almost nothing in amps. 4043 bare rod, 1/16 or smaller. The welder needs exp. at real thin materials. Good luck.

I got mine repaired at a local welding shop, took the guy about one minute, cost $10...

With just about every OEM radiator these days being aluminum....local shops are just as equipped to handle aluminum as they are copper.

According to Ford Motor Company, in a white paper written on the use or conversion to all aluminum cooling (offered by SEMA) and I am paraphrasing here.... aluminum radiators are significantly lighter, on average 38% more efficient for same frontal areas (actually allowing for smaller radiators, and stronger... less prone to frontal impact damages from direct or indirect objects. They also make the statement that "most" radiator shops are equipped to handle any repair issues.This basically states why they use them.

The only downside of aluminum, if any is make sure that the coolant is the new G05 silicate free/HOAT stuff and use only distilled water. Many coolant companies are offering a 50/50 concoction right out of the bottle that is perfect!

rooster · November 14, 2004, 12:54:19 PM

I did JB weld on sons s10 rad. Opened the tube a bit , them sand blasted to clean well, then fill with JB, squeezed together. Its on the road now, let you know if it fails. Might be a good thing to have in the road survival kit.

Bob Paulin · November 14, 2004, 03:34:54 PM

An article in a recent edition of Stock Car Magazine tells of damming up the area around the injury, mixing some JB Weld with some denatured alcohol, and pouring the fix.

B.P.