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Best method for sealing a small radiator leak

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Devin, Dec 4, 2012.

  1. Devin
    Joined: Dec 28, 2004
    Posts: 2,369

    Devin
    Member
    from Napa, CA

    Like the title says.. I just installed and filled my old, new radiator and discovered a very small leak in the core. Any advice here is appreciated.
     
  2. I have used black pepper in my daily driver to stop pinhole leaks and it lasted months. A stop leak product is an option. If it is copper core and you want a lasting result clean the area where it is leaking and use a plumbers silver solder. Use either Oxy-Acetylene or Propane. No flux needed.
     
  3. MTABike
    Joined: Dec 20, 2007
    Posts: 13

    MTABike

    We fixed a radiator with jb weld at the bend in the road in 2010 as a temporary fix to get home. Radiator is still not leaking on a DD 63 ford
     
  4. Devin
    Joined: Dec 28, 2004
    Posts: 2,369

    Devin
    Member
    from Napa, CA

    Thanks. It's an aluminum radiator if that makes a difference
     

  5. Soldering isn't an option then, try the JB weld like MTABike has suggested.
     
  6. Old Roadster
    Joined: Jul 2, 2006
    Posts: 611

    Old Roadster
    Member

    Barrs (not sure of spelling) stop leak worked for me. Also black pepper like Jimmy B says.
     
  7. robber
    Joined: Nov 25, 2011
    Posts: 1,998

    robber
    Member

    Alumiseal;) ...robber
     
  8. Diavolo
    Joined: Apr 1, 2009
    Posts: 824

    Diavolo
    Member

    Just as a thought...

    I used bars leak on a radiator in ~1989. It promptly stopped the water from leaking thru the cooling tubes. When I pulled the radiator and took it to a repair shop, he pulled the top tank and showed me where it solidified and sealed the tubes where the water was supposed to go.

    He chuckled and said "that stuff is the best thing for my business." $150 later and I was on the road.

    I would probably try JB Weld until I could get it repaired by a competent shop.

    FYI, I googled clogged radiator stop leak and got these pics.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    If you can't afford to do it right, you will find you won't be able to afford to do it twice.
     
  9. 5brown1
    Joined: Apr 13, 2008
    Posts: 234

    5brown1
    Member

    Justice Brothers make a stop leak which they say can be flushed from the system.
    It works well. They have a utube video showing a demonstration of the product sealing a leak and then being flushed from the leaking vessel allowing it to leak again.
     
  10. Gregg Pellicer
    Joined: Aug 20, 2004
    Posts: 1,347

    Gregg Pellicer
    Member

    If it is in the core you can mix up some epoxy and pour it on the tube. You have to put tape on one side of core , lay the radiator flat and pour the epoxy in the spot with the leak. The surrounding fin's and tubes along with the tape form's a container for the epoxy.
    Gregg
     
  11. Dave B.
    Joined: Oct 1, 2009
    Posts: 225

    Dave B.
    Member

    Subaru had tons of problems with leaky head gaskets a few years ago. They began marketing their own brand of stop-leak to effect a semi-permanent solution to the problem (the REAL solution is to install the 2nd gen head gaskets...). As far as I know, ALL Subaru dealers stock this stuff. It's cheap (usually around $2 a bottle), works great and - as far as I can tell - doesn't clog up the radiator or heater core.

    I've been using it for several years without any noticeable problems.
     
  12. Black pepper will get you home and it doesn't care what the radiator is made from, if you want a more permanant repair without welding of soldering you Barrs Stopleak makes a stop leak now just for aluminum radiators. You can also solder it they make a solder and flux for aluminum I have used it on aluminum evaporator cores. I don't recall what it is called but you may find it at an Ace hardware store or a refirgeration supply house.
     
  13. txturbo
    Joined: Oct 23, 2009
    Posts: 1,771

    txturbo
    Member

    If you want to do it "old school".....find a twig...strip the bark and wedge it in the hole. The water will make it swell and seal the hole and it looks vintage....LOL
     
  14. Jimbo17
    Joined: Aug 19, 2008
    Posts: 3,959

    Jimbo17
    Member

    I have seen many things used over the years from pepper to oatmeal.

    No Joke the oatmeal was used in a pinch and it worked just fine.

    Jimbo
     
  15. slickrat54
    Joined: Jan 10, 2008
    Posts: 19

    slickrat54
    Member

    I have used pepper many times and hava had success. From metal radiators to all aluminum radiators. Has not failed me or messed with the cooling system.
     
  16. gdub
    Joined: Sep 16, 2004
    Posts: 202

    gdub
    Member

    My old farmer neighbor used Bull Durham tobacco.
     
  17. Ripper-
    Joined: Nov 19, 2012
    Posts: 15

    Ripper-
    Member
    from Texas

    Have used the Bar's "liquid aluminum" several times with great success on aluminum
    radiator's. Last one was in my 56 Ford. Had a pinhole leak and the bad part
    was this radiator was built with a custom top tank. No way to repair
    or replace easily. Never had an issue with stopping up the rad or heater core.
     
  18. Bigchuck
    Joined: Oct 23, 2007
    Posts: 1,159

    Bigchuck
    Member
    from Austin, TX

    Take it out and find somsone to repair it! Stop leak is a horrible thing to put in your car, and a good way to fuck it up. (See post #8). Stop leak doesn't know the difference between a leak and a small water passage into a cylinder head. So, it will plug the smallest "leak" then the next bigger and so on. I have seen head gasket cooling passages 100% blocked by that shit. You will never get all that crap out of the system. Now if you have a car you do not really care about and are stuck, with no other option, then go for it.
     
  19. Jimbo,

    Oatmeal doesn't work in a pressurized system. But that and cornmeal was a real common fix in Ts and As.
     
  20. slowmotion
    Joined: Nov 21, 2011
    Posts: 3,330

    slowmotion
    Member

    I got by temporarily with some good old BAZOOKA gum, quite some time ago. :D

    Couldn't afford that fancy stop leak stuff, it was damn near 2 Bucks!
     
  21. 68vette
    Joined: Jul 28, 2009
    Posts: 306

    68vette

    Big Chuck has the right way to fix it....
     
  22. What I do is slit the leaking tube open with a knife. Take a cotton ball and cram it a little at a time in both directions with a ice pick or small screwdriver. if theradiator is still in the car and your in a hurry chew up some of that pink bubble gum:eek: and press it firmly over the tube leave the radiator cap loose and drive until the bubble gum hardens, If the radiator is out mix JB weld and use it . The bubble gum or JB weld doesnt stop the leaking it just keeps the cotton from blowing out. You could also use Liquid nails glue instead of bubble gum or JB weld. Dont laugh at the bubble gum it will work. the only way you can remove it from a school desk after its cured is with a chisel. I had a old D7 bulldozer that had a pusher fan. We used it for burning timber. the fine sand and grit had over the years sandblasted the backside of the radiator. Shiny very pretty copper. Take that 400 lb radiator out lay it down and you could easily solder it. spend a day fixing it and a week later the solder was sandblasted away. One day a old man got some cotton from the cotton wood trees and showed me how to patch the leak in a few minutes. My son Chris came up with the bubble gum idea to hold the cotton in. It worked for me!:) OldWolf
     
  23. NickJT
    Joined: Jul 17, 2012
    Posts: 640

    NickJT
    Member
    from S.E. PA

    I've also had a couple bad experiences with that Barr's stuff so my only advice is to not use that. In one case it even assisted in trashing my water pump prematurely.
     
  24. S_Mazza
    Joined: Apr 27, 2011
    Posts: 363

    S_Mazza
    Member

    I think the horror stories about Bar's Leak are greatly exaggerated. Did you know that most new cars come with Bar's Leak already put in the cooling system, by the factory? And those carmakers have to honor warranties on all those vehicles.

    http://www.barsleaks.net/barsstory.html

    http://www.cadillacforum.com/forum/faq-46/gm-cadillac-coolant-supplement-2488/

    http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2182527

    I think you would have to drastically abuse the product to clog any critical part of your cooling system.
     
  25. I've used pepper to get me home, and I hear egg white is in the same league, but for a more permanent fix of course isolate and mark the hole, and have someone drop a gob of silver solder or Ali on it.
     
  26. adding a product to a old crusty contaminated radiator is a whole different story than a new clean system. And sometimes of folks dont follow directions. I had a Super A farmall tractor that would run hot. thinking the radiator was stopped up I put a known good radiator from a super C on it. It Still ran hot. So I tore it down. when i pulled the sleeves the block was completely clogged with lime. someone had been adding well water and the boiling caused the lime. OldWolf
     
    Nicholas Coe likes this.
  27. finn
    Joined: Jan 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,280

    finn
    Member

    I have to agree that, used with discretion, a commercial sealer will not hurt your system.

    I worked closely with Ford in the 80's and 90's. Every truck that ran down the assembly line got a handful of what we called Dog Turds dropped in the radiator to seal small leaks. I recall that the Louisville truck plant stole the idea from the Wixom Thunderbird plant, so it must have been a common practice.

    The Dog Turds were available through Ford parts and Service, and still may be.
     
  28. Devin
    Joined: Dec 28, 2004
    Posts: 2,369

    Devin
    Member
    from Napa, CA

    Thanks for the answers fellas. I was leery of the stop leak products being snake oil.
     
  29. 1971BB427
    Joined: Mar 6, 2010
    Posts: 8,717

    1971BB427
    Member
    from Oregon

    Don't use any stop leak inside the radiator. Remove the radiator and clean the area up, then lay it down and use either JB Weld or CRC 2 part epoxy putty. I put a brand new aluminum radiator in my OT Camaro, and didn't notice a sharp edge that I hit the core on while dropping it in. I did the CRC epoxy putty and pressed it into the cut. Let it sit overnight and then shot some high temp aluminum paint over to disguise the repair. It's been in there for over 10 years now, and still holding great!
     
  30. icsamerica
    Joined: May 23, 2012
    Posts: 62

    icsamerica
    Member

    Dont use any stop leak....remove and get it fixed right by someone who can weld alu.

    You can do it your self using propane torch with map gas and some aluminum brazing rod. You can find map gas and alu brazing rod at you local welding supply store, harbor freight and most big box home stores. If you've never done it before get a piece of sheet aluminum to practice on. Drill a hole in it, scuff the area, clean well, heat it up with the map gas torch and apply the aluminium rod when it flows. Map will take awhile but is ideal for a beginning brazer becuse will take a very long time to get hot enough to melt your radiator (700F) but will quickly get hot enough to melt the brazing rod (450F).
     

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