Subject: Radiator repair

From: [email-masked] (Bill Webster)
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 12:20:00 GMT

Well, it finally started to leak.  The rad in my diesel tractor started
to leak over the week-end.  There seems to be a small pinhole near the
top-middle of the core.  It's in the core (not in the top or side tanks).

If I attempt to fix the leak, should I use silver solder or is there a
special solder for this purpose?  And, how much heat can be applied?
I could use a small butane torch, a small propane torch tip, or a 800
degree
electric soldering iron.

My other alternative, is to try a rad additive called Bars Leak or 
Bards Leak (or something like that).  I've used it before in my car rad
and it did indeed work.  It didn't block the rad passages or the engine
coolant passages.  Just the pinhole leak.  It's added benefit is, it
also contains an oil to lubricate the water pump.  However, I don't know
if it's safe to use in a diesel engine.  Anybody know?

That's in advance for any suggestions.

regards,
Bill Webster ([email-masked])

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From: [email-masked] (Bill Kish)
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 14:09:07 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Bill Webster) writes:
... There seems to be a small pinhole near the
>I could use a small butane torch, a small propane torch tip, or a 800

 You should use 50/50 Acid core solder & a soldering gun. Make sure that 
the area of the pinhole is free of paint, oxide, etc, and apply some flux.
Heat up the tube until it is hot enough to melt the solder and deposit a 
small blob of solder over the pinhole, the solder should flow out and not 
look crystaline or be a be a round ball. You should do this with the 
radiator drained. Stay away from radiator cores with any kind of torch!
After you're done, clean off any flux residue....

>Bards Leak (or something like that).  

 I don't consider "barrs leaks" to be a real repair, it just plugs up small 
holes for a while... On the other hand, the rumor is that the US Navy keeps 
the stuff aboard nuclear subs in case of leaks!

			-BK

--

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From: [email-masked] (James Foster x2912)
Date: Tue, 27 Sep 1994 19:06:10 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Bill Webster) writes:
|> Well, it finally started to leak.  The rad in my diesel tractor started
|> to leak over the week-end.  There seems to be a small pinhole near the
|> top-middle of the core.  It's in the core (not in the top or side tanks).
|> 
|> If I attempt to fix the leak, should I use silver solder or is there a
|> special solder for this purpose?  And, how much heat can be applied?
|> I could use a small butane torch, a small propane torch tip, or a 800
|> degree
|> electric soldering iron.
|> 
|> My other alternative, is to try a rad additive called Bars Leak or 
|> Bards Leak (or something like that).  I've used it before in my car rad
|> and it did indeed work.  It didn't block the rad passages or the engine
|> coolant passages.  Just the pinhole leak.  It's added benefit is, it
|> also contains an oil to lubricate the water pump.  However, I don't know
|> if it's safe to use in a diesel engine.  Anybody know?
|> 
|> That's in advance for any suggestions.
|> 
|> regards,
|> Bill Webster ([email-masked])

Start out with the stop leak.  Note that there are a lot of 
different formulations out there, some designed for small 
leaks, some that will handle pretty good size holes. The latter are
probably more prone to clog small passages in your system.
If this doesn't work then you can try soldering the leak.  Use
a soft (60/40) solder and liquid flux.  Clean the area well beforhand.
Try to keep the heat localized and just build up a "blob" of solder
over the area.  It should, however, be well bonded to the base metal.
This will last a long time, in my limited experience.  The down side
is that if this hole is not the result of physical damage from a 
rock or somthing similar hitting the radiator, it is likely to be
comming from internal corrosion that will soon create more of the
little beggars.  Recoring isn't that expensive (at least for auto
radiators) so this would be your next step.  Good luck.

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From: [email-masked] (Terry Mayhugh)
Date: 27 Sep 1994 21:56:31 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (James Foster
x2912) wrote:

> The down side

The last poster is correct about the corrosion. It is common practice in
this situation to just cut the bad tube out and then pinch off and solder
the two ends shut. The loss in cooling capacity is negligible.

---

From: [email-masked] (Barry Workman)
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 1994 23:13:56 GMT

>I could use a small butane torch, a small propane torch tip, or a 800

I used to own an MGA.  Parts for it were very expensive especially
for a college student.  When the radiator gave out, we recored it in
the auto shop.  All of the soldering was done with no core tin/lead
solder and an oxy/acc torch.  The shell was brass and easily took the
soldering.

>if it's safe to use in a diesel engine.  Anybody know?

I have used Barrs Leak.  It seemed to hold for a while but the problem
was a sludge-like build-up in the engine cooling system.  We ended up
having to go in and rod out a lot of it from the block where it was forming
blockages.

-- 
    - Barry Workman