Radiator repair

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Radiator repair

BlueShift

1692 posts

Uber Geek

#171023 2-Apr-2015 10:57

My car has developed a hairline crack in the top of the radiator, once its warmed up, coolant leaks out and gives of a small, but disconcerting, waft of steam from under the bonnet.
I've found a pile of info online, the majority of which says "don't use radiator stop-leak", but also says an epoxy sealant can do the trick.
I priced a replacement (new) radiator at just under $300 to my doorstep, fitting it shouldn't be beyond my meager mechanical skills. But if I can fix it with $20 tube of gunk, that will please my bank balance hugely.

Has anyone here carried out a repair like this themselves? Would you recommend it?
The crack is in the plasticky top section of the radiator, so I'd need to make sure I get the right epoxy for the job - the one recommended online doesn't seem to be available in NZ, but I can see a couple that look similar on the SuperCheap website. (Why don't Repco have their stock online? Its like they don't want my business!).

BlakJak

1275 posts

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#1275965 2-Apr-2015 11:04

Radiators get very hot and operate at pressure. I wouldn't compromise.

The top-tank can usually be replaced (I believe) if the core is OK. Had a failure similar to this several years ago and paid in the order of $300 for a repair that stood the test of time (at least until I sold that particular vehicle).

No signature to see here, move along...

BTR

1527 posts

Uber Geek

#1276079 2-Apr-2015 13:25

Don't use stop leak, I tried this to get my car home from work and it blocked the radiator and not the leak. With the leak fixed I still have to have the radiator flushed and possibly replaced.

Replacing a top tank provided that radiator is easy to get out shouldn't be to expensive.

Jase2985

13457 posts

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#1276236 2-Apr-2015 16:33

where did you price the radiator up from?

TonyR1973

199 posts

Master Geek

#1277116 4-Apr-2015 13:32

Just have the plastic tank replaced. They crack from the thermal cycling near the inlet port.

bonkiebonks

389 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1277122 4-Apr-2015 13:53

I just had mine replaced a week ago, and was told by AA that the cause of the crack could be due to a faulty thermostat, so they recommended that I replaced that too.

You might want to find out what had caused the crack first.

richms

28168 posts

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#1277129 4-Apr-2015 14:09

I got quite some time out of mine that had cracked by sanding it and epoxying a small piece of fiberglass over where the crack was. Probably about 6 months. In the end it cracked at the other end so I got a used radiator off tradme that lasted till I got rid of the car. No idea how long my bodge repair would have lasted, but when it had the leak I basically couldnt run the car without it moving as the hopeless fan wasnt enough to stop it getting pressure and blasting steam out.

Richard rich.ms

jpoc

1043 posts

Uber Geek

#1277356 5-Apr-2015 09:44

One year ago, my mechanic pointed out just such a crack in the rad on my Celica.

I tried the epoxy fix. I got a kit from Supercheap - it was described as being for just that type of repair.

I cleaned and sanded the area around the crack, thoroughly mixed the epoxy and hardener, applied it to the rad and gave it the recommended time to cure. It lasted a couple of days before the pressure inside lifted the epoxy from the plastic.

A replacement radiator cost me $80. My mechanic is pretty cool about sourcing parts at keen prices.

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richms

28168 posts

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#1277452 5-Apr-2015 13:23

What did you clean the area with? I see so many people with problems with adhesives and even just stick on command hooks that use household cleaning products to "clean" things before sticking them. I tend to find that even the crappy chinese double sided tape on LED strips works ok so long as the surface is truely cleaned with something like isopropal alcohol or even meths to remove all traces of greases, oils, waxes, etc.

Richard rich.ms

jpoc

1043 posts

Uber Geek

#1277519 5-Apr-2015 15:56

richms: What did you clean the area with? I see so many people with problems with adhesives and even just stick on command hooks that use household cleaning products to "clean" things before sticking them. I tend to find that even the crappy chinese double sided tape on LED strips works ok so long as the surface is truely cleaned with something like isopropal alcohol or even meths to remove all traces of greases, oils, waxes, etc.

I used an isopropyl alcohol based wipe after I sanded the surface.

toyonut

1508 posts

Uber Geek

#1277532 5-Apr-2015 16:52

What is the car? If you are not sure about spending $300 on a pretty critical component, then next best is to get one from a wrecker. They come with a guarantee of a couple of months normally and depending on the car are fairly easy to replace. Don't waste time on the radiator fixes. I would think of them more along the lines of a jerry rig to get a vehicle home, not a way to do a long term repair.

Try Vultr using this link and get us both some credit:

http://www.vultr.com/?ref=7033587-3B

TonyR1973

199 posts

Master Geek

#1277645 5-Apr-2015 21:35

paulmilbank: What is the car? If you are not sure about spending $300 on a pretty critical component, then next best is to get one from a wrecker. They come with a guarantee of a couple of months normally and depending on the car are fairly easy to replace. Don't waste time on the radiator fixes. I would think of them more along the lines of a jerry rig to get a vehicle home, not a way to do a long term repair.

Yes, you should never skimp on the cooling system. It's essential to the health of the engine for it to be working correctly and that includes regular coolant changes to retain corrosion inhibitor function. Temperature sensors for coolant do not read the temperature of air or steam well, so the first warning you may get could be too late.