Pin hole leak in ATF Cooler (URGENT)
 

I have a pinhole leak where the nipple comes out of the ATF cooler on the bottom of the radiator. How can this be fixed? The shop I took it to said they couldn't do anything but replace the radiator. They said I could call a welding shop which told me they won't do it unless it is out of the vehicle. Anyone got any suggestions???? HELP PLEASE!!!

1988 4runner SR5 3.0 Auto

sounds liek you answered your own question... you need t oremove it either way, to fix it or replace it

if those are my only options then yes, i have answered my own question. Merely polling those in the know to inquire as to other possible solutions that would be less costly. Evidently what you are indicating is those are my only two options.

does it leak all the time? might want to let the truck cool off and toss some jb weld on it

hmmm...if it was metal, i thought mine was plastic with a metal fitting.....but if it was a metal on metal I would drain it, rig up a way to slowely purge nitrogen through it (piece of plastic tube and a nitrogen bottle with regulator, would take 2 minutes) and braze it shut...the nitrogen will keep any oxidation from building up on the inside the cooler....hmm most HVAC guys, shops, welding places and you even be able to rent the stuff.....if you dont want to do it yourself, a welding shop should be able to take care of it.....

thanks for the ideas guys.

I just got back from the welding shop and here is what they told me.

$65 to remove and re-install the radiator
$40 to silver solder the leak.

So i'm out around $100 and w/out my vehicle for the day (monday)

Yes it is a metal radiator (CFS). Guy told me they are POS, but i wouldn't know the difference.

I did think about some JB weld, you think it would hold? Temporarily is what my thought was so unless someone can convince me otherwise I'll go ahead and plunk down the $100 or so bucks.

Radiator has lifetime warranty however the vehicle has to be returned to distributor who is 5 hours away from where i am now.

Manufacturer will not pay for repairs just for replacement radiator, so i struck out there.

sigh

Take the radiator out yourself and save $65. It's easy to do.
1) Drain and disconnect the coolant hoses.
2) Disconnect the transmission cooler lines.
3) Unscrew the fan shroud and push it toward the engine to give you room to slide out the radiator.
4) Unscrew the four bolts (12 mm I think) in the four corners of the radiator.
5) Slide it out.

Shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to remove.

not to sound like a moron...but since I am one when it comes to working on cars I will ask anyways.

Is the cooler we are talking about actually part of the radiator or a separate part altogether.

There are 2 hoses that run into the cooler that attach to two nipples. I can't really tell if this is separate from the radiator or if is part of the bottom of the radiator.

Can't seem to find it in my repair manual.

thanks again.

btw i think you are right in that I could probably get this out on my own. But if I mess it up and can't i'm screwed, and I'm about as sharp as a bowling ball when it comes to working on cars...I can't even find the dipstick for the ATF fluid for crying out loud!!!!!!!

not sure how much a new radiator is, but i got a new one for my truck for $105......

there connected....although I dont know the internal working and the way its routed there is a seperate compartment in the bottom of the radiator for ATF fluid to flow and cool....

Yeup... I would JB Weld it for now.

Clean the area off REAL good with some degreaser (brake cleaner will work), give it a light sanding to get rid of any paint, rinse off the sanding leftovers, dry, apply a ring of JB Weld. It's plenty strong and rated to 600 degrees.

tried that this morning...actually not JB weld but some other product that they recommended at the auto parts store... will let you know how it holds up.

Thanks all.

[QUOTE=gohawks.

Is the cooler we are talking about actually part of the radiator or a separate part altogether.

There are 2 hoses that run into the cooler that attach to two nipples. I can't really tell if this is separate from the radiator or if is part of the bottom of the radiator.

[/QUOTE]

The transmission cooler is an intergral part of the radiator. The two nipples connect to a small tube inside the radiator tank. Trans fluid is pumped through the tube to cool it using the engine coolant, and then returned to the trans.

You can get a new radiator/cooler for about $130 here: http://www.radiator.com/

You could also get a aftermarket cooler for about $60-80, like this one: http://community.webshots.com/photo/...71697751rirBUC

I'm using both.

Well I tried some of that "stick" steel epoxy. You knead it to mix the compound then stick it around your leak. It was supposed to harden in 5 minutes. Mine never did completely harden. It was like old chewing gum. It did limit the already slow leak but I wasn't satisfied so I chipped it off and cleaned and sanded the area again and am in the process of trying JB Weld.

It has been curing for the past 15 hours and i'm gonna give it a try at lunch. Hopefully it will get me by for awhile. I decided against having the welding shop sliver solder in for $45. I worry it will leak eventually too so I might as well replace it. I guess I plan on putting a new radiator in myself this summer when I have more time if I can wait.

What are the thoughts on OEM radiator versus a remanufactured one? Radiator.com quoted me $145 w/no shipping charge on OEM. Pretty funny talking to those people on the phone. The price keeps getting lower the longer you stay on the phone with them. I think you could still get an OEM one cheaper possibly?

Well have you priced an OEM radiator? They are about $600, so that pretty much rules that out. Plus I know the OEM radiator only lasted me 10 years before it started leaking. The Radiator.com has a lifetime warranty too. They lowered their price everytime I called too, I finally took it when they got down to $130, free shipping and lifetime warranty. I have been very pleased with their service and I have bought radiators for my Toyota, BMW, and a Honda.

On the "JB WELD" type fixes you might want to disconnect the hoses and route them through a pipe to join them again that way there is no pressure and no fluid at the pin hole you are trying to plug. I used JB weld on a alum trannine pan for a Skyline GTR over here..that was more than two years ago and it is still holding today.....even after seeing the tracks more than once....the owner really drives it hard......the JB fix could last a long time...