Hey guys,

I went wheeling with some buddies this past Friday, and when I drove my rig to a friends house on Saturday morning, I got out and noticed some coolant dripping on the ground. I washed everything off, and came back later to see what I could find. Everything was dry, so I drove home, and checked it out when I got home - there was a little bit of antifreeze at the top of my radiator. Well, I think I have figured out where my radiator is leaking, and as I originally thought, it seems to be coming from that front seam (right where the foam contacts the radiator). I got an engine bay picture from Corey's site and circled the area that it seems to be leaking from (I hope you don't mind Corey). What would you think about putting some high-temp epoxy (or something of that sort) along the length of the seam to see if that helps seal wherever it is leaking from. It is a slow leak, but a leak nonetheless.

Here is a link to the picture:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...91537839dRszTu


I will eventually get a new radiator, but I am up at school right now, and don't have my tools, or the work area, in which to install a new radiator. I was hoping to avoid getting radiator stop-leak or anything like that...I'm not sure I trust that stuff. So, do you guys have any ideas or tips? I look forward to hearing back from y'all. Thanks again for the help and info.

CTB

 

bump to help my leaking junk

 

Well, my dad swears by that metal particulate crap that you put in the coolant, but somehow the idea doesn't appeal to me. I know that you can do AMAZING things with JB Weld or epoxy, but it always depends on where you can position it. Here, it would be better to apply it on the inside of the radiator, a rather tough proposition. I don't see how it could hurt to try. Just be sure to clean really well before you apply the stuff, or it won't stick right and try to force a little through the crack into the inside, so it stays put better under pressure. There's also some metal alloy that you can "weld" (actually braze) with a propane torch, and I've seen people do amazing fixes with that stuff, even putting together bike frames. Just search on google for it (PROPANE TORCH WELDING). Make sure the metal type matches that of your radiator. They have special alloys for using with ferrous or non-ferrous metals. Hope it works out for you!

 

I JB Welded a small pinhole leak on my radiator and it has been holding for nearly 2 years now.

 

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies. I was actually thinking about using some JB Weld on it first, and if that didn't work, try some of the radiator stop-leak. I will eventually be getting a new radiator, but like I said, I want to install it myself, and can't do that until I go home sometime.

Thanks again for the tips guys. Anyone else have any ideas for me?

CTB

 

Hey Arnold and others,

Just wanted to let you know that I JB Welded the area that I seemed to be leaking coolant from, and so far, no notice of any leak.

I will keep a close eye on it, but I just wanted to say thanks a ton for the idea and the tips y'all gave me. Take care fellas-

CTB

P.S. - Thanks a lot for your help as well Robinhood!

 

CTB,

Glad to hear that the JB Weld has worked so far. I have the exact same leak on my '92 and I have been living with the slow leak for about 2 years now. FYI, I got a quote from a radiator shop to fix the leak and it was around $200 to resolder the top of the radiator where it is leaking.

Bill

 

Damn, you could buy a whole new radiator and put it in for that price. Steve (aka Robinhood) turned me onto these places: radiatorbarn.com and radiator.com

They both were about $130 for a direct replacement radiator.

That is weird you have the exact same leak as me - I have never seen one is this spot before. You should try some JB Weld on it like I did. Really easy to work with, and a $4 fix is much better than a $200 fix!

I'll cross my fingers, but it looks promising so far!
Good luck-

CTB

 

Hey, sorry I didn't respond to your last PM/email. I was just going to suggest JB weld. Sounds like you fixed it, for a while at least.

 

Ya Steve, no problem. I will be keeping a close eye on it for sure. That JB Weld is some pretty cool stuff...I had never used it before, but it seems like a sweet product. Anyway, thanks again for your help and info.

 

Can I joing your leaky radiator club? I've noticed a couple of pinhole leaks on the top of my radiator... Looks like I'll add "JB Weld Radiator" to the list of to-do's this weekend. I'm glad it's working for you, I hope I'm as lucky. I'll be towing a trailer next week and I don't want any problems.

 

JB Weld away but don't use that particulate crap in your radiator. If the passages are narrowed with scale and buildup you'll block off the whole radiator.

 

Ya, I've always been a little skeptical of that stuff myself. My rig made an hour drive with no signs of any leaks on Friday, so hopefully my problem is solved. It is at the body shop right now, so when I get it back later this week I will be able to do some more investigating.

 

I had the same problem. Only all the seams (most of them, anyway) on my radiator failed. It basically just split open everywhere. I've never seen anything like.

Stephen

 

i used the jbweld method .. but the coolant is still coming through!!! Right in the center of the weld... "sweating" through.

any suggestions?

 

Try some Barr's Radiator stop-leak....or just put a new radiator in!

 

luckily, this isn't my truck that has the leaky radiator; it's the 1982 cressida that i'm trying to sell.. so i guess the stop leak stuff is a quick temp fix...

how does it go through the jb weld though....????

 

Beats me...I had a little bit eventually leak around the JB Weld too. I guess the best way to patch/block it is from the inside...hence the Radiator Stop-leak stuff. I wasn't crazy about using it, and plan on putting a new radiator in probably over the Christmas break. I just can't do it right now as I'm up at school with nowhere to really work on it.

 

Yep. It'll clog the heater core too.

 

CTB,

Have you decided where you are going to buy your new radiator? Earlier in this thread you mentioned radiatorbarn.com and radiator.com. as possible sources. I need to purchase one also and was wondering if you have any pros/cons about either place.