2606 Radiator leaks

[Tom in Mo.]

In my radiator experience, it seems once a tube starts leaking then it's almost certain the rest of the core will leak soon. They get little pinholes all over them eventually. over 50-70 years they dissolve from the inside out probably from wet heating/cooling cycles and vibration.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Thanks guys. Here's Chapter Three of the saga. Put water in it this morning and found another nicked tube at the top tank and leaking at the bottom. Figured out that when removing fins the little short portion of the fin that is on the top edge of the tube can be stuck to it and open up a pin hole. Even though I've been told the radiator is done, I checked around and found a radiator shop in Wichita and took it down there. (Wish I would have done that at the start.) Showed him the place in the middle and he said he could have fixed those holes for a 100 bux by cleaning the area with muratic acid, tinning it with solder and flux, and then solder up the tubes with a low heat soldering iron. I showed him my plan B option of cutting the tubes at the core and trying to solder them. He said if I would have brought it in that way he would have tinned the whole area around the top of the core and then soldered the tubes shut for 200 bux. Told him about the JB weld I put on and he said that will eventually fall out and there is something in the weld even if chipped out such that he has never been able to clean that stuff off of the core plate good enough to be able to tin the core plate so it can then be soldered. Because of the JB weld my only option now is to recore it and that would run me 800 to 900 bux for one that size. Not quite ready to spend that much yet and he referred me to the tractor salvage north of town as he cleans and pressure tests all radiators they sell.

Then I go up to the tractor salvage and apparently there were only about 200 of these 2606s made but he said they all started from the IH 460 Utility tractor and subsequent utility tractors. We checked the shelves and drove around the yard but he didn't have a 460 utility radiator which he said would work with a little modification. Asked him what one would go for and he mentioned about 250 after he pays the radiator shop 100 to check it out.

So I've learned that I should have taken it a shop to begin with, not to use JB weld, how the radiator shop does their repairs, and he showed me one that he had soldered a couple tubes in the middle. With expanded options now for buying a replacement radiator I will check around on the web for a while to find one. Probably have to use different hoses as most options don't have that angled outlet at the bottom and might have to make some brackets. In the meantime I have nothing to lose by chipping out the JB weld and seeing if I can do any better cleaning, tinning, and soldering. Will follow up when there is something to report. I would just be using the backhoe around the farm at the pond and other places and probably wouldn't put more than 100 hours a year on it so it won't see any heavy use. Thanks.

IH made 1000's of 606's which should also work.

 

[DoubleO7]

Mine has 4 tubes that were so tore up the PO cut them off at the upper and lower tanks and soldered them shut at the tanks. They don't leak.

I always cut the tube at the tanks, heat the stubs of tube while pulling it out of the tank.
Then clean the hole in the tank and solder it shut.
Just leave the now empty tube(s) as is.

 

[chris142]

20 years at a radiator shop here As mentioned you àre chasing your tail with that rotten core. But if you want to keep messing with it you must clean the aeea as solder wont stick to dirt. You also need the correct solder and flux.

Leaving the cap loose might buy you some time

 

[bc]

Been looking around for another one. Found this aluminum one shown on Amazing that is real close for 192 bux. Will try to post a link. Outlet tube is smaller at 1.5" instead of 2" but that is it I think. I haven't ordered it yet.

I spent a couple hours today drilling and chipping away all the JB weld I put on the old one. Found the soldering iron tip for my plumbers torch and some resin core solder so I will still play around with it. First have to try to clean everything up with muratic acid which may be a lost cause. Then try to tin everything before soldering solid. Most likely I will find out what the scrap yard will give for it.

Scitoo 377090R92 Radiator

 

[Fritz Maurer]

You actually want acid core for that.

 

[stevieb49829]

Been looking around for another one. Found this aluminum one shown on Amazing that is real close for 192 bux. Will try to post a link. Outlet tube is smaller at 1.5" instead of 2" but that is it I think. I haven't ordered it yet.

I spent a couple hours today drilling and chipping away all the JB weld I put on the old one. Found the soldering iron tip for my plumbers torch and some resin core solder so I will still play around with it. First have to try to clean everything up with muratic acid which may be a lost cause. Then try to tin everything before soldering solid. Most likely I will find out what the scrap yard will give for it.

Scitoo 377090R92 Radiator

That one sure looks a lot like yours.
I had some old solid core plumbers solder that worked good for me, BUT it was oxidized badly on the outside. I used scotchbrite to completely shine it up, and a good soldering paste, on both the radiator and the stick of solder. What you show in your picture is not clean enough. You have to have it all as shiny new brass, and/or shiny solder. Any streaks of corrosion in your cleaning will reject your solder. Use a small screwdriver or a piece of heavy wire, heat it up to red hot and bend the end over into a hook. Then file the hook sharp and flat like a small, hooked chisel. That will allow to scrape all the corrosion off, down to bare brass, one small area at a time.

 

[bc]

That one sure looks a lot like yours.
I had some old solid core plumbers solder that worked good for me, BUT it was oxidized badly on the outside. I used scotchbrite to completely shine it up, and a good soldering paste, on both the radiator and the stick of solder. What you show in your picture is not clean enough. You have to have it all as shiny new brass, and/or shiny solder. Any streaks of corrosion in your cleaning will reject your solder. Use a small screwdriver or a piece of heavy wire, heat it up to red hot and bend the end over into a hook. Then file the hook sharp and flat like a small, hooked chisel. That will allow to scrape all the corrosion off, down to bare brass, one small area at a time.

Probably try this weekend. One I ordered says Friday delivery but Fed ex says Tuesday so who knows. I stopped by the radiator shop again and told them I was going to try to fix it myself after buying some muratic acid. He said I just need a little acid and a wire brush. Then they tin the area and solder it using Johnson's D-5 flux and the soft silver solder always using low heat. I have the solder but the flux is regular plumber flux. I need to find a small pointed wire brush that fits a drill.

Tried yesterday to clean up the old solder with the soldering iron tip that attaches to a propane torch but it was slow and kept falling off. So I also need a better soldering iron.

Assuming I can't fix it, I will call the local scrap dealer to see if I need to remove the core to get the best price for copper. Thanks

 

[stevieb49829]

Probably try this weekend. One I ordered says Friday delivery but Fed ex says Tuesday so who knows. I stopped by the radiator shop again and told them I was going to try to fix it myself after buying some muratic acid. He said I just need a little acid and a wire brush. Then they tin the area and solder it using Johnson's D-5 flux and the soft silver solder always using low heat. I have the solder but the flux is regular plumber flux. I need to find a small pointed wire brush that fits a drill.

Tried yesterday to clean up the old solder with the soldering iron tip that attaches to a propane torch but it was slow and kept falling off. So I also need a better soldering iron.

Assuming I can't fix it, I will call the local scrap dealer to see if I need to remove the core to get the best price for copper. Thanks

I'm pretty sure all you need to remove is any steel or cast iron from the copper and brass. I had one that had soldered-on cast iron fittings and they docked me for those. steve

 

[bc]

Uncle. I give up. Tried to clean it up again and kept nicking tubes. Just didn't have the right equipment. Needed a long, narrow brush and would have needed to buy a better soldering iron. New one comes in tomorrow, I hope. After seeing their tank, I had asked them at the radiator shop if they could boil it out for me and was advised that was just a test tank and the EPA had shut down the radiator shops from boiling them out years ago cause of all the metal and stuff that has ended up where it shouldn't be.

As an aside, as I sat here and typed this, I felt my first tick of the year in my hair above the neck.

 

[bc]

Got my new $209 chinese made radiator installed today. It sold as a replacement for a IH Farmall 504 gas or diesel with an IH number 377090R92. The junk dealer had said a 460 utility or 560 or 660 would also fit and Barnyard says a 606 would fit too. It fit right in and the fan shroud bolted right up. It had welded nuts on the inside so the front guard and rear guard bolted right up. It had brackets so the oil cooler line clamp bracket bolted right up. The oil cooler on the original one seemed to have offset screws holding it and I ended up setting it on the bottom shroud bolts with washers holding it tite and make a couple 2" brackets to hand down from the top shroud bolts to hold it in place.

The only issue was the bottom 1.5" outlet that stuck straight out and my old radiator had a cast iron 2" outlet that angled up and out. After trips to 2 different parts stores in 2 different towns I ended up with a 1.5" Z shaped hose, a 1.5" connector, and a 1.5 to 2" adapter. Took a bunch of cutting and fitting but finally got something that I hope works. It is a tight fit. Pics below.

The only question I have on the radiator is where the rear bracket is close to the water pump support bolts where the top hose goes on. Looks like something must have been there but I don't know what. The radiator bracket only has one hole that is offset so it doesn't screw on to the bolt on the water pump. Is there supposed to be something else there?

So I filled it up with water and got it all ready to start and nothing happened. I could short across the solenoid barely. Began checking wiring and voltage. It sat outside for a few years with the tank removed so the dash was propped up exposed to the weather. Got to buy a bunch of wire ends to recrimp on the wires after cutting back to good copper. I had voltage to the key switch but nothing coming from the other two terminals no matter where the key was turned so I need one of them. Tested the rusty looking starter push button for continuity and there was no change in resistance so a new one is needed as well.

Plan tomorrow is to fix the wiring. Crank on it a while to get some oil pressure going. I already sprayed some Stabil fogging oil into the cylinders behind the spark plugs. If I got oil pressure then reinstall the coil wire and open up the gas valve to the carb and hope the new carb and timing and everything else works so it starts and runs. Then hope the new clutch and pressure plate are adjusted right and the new hydraulic pumps work as well. A lot to hope for. Then back it out of the barn and start driving it to break it in.

 

[Janicholson]

Got my new $209 chinese made radiator installed today. It sold as a replacement for a IH Farmall 504 gas or diesel with an IH number 377090R92. The junk dealer had said a 460 utility or 560 or 660 would also fit and Barnyard says a 606 would fit too. It fit right in and the fan shroud bolted right up. It had welded nuts on the inside so the front guard and rear guard bolted right up. It had brackets so the oil cooler line clamp bracket bolted right up. The oil cooler on the original one seemed to have offset screws holding it and I ended up setting it on the bottom shroud bolts with washers holding it tite and make a couple 2" brackets to hand down from the top shroud bolts to hold it in place.

The only issue was the bottom 1.5" outlet that stuck straight out and my old radiator had a cast iron 2" outlet that angled up and out. After trips to 2 different parts stores in 2 different towns I ended up with a 1.5" Z shaped hose, a 1.5" connector, and a 1.5 to 2" adapter. Took a bunch of cutting and fitting but finally got something that I hope works. It is a tight fit. Pics below.

The only question I have on the radiator is where the rear bracket is close to the water pump support bolts where the top hose goes on. Looks like something must have been there but I don't know what. The radiator bracket only has one hole that is offset so it doesn't screw on to the bolt on the water pump. Is there supposed to be something else there?

So I filled it up with water and got it all ready to start and nothing happened. I could short across the solenoid barely. Began checking wiring and voltage. It sat outside for a few years with the tank removed so the dash was propped up exposed to the weather. Got to buy a bunch of wire ends to recrimp on the wires after cutting back to good copper. I had voltage to the key switch but nothing coming from the other two terminals no matter where the key was turned so I need one of them. Tested the rusty looking starter push button for continuity and there was no change in resistance so a new one is needed as well.

Plan tomorrow is to fix the wiring. Crank on it a while to get some oil pressure going. I already sprayed some Stabil fogging oil into the cylinders behind the spark plugs. If I got oil pressure then reinstall the coil wire and open up the gas valve to the carb and hope the new carb and timing and everything else works so it starts and runs. Then hope the new clutch and pressure plate are adjusted right and the new hydraulic pumps work as well. A lot to hope for. Then back it out of the barn and start driving it to break it in.

View attachment 70415View attachment 70416View attachment 70417

That will work well for a radiator. Good luck with the electrical. Jim