Leaky radiator seam

[gabsgrammy]

The knife is pointing to a leaking seam under the upper radiator hose on a Farmall 560 gas tractor; question is , can I solder or heat up or jd weld the seam at top of the radiator or would it be best to remove the radiator entirely and let a shop repair it?Besides the upper and lower radiator hoses, do I need to unbolt the fan housing or anything else to remove the radiator?

 

[CharlieNJ]

I would avoid JD or JB weld, it will be a mess when you want to solder it up the right way. I would take that upper hose off, and wrap a damp rag around the stub to keep the heat from melting the solder out of that joint. Get the radiator DRY! Wave a heat gun over the area to dry it. Wet or steam doesn't solder well. Clean the leaky joint as well as you can. Use good clean flux. Light an approximate 1 1/4" blue flame on a propane torch, and lay some 50/50 solder in that leak. Tricky places are where old solder meets the new. Care and patience will get you through it!

 

[fastfarmall]

The Tractor Doctor that writes for Redpower Magazine, say you can buy a product called Seal It,and you can apply it to a leaking gas tank, or a oily mess, and it will hold, I bought a tube for $2,57 at Menards,Just in case i would ever need it. It is in the Plumbing Dept.

 

[JRSutton]

removing the radiator isn't exactly fun, but it's really not that hard to do. Taking your time, you can easily remove and reinstall in under 2 hours.

remove the sheet metal around it - drain the fluid - remove the hoses - remove the fan shroud - then just take out the four bolts on the sides (2 on each side).

the radiator is then free - it just slides up and out. It can help to have another set of hands with you.

No matter how you do your fix, your results are going to be a lot better having the radiator out where you can clean it up good.

Not to mention so much )#$* gets stuck around the base of the radiator, trapping moisture that causes corrosion in the area - so it's a good oppurtunity to clear it all out.

 

[CGID]

It's easy if you do it right (clean and dry) but 2X on the care and patience or you'll unsolder adjacent seams and more will come undone while your chasing those. The vanes are paper-thin copper and it's amazing how fast they conduct heat.

 

[Owen Aaland]

The only way to make a permanent repair is to remove the upper tank and re-solder the entire seam. The tank fits into a groove in the header plate so the seam is soldered on both the inside and outside.

 

[Tom Dowling]

you don't have to remove the radiator,lower the level in the radiator to just below the seam. don't drain the whole thing, leave some in to the top of the core to act as a heat sink. stuff a soaking wet rag in the hose outlet. clean the area, don't use a torch to heat it up fix it like you'd fix a metal roof seam. get a 1/2 inch brass rod grind the end to a four sided point heat it up, tin it by melting solder on it then brush some flux on the cracked seam, reheat the rod and slowly run the tip along the crack.might take a little practice but its not that tough to get the hang of. the rods got to be pretty darn hot but you'll only heat the radiator up in the area you need unlike a torch.

 

[Bob]

I agree with you 100%, Owen. Anything less will be a temporary fix, at best. Once they crack loose and leak that seam gets full of dirt, corrosion, and debris and removing the tank and cleaning everything up is the only way to make a repair that will last.

 

[jim castleman]

Clean, clean, and clean with muriatic acid and solder with 50/50 at just enough heat to flow the solder. Not that hard to do.