Radiator Repairs

[Married2Allis]

Attempting to repair a leak near the top of a 50 year-old radiator. First time for everything. I figure I have nothing to loose before shelling out $500 for new one.

1) From searching, I know that you have to clean the outside area well before soldering. But what about the crud inside, will this affect the job?

2) Can you use sheet copper to wrap or reconstruct a damaged area?

3) Supplies: Propane torch, solder, flux, small wire brush? Which solder is best?

4) How do you keep from wrecking the rest of the radiator with heat from the torch? Do you soak rags and place around the area where you are working?

- thanks for the tips

 

[Mike M]

I use acid core solder on the radiators and gas tanks. I never have done a large area radiator. That wet rag trick may work to keep the rest from getting too hot ?

 

[ohiojim]

watched the local radiator shop do a couple for me, didn't think they would ever get done cleaning with acid, so clean,.. clean,...and clean some more

 

[coshoo]

Welding shop will have some putty-like stuff to pack around the work area, to keep the heat where its supposed to be.

 

[Moonlite37]

(1) Inside must be dry but if you have poured all water out the torch will dry it

(2) Do not attempt soldering a patch,, Yes it van be done ,but you are not ready for that because the heat will distort the patch.

(3) You also need a flux; Ruby is a good one or you can make your own with muratic acid cut with zinc. A propane can torch is not the best as you need a pencil flame

(4)A wet rag should make a good heat sink

Do not attempt a repair with the radiator on the vehicle/tractor

I am not a radiator repairman although as a sheetmetal worker I have done a few

 

[RBoots]

I cut half of the smashed top tank off my
450 Farmall. Like you, I figured I didn't
have much to lose. I have soldered a lot of
things, but this was the biggest. Once I
cut it off, I beat it back into shape on an
anvil. The previous owner had dropped
something off the loader onto it, it was
flat to the cores on one side, not kidding.
I used a roloc disk on a die grinder to
polish the edges on both pieces about an
inch in. I set my piece on the radiator,
kept tweaking it until it fit quite well,
with gaps less than 1/8". I used my
acetylene torch with a brazing tip turned
down quote low. That way I could put heat
in and take it away quickly. With thinner
solder, I could put the solder in place
almost like a tight weld, one bead at a
time, blended into the one next to it.
Before I started doing the long sections, I
placed a bead of solder about every inch to
hold things in place and keep it from
warping. Even though most of the gaps were
under an eighth of an inch, I made sure
beads were about 3/8 or 1/2 an inch to make
sure I had good stout seams. Total length
of seams I soldered on the top tank was
probably about 20 inches. Works very well,
probably took me a couple hours.

 

[moresmoke]

Small tip on an acetylene torch works
well. An old fashioned soldering
copper is even better.

Liquid Flux from a welding supply
house and lead solder if you can find
it.

 

[Married2Allis]

Thanks for all of the good information. Worth a try.