Radiator leak

[longrider]

1999 tourer.  500  miles from home the rad sprung a leak.  don't know if it can be repaired as it is leaking where the tube meets the plate.  pinwall has one listed for an interstate.  should fit but why a different part no?   any ideas?   Riding one and hauling one.  guess i'm lucky I can swap.

warren

[The Anvil]

I think the IS rad has extra tabs for mounting the pods, but SHOULD fit. I'm sure if this is wrong I'll be corrected.

Odds are your broken one CAN be soldered. I've seen very few radiators so damaged that they had to be tossed.

[R J]

Put pepper in it till you can get it off to be repaired.   DO NOT put the cap on tight enough to build pressure.   Pressure will blow the pepper right on out.

Pepper does not dissolve, it just finds the hole and plugs it temporarily for you.

I ran my Chevy Trike 140 miles at I-State speed a few years ago, when a hen pheasant tried to stick her head clear through the radiator.   I put a fairly large container of pepper in it while running till it stopped leaking, then I took off for home, hell bent for election.

[longrider]

I was told by the local rad shop that it cannot be repaired at the tube plate because it is aluminum.  Have any of you had yours repaired?

warren

[valkyriemc]

See this web site;

http://www.aluminumrepair.com/

"Just a few of the many metal parts that can be easily repaired"  
Aluminum Heads
Cast Iron Heads
A/C Lines
Timing Covers
Manifolds
Fuel Tanks
Wheels
Complete Fabrication
Aluminum Boats
Cavitation Plates
Brackets
Ladders
Tool Boxes
Mast Fenders
Truck Beds
Transmission Cases
Oil Pans
Bell Housing
Aftercoolers
Condensers
Condenser Lines
Refrigeration
Rivets
2N tractor parts
Awnings
Industrial Parts
Aluminum Molds Pot Metal Parts
Loaders
Engine Blocks
Turbochargers
Generators
Alternators
 :-) Radiators
Irrigation Pipes
Aviation Float
Seams
Skegs
Furniture
Pumps
Towers

[The Anvil]

I was told by the local rad shop that it cannot be repaired at the tube plate because it is aluminum.  Have any of you had yours repaired?

warren

I'd get a second opinion. I've seen aluminum radiators successfully repaired before.

[R J]

I was told by the local rad shop that it cannot be repaired at the tube plate because it is aluminum.  Have any of you had yours repaired?

warren

I'd get a second opinion. I've seen aluminum radiators successfully repaired before.

My best buddies dad was a Radiator Repair Person.    He has the shop for like 50 years or so, then 1 of his brothers took it over.

They repaired aluminum radiators all the time.    My Chevy Trike radiator is solid aluminum, someone is blowing smoke up your butt.

Reputable radiator repair shops are far and few between.     Most of the current radiators are PLASTIC,  those I have not seen too many repaired successfully.   However pepper will get ya to town, for repair or a new radiator.

[Relax]

http://uk.farnell.com/loctite/231536/adhesive-loctite-3455-24ml/dp/1500256


I had a leak on the radiator 2 years back. I got it fixed on the road by using this Loctite 3455.
The area was made very clean, grinded good loctite put on and left the bike for an hour or so.
Then started it carefully, let it run on idle for about 15 mintues to let the heat harden the loctite.
Now 2 years  /  20 000 miles later it is still 100% tight!

This loctite aluminium get hard as steel and can be grinded or drilled into!

Worth a try, I'd say

[da prez]

  RJ, you must be as old as me. The pepper trick has been around as long as I can remember. I started working at an old time station in the 50s and a customer called about a hole in the radiator.
  Old man Secor (god rest his soul) told him to peel a potatoe, roll it in pepper , push it in the hole , start the car and fill it with water. ( it was summer).  They then drove the car back to us from about  150 miles.  We soldered the radiator at the shop.  I know a lot of other remedies that would not work on the new cars.
                                              da prez

[The Anvil]

I was told by the local rad shop that it cannot be repaired at the tube plate because it is aluminum.  Have any of you had yours repaired?

warren

I'd get a second opinion. I've seen aluminum radiators successfully repaired before.

My best buddies dad was a Radiator Repair Person.    He has the shop for like 50 years or so, then 1 of his brothers took it over.

They repaired aluminum radiators all the time.    My Chevy Trike radiator is solid aluminum, someone is blowing smoke up your butt.

Reputable radiator repair shops are far and few between.     Most of the current radiators are PLASTIC,  those I have not seen too many repaired successfully.   However pepper will get ya to town, for repair or a new radiator.

I once saw a mangled aluminum radiator out of a wrecked sprint car repaired. I thought there was no way they were going to be able to fix it but they did. You're right though about good radiator repair shops being hard to find. Because of the plastic tanks they're much cheaper than they used to be so it's less and less profitable. As a result it's a dying art.