Radiator tank crack fix with soldering iron

[tgferg67global]

I saw this method used by others so I thought I would try it. No leaks yet.

Clean the area.
Cut a donor strip from the tank.
Melt a valley along the crack with the tip of the soldering iron.
Melt the donor material into the crack.

[t&m]

Interesting idea, thanks for the writeup. Let us know how it holds up.

[2NDSOUT]

What "others" have you seen doing this?

I've been an owner now since 1997 and I have never seen this method used at all...

in 99% of most cases- replacing the radiator is the best fix for this; but if you have fixed it and it holds up, this would be an unorthodox way to keep the radiator going in the car.

[alordofchaos]

Very interesting. I've never seen it before, either, though I think about it every time I go the Harbor Freight and see this "plastic welding" tool they have.

Someone researched the type of plastic used in the end caps and used a particular epoxy designed for that type of plastic

Someone else (hein?) uses a piece of lexan and regular epoxy and puts a patch over that area

If I ever have such a crack, I may use all the methods - melt it shut and coat it with that special epoxy, then slap a plastic patch onto it.

[tgferg67global]

Originally Posted by 2NDSOUT

What "others" have you seen doing this?

I've been an owner now since 1997 and I have never seen this method used at all...

in 99% of most cases- replacing the radiator is the best fix for this; but if you have fixed it and it holds up, this would be an unorthodox way to keep the radiator going in the car.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4822270_repa...radiators.html

[sousa632]

When my radiator burst, I did the correct repair...... I replaced it. That I would imagine would only be a temporary 'fix' till you have the money to replace it. The plastic is weakened in that area and it's all in due time that it will fail again with the temperature fluctuation and (slight)pressure. I'd like to be proved wrong though.

[tgferg67global]

Originally Posted by sousa632

When my radiator burst, I did the correct repair...... I replaced it. That I would imagine would only be a temporary 'fix' till you have the money to replace it. The plastic is weakened in that area and it's all in due time that it will fail again with the temperature fluctuation and (slight)pressure. I'd like to be proved wrong though.

Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Maybe you will be replacing your new radiator soon as many have because it is not of the same quality as the OEM.
If it fails it would most likely leak slowly as it did before. Don't forget the repair is now part of the tank.

[madpogue]

I gotta wonder, with the typical location/shape of that crack, if it's not due in part to the presence of the cooler line, and the fact that the powertrain moves relative to the body. I'm thinking a fix like this would work better if it were recommissioned into a 5-speed car, without that influence.

[tgferg67global]

Originally Posted by madpogue

I gotta wonder, with the typical location/shape of that crack, if it's not due in part to the presence of the cooler line, and the fact that the powertrain moves relative to the body. I'm thinking a fix like this would work better if it were recommissioned into a 5-speed car, without that influence.

Thats a good point, but the transmission cooler lines are flexible hoses and the crack is always at the top fitting and not the bottom one.

[tgferg67global]

http://www.urethanesupply.com/radiator.php

[2NDSOUT]

When you said "Other People that you have seen doing this"; I immediately thought that there were others on saturnfans that had done a repair like this...

Now I see the links from E-how and other websites that have mentioned this--

More power to you that you were able to repair, and I hope that it holds up, but in this instance; I would rather replace it with a new unit.

When it comes to anything that is related to the coolant system (radiator, water pump, etc.) or electrical (battery, starter, etc.) I feel it is always better to replace with a new item rather then trying to fix the broken item...

just my thoughts--- ymmv.

[TXSaturn02]

Thanks for your post. There are a lot of smart people on this site, but sometimes people think that their way is the only way.

Keep us posted.

[Baron5867]

Originally Posted by tgferg67global

Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Maybe you will be replacing your new radiator soon as many have because it is not of the same quality as the OEM.

Delphi (OEM, supposedly) radiators can be had for around $80 shipped. I am due for this repair myself.

My concern is that even if you repaired that particular crack to be as good as new, that just may mean that the radiator's second most weakest point will soon give. For example, in my case, the radiator likely has over 160k miles on it.

If you want to experiment, great, let us know how it goes, but for $80, I'd rather put an entirely new radiator in and forget it. But if you have the time but not a lot of money, or if you are dumping the car soon, your way might be the way to go.

[tgferg67global]

My car had a slow leak in the area since 2004, 115000 miles ago. Car has 215k now. I added a little fluid every few years. The leak never got any worse until I recently replaced the thermostat. Considering the above scenario I am fairly confident it's going to hold. If the area was under such stress it would have degraded over the years.

[ehunter]

Now that you have at least a working solution I would use the time looking for a great price on a great replacement. That way you have it staged if the current does not last as long as you hoped.

[SaturnFix]

I've done this a number of times on different S-Series. All I can say is, if you're interested in doing it, go and try it. If not, get a new radiator.

The tanks actually have quite a bit of fiberglass in them. The repairs I did surprisingly held up quite a while though. But I would say it takes practice to get right (and I think most people on here won't have the chance to gain practice first).

Originally Posted by Baron5867

My concern is that even if you repaired that particular crack to be as good as new, that just may mean that the radiator's second most weakest point will soon give. For example, in my case, the radiator likely has over 160k miles on it.

It would makes sense, but fortunately that spot is this only radiators weakness (short of cooling fin damage). lol