J B weld?

[91redfrod]

Hey All, i was replacing cooling system stuff, rad hoses, water pump, fan belt. it was going great until i buttoned it up, reinstaled the side panels and messed up the lower hose to radiator....it started leaking all over the place....so i caught the anti freeze and pulled the rad back out...ARGH, ya its got a small crack...i don't want to spend money having it repaired, i have never sodered something like this...i went for a good clean up of the area and J B weld...will it work? or am i just being ..

 

[lsmurphy]

If you go this route...........

Wire wheel the crack......clean, clean, clean.

Apply the JBW as a bead on the crack......not a big smeared mess. Now use a heat gun or good hair dryer to 'melt down' the JBW. The heat will cause it to not only look good but will adhere to the brass/copper/steel much better.


Brazing or soldering is the correct fix.

 

[Apogee]

Do yourself a favor and just pay the money and have it fixed correctly.

Why?

Because spending $100 to have the radiator cleaned and properly repaired is FAR LESS than paying ~$1500 to rebuild the engine if your $4 repair fails and it seriously overheats... (and that doesn't include replacing the head if it cracks...)

Just my $.02,

Steve

 

[hodge]

I agree with Apogee. Sometimes quick fixes work, but most of the time, it is NO substitute for a proper repair.