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Fixing a leaky radiator

S

Sidekick

Member
I'm working on my Dad's old MT and the radiator is close to being shot. He doesn't want to spring for a new one and I thought I'd try and fix it the best I could. My plan was to seal it up best I can and apply a small amount of air pressure and then spray some soapy water at it and look for bubbles and try to JB Weld them shut. Soldering or brazing is probably out of the question because I'm afraid the thing is just too thin and corroded. Dad said he took it to a radiator shop twenty some years ago and they told him there wasn't anything they could really do for it and it's painfully obvious that someone has globbed on plenty of solder in years past. I know what it really needs is a new one but that won't happen until it someday becomes mine. Any better ideas or am I already doing about all there is to do?
 
Sidekick,

Would your dad be offended if you bought a new radiator for him? If not, that seems like it would be a good fix.

Birthday gift? Anniversary gift? Early Christmas gift? Late Father's Day gift?

Good luck,

Tom in TN
 
if you cant afford the cost of the gift radiator , search the arhcives and you will find some have cooled with used motor oil ...
 
I ran into a similar situation with a 364 IH. A new radiator was about $400.00 so I searched the junk yards an bought the closest thing I could find. It was about 2" shorter and was a car radiator, but I never had a problem with overheating or leakage.
Sometimes it pays to improvise, one reason being I paid $50.00 for the replacement and made mounting adapters.
 
It won't cost that much to try but don't get your hopes up too much.

Years ago I had a kamakazi rabbit come through the grill on my pickup truck. Pulled 2 of his teeth out of the radiator. Didn't have any extra money for a radiator so I improvised hoping to get by for a week or two. Clipped the fins off around both holes, sprayed it with brake cleaner, wire brushed it good, sprayed with brake cleaner again to make sure it was clean. Filled both holes with black silicone and let cure overnight. Filled it up with water the next day & it held. Checked it every day for 2 weeks - no leaks. I drove that truck another 10 years and never did anything else to the radiator. Sometimes you get lucky.
 
Fill the radiator with water, start tractor, dump a generous amount of black pepper ( the kind you put on your food) in and add water to fill radiator again. I had to do this to my JD 70 in 2009. Stopped instantly. Drained for the winter and then filled with antifreeze next spring and added some more pepper. NO more leaks. (still carry the can of pepper in the tool box just in case). Several tractors in the club I belong to have pepper in the radiator. Chris
 
(quoted from post at 01:19:02 09/01/11) Fill the radiator with water, start tractor, dump a generous amount of black pepper ( the kind you put on your food) in and add water to fill radiator again. I had to do this to my JD 70 in 2009. Stopped instantly. Drained for the winter and then filled with antifreeze next spring and added some more pepper. NO more leaks. (still carry the can of pepper in the tool box just in case). Several tractors in the club I belong to have pepper in the radiator. Chris
Click to expand...

Had an old pinto that a blind man could find.......Sure took a lot of pepper but didn't leak.............
Can you still get them little tubes of radiator sealer that are a little bigger than a shotgun shell? Remember that stuff working good too.

Dave
 
Thanks for the replies. I've tried several kinds of stop leak but all it does is end up in the lower water pipe and plug up the drain petcock. I don't yet know how big the holes I'm dealing with are but I'm betting it's too rotten to solder. This thing ain't pretty. I've been thinking about just putting a new one in it and that's probably what I'll end up doing someday. Probably sooner than later. I'll try the epoxy route first and see how that goes. Thanks again.
 
Since you are going to inherit the tractor, why dont you just surprize your dad with a little gift - - a brand new radiator for the old tractor. Will cost you much less now rather than later, and from your description, it if way over due. Tom
 
(quoted from post at 04:41:41 09/01/11)
(quoted from post at 01:19:02 09/01/11) Fill the radiator with water, start tractor, dump a generous amount of black pepper ( the kind you put on your food) in and add water to fill radiator again. I had to do this to my JD 70 in 2009. Stopped instantly. Drained for the winter and then filled with antifreeze next spring and added some more pepper. NO more leaks. (still carry the can of pepper in the tool box just in case). Several tractors in the club I belong to have pepper in the radiator. Chris
Click to expand...

Had an old pinto that a blind man could find.......Sure took a lot of pepper but didn't leak.............
Can you still get them little tubes of radiator sealer that are a little bigger than a shotgun shell? Remember that stuff working good too.

Dave
Click to expand...

Silverseal? Yes, I keep it in stock, and yes it does work. About $2.50 per tube. One tube is sufficient for a 5 to 7 gallon capacity cooling system. I do ship to Germany.
 
if it's 20ys past soldering.. it's time to replace.. jb weld , in that application with thermal expansion.. etc.. ,will let you down when you need it then what you have left is an overheated machine..

soundguy
 
A good radiator shop can re-core a leaky weak,rotted core ,ole one. You can un -solder the tanks ,(helps save time and money for the radiator shop to do) and a darn site cheaper then a new one ,plus you don't have to junk yard shop for one that ALMOST FITS and doesn't leak from a wreck.Had several done and sure is way less expensive.
PHIL.
 
I repaired 2 radiators with JB weld about 15 years ago. I put a rubber line on overflow tube then blow on it while dunking radiator in the cattle water tank. Use a radiator cap with only an outer seal. Mark leaks, dry and work JB weld into the leaks.
 
I have worked on many radiators and was shown a neat trick for checking leaks.
Cut bicycle innertube and connect each end onto the inlet and outlet. Apply air through the valve stem until the tube inflates. Check with soapy solution and to find leaks.
 
Using a bicycle inner tube is a great idea! I was thinking of using duct tape or something but that should work a lot better. I'm going to try and jb weld it this weekend and see how that goes. Maybe it will get me through long enough to do some looking for new and used ones. I'm sure I'll be buying one soon. Thanks again for the replies.
 
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