Leaking radiator

[DrDuc]

Back from a beautiful drive this AM and noticed I have a small radiator leak near the top left. What's the best way to attack this. The bottom is riveted to the sheet aluminum so I would rather not have to pull the radiator.
Bruce

[Tim Brewer]

To fix it right, you'll more than likely need to pull it. Or, you might try some Bars leak for a quick temporary fix.

[mikiec]

Is the leak at the tank? You might be able to have it soldered in place. Otherwise it will need to be pulled. It's a pain, but take your time. I found it more of a pain to put it back in.

Mikiec

[cycleguy55]

This may not be generally suggested, but one solution you may wish to consider is the use of a 'cold weld' product. When I purchased my car I discovered a small leak in the lower tank - a slow ooze. Upon removing the paint and putty or caulk (best way to describe it) I discovered a brass patch that had been soldered on, then covered up. Not keen on pulling the radiator I buffed it down to the base material on the tank (brass) with a wire brush on a drill, made sure it was really clean, then used Permatex Cold Weld to build up a good patch. After giving it 24 hours or so to cure, I filled the system with coolant, fired it up and checked for leaks. I've put about 1,000 miles on it since then with no signs of leakage.

[DrDuc]

No, unfortunately it is not on the tank. It is coming out between the fins on the upper left of the radiator about 2 inches from the top. No sign of any damage from rocks, etc on the front. The leak is on the back side towards the engine.

[Bob Broberg SPF667 460BB]

Bruce, try AlumaSeal. I used it in my cobra on Jeff's recommendation back in about 2008 and it is still holding today. AlumaSeal/Radiator stop leak ASBP24-12 at AutoZone.com
At O'Reilly's and Autozone. I used 2 tubes about 1 week apart after running motor to normal temp inbetween.
AZ Bob

[mikiec]

Alumaseal does work. You could also pinch off that tube.

Mikiec

[DrDuc]

Thanks, Bob. I remembered you and Jeff discussing this several weeks ago and I couldn't remember the name of the product. I,will see how this works before investing in a new radiator.
Bruce

[Car Nut]

Thirds on the Alumaseal granules, looks like a roll of quarters in its packaging vs the liquid version. While the stuff works great, it is a temporary fix, eventually you will have to deal with it, especially if the leak is due to corrosion.

[DrDuc]

Well, I bought some Alumaseal and added it to the radiator, brought the engine up to temp and lo and behold, no more leak! It's a very small leak as when I checked the fluid level it doesn't look like I lost more than half a cup. We'll see if it lasts awhile.

[Karl Bebout]

Decades ago, I poured a tube of Alumaseal into the heater hose on my '65 SS Chevelle and that took care of my heater core leak for at least the 5 years I had the car. Yes, the heater worked just fine and I used it a lot back in the Ohio hinterlands. Another benefit of the product is that it is a water pump lubricant and I never had to change my pump on that car and I never had any cooling issues.