Taking your vehicle to the radiator repair shop means a day or more without your vehicle and a large repair bill. Even though it may be cheaper to replace the radiator altogether, most repair shops opt to fix any cracks instead of installing a new one. However, now that most modern radiators are made from a combination of fiberglass and nylon plastic, repairing a radiator is possible for shade-tree, do-it yourselfers.
Instructions
- 1
Place the vehicle onto a set of front-end ramps, secure the parking brake and place a wheel chock behind each rear tire.
2Place a radiator drain pan under the radiator and open the drainage valve with a pair of pliers. Drain the radiator fluid into the drain pan and then close the drainage valve.
3Remove the radiator from the vehicle if the crack is not accessible with the radiator installed. To do so, remove the clamps that secure the upper and lower radiator hoses to the radiator. Remove the clamp that secures the overflow hose to the radiator. Locate and remove the bolts that secure the radiator to the upper and lower radiator support beams and pull the radiator out of the car.
4Clean the cracked area with 600-grit sandpaper to remove paint, debris and dirt from the affected area.
5Install a V-groove tip onto your soldering iron and create a V groove in the center of the crack. A V-groove allows more filler material into the crack and creates a longer lasting repair.
6Heat the cracked area with a heat gun or a blowtorch. Be cautious not to melt the surface, you want to heat it so the nylon brazing rod melts easier.
7Weld the nylon brazing rod into the radiator with an airless plastic welder. The plastic nylon rod should turn the same color as the radiator. To achieve this, melt the nylon rod and the base material around the V-groove together. Melt one inch of rod in the crack at a time. Once the rod and the V-groove are melted together smooth the repair with the tip of the welder to achieve a seamless repair.
