Can I fix a leaking radiator with araldite?

[Jeremy]

Help please!

My 3 year old Fosseway rad has sprung a leak halfway up one side between the finned core and the side section. I discovered a large puddle on the floor, the bottom "tray" section of the rad was overflowing, and drips coming off the LHS bottom bracket (that secures the cowl) about 2 per minute. That's with a cold engine. So I drained it down and managed to remove the rad. What an unspeakably horrible job when the bonnet is on

It's not clear exactly which joint has failed not whereabouts on the joint (there are brown deposits front and back, running downwards).

PXL_20210716_194510501_compress1.jpg (219.77 KiB) Viewed 11237 times

Simon at Fosseway is apologetic but explained that it can't be soldered as it's aluminium. He suggests that:
- I pinpoint the leak exactly (not easy as it is lurking somewhere behind those finned bits)
- clean the area round the hole thoroughly (again, doesn't look at all easy)
- apply araldite and leave for 24 hours (really???)

I have zero experience of patching up blown rads and have v little confidence that this would be a durable and permanent solution.

It was hard enough getting the rad out singlehanded, and I dread the thought of doing a bodge repair, refitting it, and finding it hadn't worked. Or finding it works for a while until it stops working on a hot day far from home. (I've already had a leaking SS header tank with a bad soldered joint from Terry's Jag so I'm getting bored of cooling problems and mopping up recurring puddles of antifreeze on the floor....)

Its a lot of dosh but I'm wondering whether I should just buy a new one and see if he will give me a bit of a discount for goodwill. I believe Fosseway products are generally good and reliable so this whole thing is super-disappointing.

Please, anybody have any experience or advice to offer?

[mgcjag]

Hi Jeremy just had a really nice Ali fuel tank made by Ailcool....great guy Terry runs the place...very clean,neat, tidy setup with very nice products......worth giving them a call re repair or to make a replacement.....Steve http://www.alicool.co.uk/index.html

[christopher storey]

Forget al2 radiators for this very reason : the slightest damage to them and they are irreparable

[Jeremy]

Thanks Steve....anyone else had any experience with Alicool? Significantly cheaper than Fosseway.

Christopher, your comment is sobering. I thought everyone was replacing old rads with aluminium ones because of the superior heat dissipation. Are they inherently more prone to damage or failure, or just impossible to repair?

[christopher storey]

Jeremy : I don't think they are more prone to damage although the alloy tubes are very thin. The problem, according to the radiator repairers that I have used ( and one of them had a scrap pile of alloy rads that would have done credit to a scrapyard ) is that there is no practical way of repairing or even sealing damaged tubes, unlike copper which can be soldered with ease if you have the right equipment

[JerryL770]

I'm not saying it would be easy or even possible, but would it not be worth trying to weld the leak place with this type of low temperature welding rods:

https://www.welduk.com/product/aluminiu ... UBEALw_wcB

Others are available. This is not actually welding but more like soldering as when the base alloy gets up to the melt temperature of these rods they actually dissolve the surface of the aluminium and create a very strong bond. I made an ally silencer for a model plane petrol engine using sheet alloy and an inadequate base silencer to fit the engine. It is necessary to break through the oxide layer on the surface of the alloy (which is what gives it its corrosion resistance) to start this off which is why a wire brush or SS rod/wire is used to scratch the surface first.

[cactusman]

Afraid the aluminium welding rod Jerome mentions, while able to join aluminium sheet together well with practice, will be impossible to use on radiator tubes. You need to raise the temp of the aluminium to be joined to close to its melting point....and On thin tubes with a torch (a soldering iron never gets not enough) you will melt the tubes rendering any repair impossible. i have the rods and have dabbled with welding Al. It can be done but is far from easy!
Araldite may effect a temporary repair but for me the only solution is a new core...there is a place at Bicester heritage that could recore....possibly in brass (radiator cores were never pure copper as far as I know)...or bite the bullet and buy a new rad.

[Heuer]

You could try Barr's Leaks - the Factory put two bottles in each car on the production line.

[rswaffie]

Worth a look? JB Weld aluminium rad repair…

[malcolm]

I've used that on a boat to stop leaks. works well. Make sure you use disposable gloves, its a bxxxxxx to get off your skin. Sticks to anything though. Have to use it quite quickly once you've rubbed the two parts together.

[dal2.0litrefrogeye]

Hi a tip for removing rads is to jack front of car up and put bonnet into service mode , makes removing rad or water pump .removing steering rack etc etc alot easier.
I'd refit rad and then K seal is your friend

[Jeremy]

Many thanks for all the constructive responses! Simon at Fosseway did offer a replacement rad at a modest goodwill discount but it was still going to be expensive and delivery 4 weeks off. And once bitten twice shy...

So..."who you gonna call?" Yep, Jeremy gonna call Angus. Upshot: I ordered a new rad from RadTec - a supplier he has long experience with and total confidence in. Darren Field at RadTec was not impressed with the Araldite idea to put it mildly.
AND he had one black powder coated 4.2 S1 rad in stock, AND he dispatched it this afternoon, overnight delivery.

SO... tomorrow I will try Darren's ”service mode" method. What a brilliant idea. Just remind me Darren - which way the bonnet will want to fall when I undo the balance links? I assume it wants to slam shut initially, but at some point it will pass TDC. Would just be helpful to know so I can rig up the necessary combo of rope, broom handles and cushions

Thanks again to all,

[ralphr1780]

Sorry reading your troublesome story Jeremy... as in fact facing almost the same: two weeks back noticed a small puddle of coolant on the left side, just regular slow drips from the radiator along the lower frame. But I have a copper one. So guessed time for a new aluminium replacement and contacted a specialised long established company near by supplying several fellows with various radiator model on made to order, including myself for a Porsche. The owner running this business for 40 years declined : I will not supply an aluminum radiator for an xk engine as it will fail within 3-5 years, because of electro chemical corrosion, you'd better either recore your old one or buy a new copper one.
Still have not taken my decision taking few days off...
Food for thought.

[dal2.0litrefrogeye]

Hi Jeremy , yes initially it will want to fall shut so with broom in place ,( soft head up ) remove rear bonnet centre vent then tie strop/ rope through bonnet and down to bonnet safety receiver and tie off obviously adjusting lenght so the bonnet just goes over centre and makes the strop go taunt ,
Also while you have the system drained down have you thought about refilling with coolant and distilled water , not that dear to buy or free if you have a dehumidifier,
This keeps all internals alot free-er from corrosion

[vee12eman]

Hi Jeremy,

You have to remove the gas strut on a Series 3 car to bring the bonnet upright. I’m not sure if that’s the case with earlier models, I know some use a different system, so forgive me if this isn’t helpful. Once I have removed the gas strut, I simply replace it with a metal strut, actually made from a piece of box section, which I crushed the ends together and drilled to accept the gas strut pins. Light, totally safe and solid. I can take a photo of it if you want. Easy to install, I just get my wife to tilt the bonnet, but I have been able to fit and remove it by myself when I had no real choice.

[Jeremy]

Darren, that's perfect, thanks. Yes I will refill with fresh distilled water and antifreeze (it wasn't that dirty but the price is peanuts as you say, so why wouldn't you).

Simon, thanks for your reply, but the S1 has a pair of balance links with springs, not a gas strut. So your metal strut idea gets more complicated.

Funny how I got into a blind spot about opening the bonnet further. It's so obvious when you think about it!

[vee12eman]

Ok Jeremy,
I wasn’t sure of the differences, but I thought it worth a try!

Good luck anyway.

[mtnjag]

Lift car up on your ramps or stands. Tie the bonnet at the center latch with rope. Remove the hinge pins at the frame.. Tle off to rear mount or other convenient spot. Let bonnet out to vertical. Best room with bonnet still on the car.

Having a helper is recommended.

I have had an aluminum radiator made by Griffin in the US in my E for 25 years. Custom made to my original alum at the time. Saves a lot of weight up front which was why it was the orig spec. Always kept antifreeze fresh with distilled water. No leaks although it’s certainly served well and may be reachind end of life, but shows no sign.

I believe the reason the brazed and tig welded consstruction rads aren’t repairable is because no-one does it! The modern car alum rads are considered cheap throwaway, and they are, so there are no repair shops for them. Around here there are now VERY few shops that actually repair copper/brass rads. My old timer just closed. If quality Alum rads were common there would be repair shops.

I don’t know this to be true but could not an experienced alum fabricator/welder repair it. No doubt really takes specialized micro equipment which only an alum rad repair shop would have, if they existed.

[steve3.8]

Kudos for keeping your cool over this Jeremy [no pun intended] ].

I purchased a Fosseway fan that failed after 6 months which was returned for repair, it failed again for the same reason at 14 months to be told "out of warranty" applause for the poor after sales !- for a product that had a design fault !--
An aluminium radiator will give long service with correct coolant changes ,failure at 3 years is not what would be expected from a £900 item, especially when marketed as built for longevity and reliability.

I suspect Fosseway may live to regret to not helping you more and in a proper manner when others read this thread.

[mtnjag]

Have you seen the Coolcat radiators. They have an aluminum 3.8l rad with machined billet tanks that mimic the original accordion Marsten tanks. Very nice, pricey. Don’t know if know if later model rads are offered in machined and I do not know how his rads would compare to the Fosseway. He typically had good products IMO.