Aluma seal or bars leaks ? ? ? ?

[Will L.]

JB Weld. The old slow cure stuff. Used it dozens of times and never a failure. Couple quick scrubs with a steel brush, rinse with a little water then let it dry.
Mix up the JB 50/50 and put it on so that its about size of a quarter. Dab it in so a bit goes into the hole.

 

[MrMarty51]

I've not seen any sort of hot glue epoxy used, but have seen them solder / aluminum weld them. you have to be very careful heating those areas with a torch. I once attempted to weld up some AC fittings on my own with some low head aluminum rods. it went well until it didn't LOL all was going good and then all of a sudden the whole area just went from a solid to a blob of melted aluminum on my vice!! oopsies!!

I hate that you'd have to remove the coating from the effected area, but I would try cleaning the radiator well with the garden hose and some dish soap, light brushing action not to damage any more of the fins. then after the wash and blow dry with the compressor, spray it off with some brake cleaner and blow if off again so you have it all clean dirt and grease free. get you some rubber bungs to seal off the hose nipples, have a squirt bottle of water and dish soap handy. use the pressure tester to fill with air and get it about 15 or so psi. then look and listen for leaks, bubbles from the soap. see if you can pin point exactly where the leak is.

idk if paint strip will remove the coating where the leak is to get bare clean aluminum to do the repair at or not.

I’ll have to get the proper size expandable bung plugs, get them firmly set in the hose ports, make up a barb to air hose coupler and use hose to connect that to the over flow fitting then use the pressure regulator and air it up, I do already have mixed up a spritzer bottle of dish soap and water.
If fins are in the way of the damaged area then the fins in the affected area will get clipped out.
I did have the cooling system pressurized and it then would not leeeeek.
I’m thinking the heat gun may warm the area enough to create some bubbly stuff.

 

[MrMarty51]

JB Weld. The old slow cure stuff. Used it dozens of times and never a failure. Couple quick scrubs with a steel brush, rinse with a little water then let it dry.
Mix up the JB 50/50 and put it on so that its about size of a quarter. Dab it in so a bit goes into the hole.

I’ll attempt the fix before I unbox that new OE radiator, then it will still be in the original packaging and will be much easier to return to Oriellys.

 

[Will L.]

Air pressure and dish soap… I don’t like the sounds of that. Filling full of water and using a regular pressure tester tool should generate any leak.
Parts stores usually have them available on the free rental program.

For the hose ends- sometimes you can get a hose that just connects the top to the bottom.

 

[MrMarty51]

Regulated air pressure at about 10PSI


And the leakage. Same end as what I thought was damaged but on the opposite, top side, not the bottom.
This area has no damage and there is no leaks in the areas that I thought was suspect of leakage.
IDK how well the JB weld will hold as there is flexability between the tank and the tubes.
I’d think that something that would allow some movement without breaking loose would hold better.
@Will L.
Have You ever JB-Weld repaired aluminum tubes to aluminum end plates ?

 

[MrMarty51]

That seepage is on the top two right hand corner tubes of the radiator tank.

 

[MrMarty51]

Appears that the top three tubes had began to separate from the tank. This is the area that I was not suspecting of having a leak. This is where all the foamy was located.

And this is the area that I had suspected of leaking.

With the radiator still in place I seen the fins that had been somewhat distorted and figured thats where the leak was at, there was even some green coolant hanging in the fins so upon closer inspection it looks like the thermal coating has washed away from the tank where that tube also connects.
The tubes themselves has sustained no damage, just minor distortion on the fins.
And so for now, I’m going to install that OE radiator because I am really needing this truck to transport some heavy loads and then try and decide what to do with this too good to be true radiator.
I’m a tad bit disappointed in all of this.
Should just say fuggit and go back to the house, lay on the couch, maybe watch some elmer fudd or road runner, see if that’ll switch my attitude.

 

[MrMarty51]

On another look at the top side of the radiator, it appears that it is actually the top four tubes that had loosed from the tank, observing the washed away thermal coating.

 

[MrMarty51]

Chris going to take a run at getting the radiator under warrantee.
Sent Him some better pictures that might be a game changer.
We shalt see.

 

[dbrannon79]

My first thought was since it's at the first few tubes, check the welding at the bracing that goes across between the tanks. wondering if that has also cracked allowing the core to flex.

where it's fins are damaged, I know it's real easy to damage them where it looks worse than it really is. the fins are very thin and flimsy and made that way for shedding heat better. it's also too easy to do that when removing or installing the fan blade and clutch. I've done that way too many times in the past!

 

[Will L.]

Yeah… that is 100% a solder joint issue.
They should swap it and cover a few bucks towards labor- that could go towards new coating.

Yes, I have had success with it where the core ties into the tank- but it requires a mangle job on the fins around it because you have to get a lot of it on the tank and the core, about 1/4” onto each one. It ends up making the tanks NOT REUSABLE when it comes time to recore.

I am at the point where I hate aluminum radiators. I see 1000 fold failed aluminum to copper. Go check the age of that radiator on the dozer…copper and still reliable. Any modern US military “go to war” vehicle REQUIRES copper. It’s a ‘buy once, cry once’ scenario that is always more reliable.

On aluminum cores- as much as everyone makes fun of them, plastic tanks on aluminum cores seem to be far more reliable than aluminum tanks on aluminum cores.

Seems to me, you must have asked God for more patience because He is giving you a few ways to get better at it.