Radiator repair questions
 

Has anyone used JB Weld for small radiator crack repairs? If so, how has it held up for you? My left side radiator developed a small thin crack up towards the top inner most side and now when the bike gets oh ...around 160* or so she starts spewing and spitting coolant. I have searched around on here and ebay for a used left side rad. but so far haven't had any good luck with a clean undamaged rad. or someone is only willing to sell the pair together. So I figured maybe a sealant would work since this is a small crack. Has anyone used any radiator sealants and had success? Your thoughts please....

I just caled my local Honda dealer and about passed out when they told me the quote for the left side rad. Freakin $348.15 haha!!

Can you find someone local to weld it?

Possibly.

Anyone ever tried Honda Bond? It was recommended to me on a local forum. Never heard of it.

I wouldn't use it on that type of repair. It is basically a silicone. There are several differnt types of honda bond, but none that trust for that. JB might work if you can prep the area well. Welding would be my first choice. I have done a few, so it can be done if you can get to the crack.

Included in the prep work is to stop drill the crack. If you don't then vibration will cause the original crack to grow beyond the repair that you make. The radiators are thin stuff, good luck on the JB WELD fix.

Crap didn't think about the heavy vibes of the twin. Sounds like welding or replaceing might be my only option now. I posted on my local forum for anyone with aluminum welding experience. Hopefully someone will post up on there, or I can find a good condition used one on flea bay or here.

Thanks fellas.

Aluminum braze would probably work nicely. You can buy it at Orchard Supply Hardware. I've never used Mapp gas with it though, always oxy/acetylene.

Too bad we do copper wire brazing on steel but not aluminum here at my work.

I might have to give that a go. Thanks again!

I used Jb Weld on my right side radiator from to holes where the torn out electrical bracket was it has held up so far and about 7000 miles. Silver brazing, or aluminum brazing is very difficult to do yourself. Also welding the crack won't be easy because a crack is almost impossible to clean and aluminum needs to be really clean to be welded on. Your best option is silver brazing, I would recomend finding someone who has experience brazing on aluminum though. I used to weld aluminum bike frames and one of the processes we used was silver brazing on the cable stays. Its tricky because aluminum is solid and the blown away with little to no warning so if you aren't familiar with it your radiator will have a big hole instead of a crack. Good luck with the fix/hunt.

JB weld has been holding back a leak on my Transalp rad for about six years now... I used the high-temp type, and just hogged a dollop on the hole...

This is promising to read then. I guess I can start from the bottom and work my way up if need be, so to speak. Try the easiest & cheapest method first and see how it holds up. If it doesn't hold up then I'll go to plan B and so on.

The crack is pretty small. Almost hairline and a little over an 1" long. I'll clean it up real good and try the high temp grade JB Weld. Hoping it will hold up because sucks not being able to ride and forget paying $295+ (best price I could get) for a new rad. heh.

propane or butane (harbor freight# 42099-3VGA) is hot enough to melt the aluminum rod. I have used it on paper thin aluminum and its worked pretty well if you prep it well - a stainless steel brush came with my starter kit.

Good to know about the propane. I usually go through a couple stainless brushes when tinning the braze. The brush gets gummed up pretty quick. Here is an air cleaner I made for my car using this stuff. I made an aluminum ring to braze onto a disk.
https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...8&d=1220627403

I'd just get it repaired at a radiator shop.... it's usually pretty cheap.

Most radiator shops cant heliarch hell most cant even sweat brass but i digres you need to find a welding shop with a arc. or a local union pipefitter shop they can fix it

but is the leak on the tank seam or a rouge crack on the flat metal or do you have a leak in one of the rows ???\

or hell ship it to me and ill arc the friggin thing....

I pulled the radiator. Well turns out what I was seeing by using a mirror on the backside was not a crack. So now I'm not sure where or why the radiator is leaking. I don't see any signs of damage or anything that would make me thing there would be a problem but obviously its leaking as I saw the general area of where it was spewing out from. It was in between the top rad. mounting areas closest to the front one barely.

I'm off tomorrow and wouldn't mind taking it to a radiator repair shop. Do they pressure test them to find the leaks and if it turns out to be a bad fin or row of fins what do they do and what would they generally charge? Sorry for all the questions but I've never had to get a radiator repiared and just want to know what to expect so someone doesn't take me for a loop and overcharge me.

Here are some pics. Sorry they are huge but I needed them to be so you guys could clearly see it up close. I'll post them as links so the page won't get blown upo due to thier large size ;)

Oerall rear shot of the radiator. It was leaking from the upper portion in between the mounting holes. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...diatorleak.jpg

Here is a shot of the frame. You can see where the coolant left waterspots on the frame from spurting out. Notice the droplets fade away toward the left (front of the bike) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...diatorleak.jpg

Here are two close-ups of the fins in the upper portion:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...diatorleak.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...diatorleak.jpg

Thanks for any help or suggestions guys!

filter69, I may take you up on your offer depending on if the shops can get mine fixed and thier prices.

I gotta tell ya I don't see ANYTHING that looks like a leak... I know a rad shop may find something via a pressure test, but motorcycle rads are thinner material than car rads, if I am not mistaken and some automotive shops may refuse to work on them claiming they are more difficult to work on. I may be remembering that incorrectly, though. Good luck, that rad looks brand new to my eyes...

High pressure leaks have a funny way of traveling, are you sure the hoses are not the culprit? It could be spraying from somewhere else and bouncing off the rad or something, or maybe the hose connection at the inlet/outlet...

Another common place is the seam along where the fins meet the side compartments of the radiator... I notice one little spot on the left side of the photo, looks like a weld spot though, not damage. Between the 4th and 5th fins from the top?

Yeah I checked all the hoses real good and tightened up all the clamps. Didn't see a tear rip or weak point. When I watched it spewing from the radiator, I looked real close and could see it was indeed coming from the radiator. I'm off to head to a friends shop to see if he can help. If not then I will try other radiator repair shops and then go from there.

Just got back from the shop being pressure tested. 3rd row had a hairline crack that goes into where it can't be repaired.

So if anyone has a left radiator that is in good condition, please let me know!

Bah humbug.... no such thing as can not be repaired (more like i dont wanna scxrew with it)

i have on many occasions "pinched" off a row and have never noticed a temp issue..

but i can see a rad shop not wanting to rig or garuntee there work on something like that

Would you be able to fix it? I will gladly send it to you if you can get her fixed and sealed up. What's the turn around time? I will try a little trick with my DSLR and reverse my tele lens to make it a super macro and see if I can't take a picture of the crack. It's VERY smal but they told me he couldn't fix it. Probably like you said, because he didn't want to.

Also is radiator stop leak an alternative? I've looked at the collant flow diagram in the shop manual. My fear would be that stuff would make its way into areas I'd rather it not go like the block or the carbs.

PM me if you need to :)

I would not use a radiator sealer. Some of that crap is abrasive and your water pump seals won't like it. I'm sure it can be repaired.The fins between the tubes can be trimmed out of the way(very carefully) to get at the crack. But first post us a picture of the damage with something marking it.Also Google "aluminum radiator repair".tons of info.Jb weld does work.I put a timing cover(alum)back together after a tensioner broke and the chain broke the cover.

Yeai i will gladly look at it and see if i or one of my welding cronies can repair it to a degree
im (we) are comfy with

Send it toMotorcycle Aluminum Radiator Repair.

Prices and service can not be beat, Have a look at his results from repairs,,,,simply great work at good prices, and 1-2 day turn around.

I have sent countless dirt bike rads there and two street ones, plus a few from road race bkes ...

Has anybody ever used these guys - http://www.motorcycleradiators.com/? Are they reputable? Will the repair work or will I need to replace it eventually? Thanks.