Fixing a plastic radiator with a soldering iron ... place your bets

[Beagle]

So the GF's 'yota Avalon beater appliance has a GM Harrison radiator that started leaking and first thing I do is check Rockauto (60 bucks delivered), Amazon (70 delivered), and O'Really (110 plust 8.25 tax not delivered but available today).

We all know how cheap I am, or if you don't by now, here's a perfect example. Bust out the the Weller 80w iron and melt that crack into molten goo. Doesn't need a picture really - it's just puddled up looking instead of smooth plastic. This iron gets pretty hot so I let it get the plastic pretty soft under the crack and shoved the plastic back and forth for a minute trying to get the crack solid again. Yep, it stopped the leak. Should I have drained the radiator and drilled both ends of the crack and used some kind of filler after grinding a V into it? Probably. Did I? No. I'm not just cheap, I'm lazy too. 'yota has towing insurance as well.

Here's the bet - how long does it last?

[STINEY]

Longer than the car.

You just turned into the PO who did that hack on the radiator someone will drag home from the junkyard someday in the future, ya know.

Awesome fix.

BUT............"Doesn't need a picture really". Really? For this crowd? That's like withholding the morning coffee from a caffeine addict! Foul I say!

[Deaf Bob]

Hmmm? Oughta be just fine for your lifetime if it doesn't get banged on..
I've done a SBC jacket above the oil pan, then the guy towed a U-Haul all the way to Florida (custom fancy van with his family) drove it in Fla for a few years befor upgrading.. I used JBWeld, drill bits and wire brush.. It was that or pull the motor and get it running in 4-6 days..
Should be fine...

[Beagle]

smooth



hacked

didn't even bother cleaning it much, maybe that's why I didn't want to take a pic. The bolt is for the fan, it stressed it there. The upper hose edge is on the very right, the crack went about 80 percent of the way over there. I suppose I could wash it off and put some epoxy on it too but I'm curious how long it will last with the 5 minute hack.

[TheSilverBuick]

That did better than I figured it would. A small slathering of 2-part epoxy and watch the vehicle rust around the radiator!

[BBR]

I predict it will last until it encounters it's first 97° day of stop and go traffic. Then it will fail in spectacular fashion in the most inopportune location and time possible.

[squirrel]

The only way to keep it from breaking is to buy a new radiator, and keep it and all the necessary tools in the car at all times.

Says Murphy

[ka67_72]

I went this route a very long time ago on my '89 GP. I just kept chasing cracks. I ended up making aluminum tanks from some scrap. The car is long gone but the radiator has been mounted to the back of my Syncrowave 350 for the past ten years. It keeps my torch nice and cool.

Kevin

[corvettedad]

He He, I've always wondered if that would work. Excellent!

[anotheridiot]

I dont know, usually its girlfriend, buy the new radiator, you don't know what is gonna be picking her up when it breaks and what "extra effort" might be required at the time..

Wife, soldering iron trick.

[Beagle]

Coming down the back straight, it's Drips the Tank Dry by Three Weeks ... it cracked on the mount pad for the fan originally and I don't thing I got it good enough. Oh well, it was free. Rather than try round two and taking another pot shot at the headgaskets, I got the tank from Amazon. I am pretty damn impressed with whoever designed this thing, it's really easy to work on. Pliers, a 10mm and a 12mm. Done. I saw that Toyota put block drains on this engine. Surprise! I went ahead and put the last gallon of "Million Mile" antifreeze in it, I hope it's as good as the Toyota stuff was. The cooling system on this car is immaculate at 17 years old.