I was gonna post this in the rad forum but I figure the people in here are probaly alot more knowledgeble( each of us has a 30 some odd year old rad to deal with).

I don't feel like taking the rad to the shop since its one tiny little hole. What does the shop do to fix this?? Is there any way I can fix it myself with a dab of plumbing solder?

 

If it were an emergency fix, you could use black pepper. Put a few spoonfuls of black pepper in the radiator and let it circulate. Eventually, it'll find its way to block that pinhole.

Usually, if there's a pinhole it indicates that those tubes have worn thin. It's time for a recore. I don't believe in rodding out radiators.

If it's one of the outer tubes, or a seam at the tanks or inlet/outlet, you can try to solder it.

If you decide to bring it to the shop, now's the time for a 3 or 4 row core!

 

What sometimes happens to rads when a person tries to repair a hole is.......They make it worse


After watching guys repair & re-buld rads numerous times, I would replace it if you are going to keep the truck.

 

I know of agood fix using bondo if it is just in the radiator fins. Just apply a generous coat of bond to the area ( has to be dry though). Push it all the way through to the other side. Try to get only the affected area though. I did this once and it lasted years.

But I would just replace it if its old.

 

If you solder it, you need a gun (or gas torch) and not an iron. An iron will never get the metal hot enough for the solder to stick properly. Better use a lot of flux too.

 

Don't waste your time. Pick up a new radiator from an auto parts house.

If it's a 30 year old radiator, then it's like a chain, you fix one link, then the next weakest point goes bad.

The only time that I would go to a shop is if I couldn't get a new or rebuilt from a parts house.

 

I've used bondo also on the outlet; guy that eventually soldered it wasn't happy and charged extra to fix. Stop leak, z-bar fix leaks
but may require flush once you do real fix. If your not experienced with solder then don't try it; you won't get it clean or dry enough and will make things worse. You could try crimping the leaking channel and disable it then use a stop leak. I also bought something called "Car Go- Quik Steel" at Home Depot or Autozone; an epoxy 2 part putty you mix by kneeding and fixes gas tanks; radiators; oil pans, exhaust; stripped holes etc, etc. I have yet to use it though. I saw Jesse James use something like this on Monster Garage to fix a gas tank.

 

The rad is very good shape minus the tiny little hole that got punched in it when it fell over on something in my basement.
I got a propane torch and bondo aswell.... I'll solder it then lay in the bondo.

 

I bought a brand new one on EBay two years ago. I paid $150 for it and it has a life time warranty. It's a three core.

 

Forget the bondo. You will never see a radiator shop glopping on bondo or epoxy or fiberglass but they have all had to clean plenty of that stuff off that didn't work. If you have a propane torch then just go for it. I prefer those little blazo butane torches myself, because you can localize the heat without melting nearby solder.
Here is what you do. Go get some acid core solder and some paste flux. Other kinds of flux work ok too. You will also need a clean wire brush so just get a couple of those toothbrush sized ones new. Start by cleaning the area with a wire brush now heat, apply flux and clean with a brush again. Apply more heat, more flux and now some solder. You want the metal that is being soldered to melt the solder, not the flame. Whaen the solder melts quickly hit it with the wire brush. This gets the solder into the metal good and is called tinning. After it is tinned you can apply more heat and more solder, remembering that the metal not the flame should melt the solder. It takes a little practice to make it pretty but if you get frusterated just heat to melting and swipe it out of there with your wire brush and start over. Just be careful to only use enough heat to do the job and not to melt something loose next to where you are working, like a header or tank seam.
And the only stopleak I use is Barsleak. It won't plug up the radiator and heater core like some others do. Never use the metalic stuff in those little plasic cylinders, like siverseal. That stuff will plug up everything

 

thanks for the advice, I got the holes fixed then when I fill it up theres more holes leaking on the other side that aren't on the outer core so I phoned the parts place and ordered a new rad which is worth probaly bout as much as the truck is...on the bright side my truck will have something not beat-up in it This thing is a nightmare on wheels, hehe

 

If your truck is like mine, now your radiator core will start leaking!

(But let's hope not!)