Can anyone - ANYONE - out there repair some small leaks in original Corvette aluminum radiators? Or..........are there any sealants that will do an acceptable job for a street driven car? Thanks......Rex NCRS #8089
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Re: Aluminum radiator repair???
Any repair or "stop leak" additive, assuming they're initially effective, is probably only temporary. The furnace brazed design is just not given to field repair, but if you buy a new DeWitts reproduction it will last at least 40 years with good cooling system maintenance i.e. two year coolant change intervals with a modern HOAT antifreeze.
Also be sure a new radiator has new rubber mounts so it's electrically isolated from vehicle ground.
Duke -
Muggy Weld
What do you have to lose, it's leaking anyway! They sell both a 350 degree and 600 degree rod for aluminum repair. You could easily do either with a propane torch. $50 gets you 5 of the 18" rods of either type and the flux.
Hope this helps, let me know.
MarkComment
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Re: Aluminum radiator repair???
agree with duke in that the DeWitt repo is a long-term cure. i've bought and installed nearly 10 of the late c-1 and c-2 repos from tom and they are beauties. that said, i put a can of aluminum powder in the wife's 63 300 hp's orignal radiator almost 22 years ago and the sucker refuses to sprout a leak. if i didn't have one of tom's repos for the wife's 63 sitting on the shelf(since '94), i'm sure i'd got an earfull from the little misses years ago when the coolant puked on her. who knows. mikeComment
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Re: Aluminum radiator repair???
GM recomended epoxy for repair of the radiator. It works.Comment
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Re: Aluminum radiator repair???
Highly recommend Dewitt's radiator. Bought one for the '63 project and it's a beauty. Bringing a mint replacement to Corvette Carlisle that's dated '76. Bought it new from Don Yenko in the late 70's and it only has 6 miles on it.
Hope Dewitt has solved his problem with one of his sub contractors as we would be lost without Tom's first class product.Comment
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Re: Aluminum radiator repair???
I agree with Duke. These radiators are 35+ years old. I doubt that the engineers ever expected them to last this long. My original 66 aluminum radiator is sitting in my basement: it doesn't leak, seep and it doesn't COOL like it should.
Anything you do to an original radiator is a band aid and does not correct the underlying issue of age, corrosion, loss of cooling capacity due to precipitation of solids that settle to the bottom of your radiator.
Go to the DeWitts site and look at repro rads. Your engine will love you!
GaryComment
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Re: Aluminum radiator repair???
I had an extra C2 radiator that had a few leaks in the core. I asked my local radiator guy if anything could be done with it. Much to my surprise he said "SURE" there is now available an epoxy. (4 or 5 yrs ago now) So I took it to him and he repaired it and pressure checked it, but I'm sorry to admit I've never installed it, so it is still sitting on the shelf. I'm sorry to be not of better help.....FrankComment
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