Map bronze solder a car radiator?

   / Map bronze solder a car radiator? #21  
Sooo, my wife and my dad heard I was going to start experimenting on the car with a blowtorch and got a lot more proactive about​ dropping me off at work and taking it to the radiator shop. So I guess some good came out of my asking questions cuz the things fixed now, for better or worse.

So I guess I'm sticking to burning the 6013 for now, all day every day. Thanks again for all the advice! I'm sure I'll apply it sometime.

Likely being more old-school down your way (a compliment BTW), a local repair shop will probably have that fixed quick, at a reasonable price.

It's a relatively easy repair, usually doable even with propane. Basics have been covered well already (clean metal +1)...... the only other major way to get hung up is if the rad is full(ish). With a leak up high, the level may be down enough already, but if the coolant is too close to the repair area it will sink enough heat away to slow down a propane torch.

As covered, some repairs last for years/longer, some, not so much. A big factor IMO is coolant maintenance; if coolant changes have been significantly stretched out, there are likely other weak spots in an older system.

(Edit - if you are somewhat new to soldering/brazing, I'd suggest practicing with propane first, esp. on thinner materials. Until you begin to get some "feel" for applying heat, MAPP can add too much heat into areas you don't want it to).

Rgds, D.
 
   / Map bronze solder a car radiator? #22  
Heck a good HD soldering iron would do the trick, like 100 watts.
Best yet the heat will be more localized than with a plumber's torch.

My first choice would be torch and acid flux applied with a brush.
 
   / Map bronze solder a car radiator? #23  
Buy a new radiator. If it has one hole it will develop another.

So true. You can pick them up dirt cheap online 🤗 today . Last one I got for $32 . Plastic surebut like one rad shop owner told me once . Plastic cracks copper and aluminum corrode take your pick. Besides, it痴 a lot easier to just change it out than screw with the things.n
 
   / Map bronze solder a car radiator?
  • Thread Starter
#24  
We might be on our way to get a new radiator soon, dude soldered it up and now it's squirting out all the same holes again
 

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