I see my radiator is leaking again where to top tank is soddered to the core. I tried to fix before and will try again. But wondering if there is a special kind of sodder to use.
I plan to wait until the car is put away for the winter. Any special tips here as to removal of old sodder, cleaning the area, and whatever? Thanks
Chris R said
Sep 27, 2012
Silver solder thats used for sealing copper pipes would work. Dynaflow is a brand name ive always heard used
Bowtieman427 said
Sep 27, 2012
I will ask my mom, she worked at Harrison radiator Lockport, NY for 30 yrs. Her last job before retirement was repairing evaporators that leaked off the line (braze repair). I assume copper brass Harrison Radiator ? Is there a lot of corrosion ? Got to remember back when she was there the soilder was most likely good old tin-lead. I do not think she ever repaired radiators : ( but may know what GM used.
Bobs_Place said
Oct 6, 2012
I fix the radiator in my 66 Impala about 3 or 4 years ago.
The top tank was leaking, so I pulled it out, removed the tank and resealed it, worked well.
I heated the old solder with a butane torch and blew it out with compressed air.
I then cleaned the oil solder and crud from the seam area of the rad core and top tank.
Now is a good time to clean the core, I used some muriatic acid to clean ths scale off the tubs, then bead blased the top tank.
The trick is to get the two parts to be solded as clean as posible.
I resolded the tank to the core using the same solder and flux you would use for copper pipe, be carefull not to heat the tubs as you don't
want to melt the solder around them.
The top tank still looks very good, however it looks like the rad has to come back out as the bottom tank is seeping now.
Hope this helps, let us know you come out.
jim larson said
Oct 6, 2012
After researching this here and a few other places, it seems that you should use the old style solder that is around 60/40 (tin and lead). Make sure everthing is very, very, clean. And there is a special type of flux that cleans and lays a thin layer of tin down before the real solder flows into place. Also be carefull with heat, not to hot. Thanks everyone.
I see my radiator is leaking again where to top tank is soddered to the core. I tried to fix before and will try again. But wondering if there is a special kind of sodder to use.
I plan to wait until the car is put away for the winter. Any special tips here as to removal of old sodder, cleaning the area, and whatever? Thanks
Silver solder thats used for sealing copper pipes would work. Dynaflow is a brand name ive always heard used
I assume copper brass Harrison Radiator ? Is there a lot of corrosion ?
Got to remember back when she was there the soilder was most likely good old tin-lead. I do not think she ever repaired radiators : ( but may know what GM used.
I fix the radiator in my 66 Impala about 3 or 4 years ago.
The top tank was leaking, so I pulled it out, removed the tank and resealed it, worked well.
I heated the old solder with a butane torch and blew it out with compressed air.
I then cleaned the oil solder and crud from the seam area of the rad core and top tank.
Now is a good time to clean the core, I used some muriatic acid to clean ths scale off the tubs, then bead blased the top tank.
The trick is to get the two parts to be solded as clean as posible.
I resolded the tank to the core using the same solder and flux you would use for copper pipe, be carefull not to heat the tubs as you don't
want to melt the solder around them.
The top tank still looks very good, however it looks like the rad has to come back out as the bottom tank is seeping now.
Hope this helps, let us know you come out.
After researching this here and a few other places, it seems that you should use the old style solder that is around 60/40 (tin and lead). Make sure everthing is very, very, clean. And there is a special type of flux that cleans and lays a thin layer of tin down before the real solder flows into place. Also be carefull with heat, not to hot. Thanks everyone.