radiator...repair or replace...

[westong]

New radiator but got damaged while in storage.......is it repairable? Or should i buy a new one....

[DeadheadNM]

Take it to a radiator shop if you have one locally - looks like a brass/copper radiator that's worth the repair attempt.

[Tx Firefighter]

That's a while-you-wait repair to any decent radiator shop. He will solder up those little damaged areas and send you on your way for reasonable money. A new radiator of that quality is gonna run you in the neighborhood of 250+ dollars. The 100 dollar cheapies they sell at the parts store are just that, cheap.

[ChevLoRay]

When I was a poor college student, I drove a '56 Mercury. Those old Y-blocks have a tendency toward reduced oiling of the rocker arms. So, the aftermarket developed a system to route oil from the sending unit area to the rocker arms. Long story short: We removed the rocker arm and shaft ass'y and my uncle had me to fire it up. I'd left a 1/2x9/16 wrench on top of the air cleaner. The uneven-running engine caused the wrench to fly off of the air cleaner and the fan tossed it thru my radiator.

My uncle said, "No problem. I've done radiator repair, too". So, out with the radiator and then he pinched the tubes (3 of them) closed with some needlenose pliers, then soldered them real nice. I lost a little bit of the fins in that area, but that sucker ran nice and cool for another year and I sold it.

I don't think the aluminum radiators can use this kind of repair...which is why I have kept my original radiator even after replacing it.....just needs a core.

[Codez67Chevy]

Too bad you still don't have that 56 Merc.

[67 cst swb]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

That's a while-you-wait repair to any decent radiator shop. He will solder up those little damaged areas and send you on your way for reasonable money...

Agreed... A competent radiator shop can solder up those 2 tubes. That one looks a little deep where soldering it may block off that tube from flow, but that one tube wont make a big difference.

I say get it fixed. If you choose not to fix it... send it to me. hahaha... I got a friend that owns a radiator shop.

[westong]

Thanks guys...I will be swinging buy the radiator shop my granpa's neighbor owns tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes.

[Old Truck Man]

Now I know many will laugh but I have a fix that works. I slice open the tube and using a tooth pick cram part of a cotton ball each direction really pack it in there. while im doing the first step im chewing the pink bubble gum. I then pack the bubble gum in the hole to hold the cotton. after that bubble gun gets hard its there. you could also use Jb weld or liquid nails instead of bubble gum. My 1945 international Td 14 bulldozer has ran many years with a cotton ball and bubble gum repaired radiator. I poked a large stick clean through he radiator clearing timber. I remember the boat anchor Y block fords and the non oiling rocker arms. by the time you found out they where dry the wear was so great that overhead oiler conversions would robb all the oil pressure and starve the bearings. I installed a grease alemite fitting on mine. When they started squeaking I would with the engine running pump them full with a grease gun filled with 90 Wt gear oil. Us poor boys have poor ways!