Can the bottom tank on radiator be repaired, plastic

[peter92 Valued Member Find all posts View Profile Close peter92]

Hi Guys
I had a water leak in my radiator for ages and finally took it out to have a look and found a 5'' crack in the middle of the tank running length ways
my question it could this be repaired and would it be worth while doing it
how safe would it be
Your thoughts would be app
Regards Peter

[Pauly Faulkner Valued Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pauly Faulkner]

I would get the bottom and top tanks replaced asap Peter. Once one shows signs of age the other tank isn't far behind it and also once they start, they'll keep cracking in different places.

For time being you can clean it up and patch it with an industrial epoxy or knead it. Supercrap auto also sell patch kits I believe.

[peter92 Valued Member Find all posts View Profile Close peter92]

Thanks Pauly, I bort a new one but just wondering if its worth getting both tanks replaced or not
any ideas on how much it would cost
Regards Peter

[Pauly Faulkner Valued Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pauly Faulkner]

That I am not sure on Peter, you would have to ring up a rad specialists and get a quote.
Keep the old one though as the core can be used later as a spare if there is nothing wrong with it. I would take it to a rad specialists though and see what they say about it as a new rad these days can often be the same price as repair of an old one.

[Blutak Member Find all posts View Profile Close Blutak]

I would really recommend replacing that radiator. As a general rule, its the top tank that goes first. It is exposed to the most heat and expansion/contraction. If the bottom tank has cracked due to age, the top tank will be close to doing the same. If it is aluminum cored a re tank should be fine as long as it is a professional radiator place with a good rep. If it is copper cored replace it as a unit as the fins and cores will most likely be corroded. I have this problem currently. The radiator is in good condition exept for the fins. Copper transfers the heat to the air very well. Copper oxide does not.

Don't bother with second hand. I just made that mistake too. Replaced a rotted radiator with a only slightly less rotted radiator. The original leaked and the replacement has scale insulating it. Gone from very hot sometimes to slightly less hot all the time.

If the budget allows, go out and buy a custom aluminium one like the aussie desert cooler. Summer soon and the trips to the beach will cook it quick. In sand or mud you are asking your radiator to cool an engine delivering maximum performance and heat with only 20-50kph worth of air flow over the radiator. This is the time that the radiator WILL FAIL! Max heat, max pressure, min airflow. Repairs generally fail too. The glue or epoxy gets hot and soft.

Sorry to rant so intensively, I was raised by a mechanic in the north west of WA. The summers up there make cooling issues a big problem. Especially since it is so easily avoided.

PS. Yes I did know beforehand that I should not bother with a wreckers radiator.