Doing my water pump and I f'ed up

[85ford]

And poked a hole in my radiator with the damn fan !!!!!! So My question is how hard is it to braze or solder the hole in the radiator? And what method is the best for doing it? Thanks for the help. I need this done within the next few hours so time is of the essence here guys.... Thanks again.

 

[Compu Doc]

And poked a hole in my radiator with the damn fan !!!!!! So My question is how hard is it to braze or solder the hole in the radiator? And what method is the best for doing it? Thanks for the help. I need this done within the next few hours so time is of the essence here guys.... Thanks again.

Radiator repair shop is your best bet.

 

[85ford]

Yay I'm excited woot I get to spend more money now lol. The only radiator shop around here wants $45 minimum to fix it.

 

[icanfixall]

The hardest part of the repair is getting it clean enough. don't use acid or rosen core solider. Just plain old solider works best. Brazing is out of the queston. Its way too hot. Flux it well and add heat. When the soldier melts to the radiator body remove the heat. Only add more heat if needed because the solider stops melting from the roll.

 

[typ4]

Then after you really mess it up it will cost more than 45 to fix it. If you dont have solder experience ,dont try it. Clean radiators are a ***** and dirty ones are near impossible. I hate it and I worked in a radiator shop for 2 years.

 

[GenLightening]

I have one out of my '90 F350 for $75, I'm just over the hill from you.

 

[sassyrel]

Then after you really mess it up it will cost more than 45 to fix it. If you dont have solder experience ,dont try it. Clean radiators are a ***** and dirty ones are near impossible. I hate it and I worked in a radiator shop for 2 years.

i was thinking the same--i have a rad shop. even with it out, and flat, and having the right FLUX and such--wouldnt be fun--if the rad was boiled first, makes it much easier, but that makes for more cost----

 

[rogbayswater]

I got away with using JB Waterweld. It took two tries before I got the rad sealed in my old V10 Dodge. Still holding together two months later. (The alternative was a replacement rad for $454 plus tax.) Another reprieve from the junkyard (but it pissed the wife off)

 

[85ford]

Well I took yours guys advice and just took it to the shop they were nice enough to let me pay tomorrow (payday) and still get the radiator today it's all fixed and working good now.

 

[Compu Doc]

Well I took yours guys advice and just took it to the shop they were nice enough to let me pay tomorrow (payday) and still get the radiator today it's all fixed and working good now.

Your welcome.

Now let me tell you about a radiator incident I caused back in the 80's. A friend had the 20th 65 Mustang off the assembly line that he bought used. One day it would not start and he asked me what I thought it might be. He cranks it over and I told him it was his timing chain. Which it turned out to be. We start taking it apart and in the process I put a hole in his radiator by dropping a wrench. He was not to happy about it and took it to a radiator shop.

The next day he said I really want to thank you for putting a hole in the radiator and I told him that you don't have to add insult to injury. Then he said he was serious and really wanted to thank me and he said if it wasn't for you putting a hole in it I would not have known that there were 13 tubes already closed off before I took it to the radiator shop.

So the moral of the story is if you put a hole in a radiator take it to a radiator shop because there could be something else wrong with it that you may not know about. Especially if the radiator came with the truck when you bought it.

 

[Agnem]

I have one word for you.

Cardboard.

 

[85ford]

Yeah Mel I normally do put something inbetween it but I was in a hurry to get it done and wasn't thinking.

 

[Agnem]

Oops. Always sucks when you don't listen to yourself, and then get to kick yourself for not doing it as well. I think we've all been there and done that. The one I hate is the "Damn.... you knew you should have worn those safety glasses...."

 

[85ford]

Yeah saftey glasses are super important when doing certain things on the trucks. (And by certain I mean almost everything)

 

[RLDSL]

Oops. Always sucks when you don't listen to yourself, and then get to kick yourself for not doing it as well. I think we've all been there and done that. The one I hate is the "Damn.... you knew you should have worn those safety glasses...."

Whoooeee tell me about it. Like the ONE time I was *just* touching up a little something in the solvent tank and didn't bother .... and the flex arm came unscrewed from the pump ...right in my face

"Now kids, those aren't words that we use...."