Do-it-yourself copper car radiator repair

If car radiator leaking, then most of us resort to replacing it. However, in most cases, you can not change, but repair radiator. Sometimes no skills are required, but it happens that knowledge in the field of welding or soldering is indispensable. Learning to determine the state and trying do it yourself radiator repair.

The most common problem when due to old age appears radiator leak. Coolant (coolant) runs out of the junction of metal and plastic, which automatically leads to engine overheating. It is not always possible to find a replacement radiator, and repairs will cost at least 2 times cheaper than a new one.

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Further discussion will be about automotive radiators in general, and it does not matter whether it is a repair of a heater radiator, an air conditioner radiator or an engine cooling system radiator.

Radiator repair with chemicals. Minor damage can be repaired with special products, which are called in the market as radiator repair fluid, radiator sealant, or powder restorers. The principle of operation is approximately the same: pour the radiator reductant into the engine cooling system (SOD). The resulting mixture seals cracks when exposed to air.

Video demonstration of the operation of the radiator recovery fluid:

Chemistry - chemistry is different, therefore it is impossible to answer for the quality of such a method as a whole. For example, a low-quality reducing agent may not help, but on the contrary, it may harm by clogging the entire SOD. For example, the stove will stop heating and you will need to flush the SOD or change the stove radiator. Higher-quality chemistry can eliminate a radiator leak only for a while (from several days to several months). In this way, radiator repair chemicals is only a temporary solution to the problem.

Repair radiator cells can be a mixture of epoxy resin and hardener. Degrease and pour the substance into damaged honeycombs and level with a spatula. Now the holes in the radiator are 100% sealed.
In general, the folk method involves the use of many materials for sealing, I just showed the main ones. Whether this approach can be called a quality radiator repair, decide for yourself.

The following instructions assume knowledge of basic welding and soldering skills.
To repair radiator permanently, it must be removed, but before that, the coolant should be drained from it (described in detail in the article about cleaning the radiator). Now that the radiator has been dismantled, we can determine its condition, whether the radiator can be repaired or replaced with a new one.

Repair the radiator by soldering. We clean the place that we will restore well and solder a piece of sheet brass (brass radiators). Here you need to resort to the help of a gas burner and a soldering iron.

If cracked radiator tubes, then it is better to replace them with new ones. We heat the solder until it becomes soft and pull the tube out of the tank. We solder a new one in its place.The disadvantage of the method is the effect of high temperatures on the elements of the radiator, which leads to its internal deformation. Therefore, it is better to use argon arc welding (argon welding).

Radiator repair by argon welding. The filler material here is a special welded aluminum wire. You can't do without special equipment. It is worth noting that places treated with argon will be protected from oxidation.
Radiator repair using gas-dynamic spraying. When a special powder is accelerated through the inside of the radiator at a very high speed, a coating 1-1.5 mm thick is formed on the damaged surface. It makes no sense to describe these two methods, because this cannot be done at home.

Video demonstrating radiator repair with argon:

repair car radiator can be done in a variety of ways, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. In one case, there will be a short-term repair of the radiator, and in the other for a long time. If you doubt your abilities, then it is better to entrust the mission of radiator restoration to specialists and argon welding. They will not only repair, but immediately clean the radiator and, if desired, install a brass tank.

If Radiator damaged after car head-on collision, then the repair will cost a pretty penny. It is more correct in this case to buy a new high-quality radiator.

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What kind of radiator repair do you recommend?

The normal operation of the motor is influenced by many factors, including the correct operation of the cooling radiator. For example, the car is in a traffic jam, the engine is running evenly, and suddenly steam starts pouring out from under the hood of the car. Another case. In the cold season, the motorist suddenly wanted to turn on the stove. And then a breath of icy air was felt from the deflector, and the fuel began to be consumed much faster. The cause of these two phenomena is a faulty radiator. For this reason, it is necessary to try to timely identify its malfunctions and carry out high-quality repairs.

Among the options for a radiator breakdown, there are those that can only be fixed at a service station

What can happen to the cooling radiator? So, the generator fails due to the fact that:

• The tightness of the tubes through which the coolant enters the radiator tanks is broken;
• Cracks form on the radiator tubes (for supplying and draining fluid);
• After a car has been in an accident, cracks and holes appear on the radiator itself due to corrosion;
• Rubber seals of steel are not airtight;
• The conductive tubes were clogged, as a result of which the liquid could not be cooled sufficiently.

In order to repair the radiator with your own hands, you must first identify malfunctions in its operation.

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If there are coolant leaks, then the radiator is faulty. It is not difficult to identify a radiator leak, it is enough just to carefully examine the parking lot.

Looking for leaks. With problems with the radiator, this is the first action of any motorist.To do this, you need to slightly open the hood, in which you then search for pipes going to the radiator. It is necessary to check the condition of the upper and lower nozzles of the motor and two nozzles of the stove. It is necessary to carefully inspect the pipes and sealing clamps. Hoses must be free of cracks or breaks and clamps must be free of leaks.

Next, you need to inspect the radiator itself, if there are any traces of recently leaked antifreeze on its body. You need to turn off the engine, wait until it cools down a bit, then turn it on again and warm it up to operating temperature. What is in the open hole? During normal operation of the thermostat, antifreeze should flow inside. An empty radiator means that a stuck closed thermostat needs to be replaced.

You can also check the thermostat with the engine completely cold. To do this, remove the plug from the radiator and look into it. Antifreeze flowing inside means a stuck open thermostat. In addition, it is precisely because of a faulty radiator that the engine constantly overheats. Diagnosis of the state of the radiator is carried out as follows. The coolant levels are checked and should be normal. The "cold" start of the engine is carried out. When the engine warms up, the temperature of the pipes supplying the radiator becomes slightly higher. Radiator outlet pipes must be cold. If the outlet pipes become warm, then the thermostat is not in order. If the lower pipe becomes warmer, then everything is in order with the thermostat, with poor cooling, we can say that the thermostat needs to be replaced (repaired).

Radiators made of brass. Holes, cracks, gaps in this kind of radiators are eliminated. Before starting work, you need to stock up on a powerful soldering iron (an electric one with a power of at least 500 W is quite suitable); drill, flux or soldering acid (zinc chloride additive); solder; sandpaper and a metal brush.

First, the faulty radiator is removed from the car and cleaned. Next, all damage is examined on it. Holes or small cracks, for example, on the surfaces of radiator tanks, as well as other damage, are cleaned with a brush. Then it is necessary to sand the soldering points to those. until a uniform metallic sheen appears. This is done in order to remove oxides and so that the solder and metal adhere perfectly. After that, soldering acid, a drill with flux are applied to the brass surface (in the place of the intended soldering), due to which the spreadability of the solder over the damage will be excellent. When soldering damage, you need to look at the state of the factory soldered seams, which, when heated with a soldering iron on a highly conductive brass material, can also begin to “float”. If damage is found near the places where the factory seams are located, they are cooled or methods of restoring radiators from aluminum material are used.

Radiators made of aluminum material. To repair damage in this kind of cooling elements, it is worth taking various sealants and adhesives.

Holes with damage 1 centimeter deep are repaired using “cold welding”, which is produced in the form of small bars and includes a pair of components with an adhesive base and a catalyst. Sealing holes is done using the same method as repairing with epoxy and polyester adhesives. Before starting a process called "cold welding", its components are kneaded until they become a homogeneous mass and take the form of a conical shape, the sharp corner of which is pressed into the damage.

Cracks that form at the base of any of the tubes are sealed with epoxy adhesives or its components. The best result with this restoration technique can be achieved if fillers (for example, aluminum powders) are added to the adhesive.A solution of the prepared glue is applied to the places ready for work, after which a certain number of layers of fiberglass soaked in the adhesive solution are wound in the places of gluing (to increase rigidity). After the completion of the repair work, the epoxy adhesive must be dried (at least one day), after which the radiator element can be operated.

Note that the restoration of radiators with huge holes is carried out using epoxy glue and fiberglass. In this case, the damage is sealed with a certain number of glass fabric pieces, the size of each of which increases (increasingly). Each layer is dried after gluing.

If the radiator plastic tank is damaged (such designs are quite common), you can either use the method described above or solder the plastics. For the process, it is necessary to use materials identical to those used in the construction. The soldering sequence is identical to the connection of elements made of metallic material.

You will learn more details about the repair of radiators from this video:

At the end of the article, how to repair a car radiator with your own hands, we remind you that after self-repair, the radiator can last a long time if:

• fix it securely;
• the outer radiator surface must be periodically cleaned with autochemical agents;
• fill the cooling system only with high-quality antifreeze;
• the cooler should be periodically (when changing its qualities) changed.

You can also, in order not to suffer, buy a new radiator or send it in for repair at a service station. As for the cost of repairs in specialized workshops, the price will depend on the service station itself, on how popular it is. For example, in workshops belonging to branded manufacturing enterprises, repairs will cost more. In the service stations located outside the city, repairs will cost less. In cities closer to the center, repairs will be more expensive, further away - cheaper.

An article on how to repair a car cooling radiator - causes of malfunctions, troubleshooting methods. At the end of the article - a video about professional radiator repair.

The content of the article:

• Causes of malfunctions of the cooling radiator
• Typical malfunctions
• How to accurately determine the location of a radiator leak
• Repair methods
• Video about professional radiator repair

After the combustion of fuel in the engine, about 70% of the generated energy is converted into heat. Some of the heat escapes through the exhaust pipe, but most of it stays inside the engine, heating it to a high temperature.

To prevent the engine from overheating and dissipate heat into the environment, a cooling radiator (heat exchanger) is used, which is the main component of the vehicle's cooling system. A healthy and well-maintained (clean) radiator keeps the engine at optimum operating temperature, allowing it to run at full power.

However, the radiator, like all other elements of the car, can fail and stop performing its function. But at the same time, it is not at all necessary to immediately contact a car service for repairs. As practice shows, in most cases, the malfunction of the heat exchanger can be eliminated independently. To do this, you just need to identify the cause of the breakdown and know how to eliminate it.

There are not so many reasons for causing problems with the radiator, and they can be conditionally divided into three types:

• mechanical damage;
• incorrect operation;
• natural wear and tear during operation.

You can also add a factory marriage, but this reason is extremely rare. In most cases, the above reasons lead to one consequence - a violation of the tightness of the radiator. That is, it simply starts to flow.

But there is another “result” of a breakdown, which can rather be attributed to improper operation - contamination of heat exchanger plates. Simply put, the radiator becomes so dirty that it stops exchanging heat with the environment, since the adhering and dried layer of dirt (dust, insects, poplar fluff) prevents the heat from being separated from the heat exchange plates.

In this situation, it is hardly appropriate to talk about repairs, because the problem is solved by simply flushing the radiator fins with a stream of running water. By the way, dirt can form not only outside the radiator, but also inside it in the form of blockages, scale and corrosive deposits.

Both a small stone that accidentally flew out from under the wheel of a car, and a serious accident with a head-on collision can damage the radiator mechanically with subsequent leakage. Also, mechanical damage can be attributed to the inept maintenance of the radiator by an inexperienced car owner, when he accidentally damages the body, heat exchange elements or other parts.

Incorrect operation may consist not only in untimely cleaning and washing of the radiator, but also in the use of low-quality coolant.

The low quality of the liquid can lead to its freezing and “defrosting” of the radiator even with a slight frost, with subsequent leakage. Or the composition of a low-quality liquid may be so aggressive that it corrodes the metal. And this over time leads to the same defect - depressurization and leaks.

In the car, as in other technology, there is nothing eternal. And the cooling radiator is no exception. It and its related parts are also subject to corrosion, destruction, blockages during operation.

Typical radiator malfunctions can be divided into two types: external and internal.

External:

• violation of the tightness of the tubes for delivering coolant to the radiator tanks;
• the formation of cracks on the radiator tubes for the supply / removal of coolant;
• violation of the tightness of rubber seals.

Internal:

• the formation of blockages in the conductive tubes that prevent sufficient cooling of the liquid.

Before you start repairing the radiator, you need to determine the nature and location of the malfunction itself. Almost all external malfunctions of the radiator (except for ordinary pollution) consist in a violation of its tightness, which means that there must be a coolant leak.

The intensity of fluid leakage from the radiator can be different, and at the initial stage it is visually imperceptible, but a rapid decrease in the fluid level in the tank is noticed almost immediately. After all, a decrease in the level of antifreeze or antifreeze leads to overheating of the engine, which will be immediately signaled by a special temperature sensor on the driver's instrument panel.

To accurately determine the location of a fluid leak, two methods can be used. In this case, it will be necessary to completely drain the coolant from the radiator, and disconnect the radiator itself, pull it out of the car and rinse thoroughly.

It is necessary to muffle (close) all the radiator inlets and leave only one. Pour water into the radiator through the hole left. Through the same open hole, use a pump or compressor to pressurize the radiator. A trickle of water will come out of the hole in the damaged area.

Also removed, empty and clean radiator, but with all inlets plugged, completely immerse in a suitable container with water. Air bubbles will come out of the holes in the damaged areas. If air does not come out, pressurize the radiator with a pump or compressor.

There are several ways to repair a radiator, but not all of them are available and suitable for independent "garage" or "field" repairs. Below we will consider the most simple and common ways of self-repair in simple conditions, without special professional equipment.

For external repair of a cooling radiator, a heat-resistant adhesive-sealant with metal powder is often used. Such a composition is often called "cold welding" or "metal sealant". On sale, such sealants can be offered ready-to-use or as separate components, which then need to be mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Repairing a radiator using an external adhesive sealant is quite effective, but only subject to compliance with the relevant technological requirements at each stage of work:

• the coolant must be completely drained from the radiator;
• the outer surface intended for repair must be carefully degreased and lightly processed with a needle file or emery cloth until a slightly rough surface is formed;
• for sealing large holes (more than 2 mm), metal patches with a degreased and treated surface can also be used.

Sealant is applied around the hole (crack). Initial hardening occurs within 2-3 minutes, and complete - within a day. After 24 hours, the product can be used.

The advantage of metal sealant is that its coefficient of thermal expansion is close to that of metal, and if done correctly, a sealed radiator can last for several more years.

"Chemical sealants" are sometimes referred to as "radiator rebuild fluid" or "powder rebuilder". Accordingly, such sealants are powder and liquid.

Fixing a leak with a sealant (from the inside) is not a complicated process. The sealant is poured into the cooling system, after which it comes into contact with air and creates a polymer plug that clogs the hole at the leak.

However, this method has a serious drawback - the sealant clogs the cooling system., after which a complete flushing of the system (and the air conditioner with the stove, too) is required. Therefore, the internal use of sealant is advisable only in an emergency, when it is urgent to fix the leak. You can ride with such a sealant no more than 100 km.

Repairing radiators using soldering is considered not only more reliable, but also more difficult and time-consuming. However, this self-repair method is not suitable for all radiators. For example, it is better not to use it to repair radiators made of aluminum alloys, which are very difficult to repair under normal conditions. Such radiators are better, easier and faster to seal with metal sealant. Brass devices are considered the most suitable for repair with a soldering iron at home.

To solder a brass radiator, you will need:

• soldering iron with a power of at least 50 W;
• soldering acid (solution of acid and zinc) - for cleaning metal from oxide;
• borax powder (flux) - to neutralize the oxide film and better spreading of liquid solder;
• solder.
• metal brush, sandpaper or needle file.

The surface for applying the solder layer must be previously cleaned of dirt and dust. A metal brush removes signs of corrosion and oxidation. The working surface is treated with an emery cloth (or file) to a shine, to improve the adhesion (coupling) of the metal with solder. The tip of the soldering iron must be clean and free of old solder residue and scale. Immediately before soldering, the work surface must be warmed up.

Important! Soldering can only be carried out at some distance from the factory seam, since brass has a high thermal conductivity and can melt the factory seam.

The process of soldering a radiator is not as simple as it seems at first glance. If you do not have sufficient minimum skills to work with a soldering iron or you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to contact a specialist.

If the cooling radiator has extensive damage, but it is localized (that is, located in one place), then the problem can be solved by plugging the damaged pipes.

Usually, damaged tubes are tightly pinched (flattened) with pliers on both sides as close as possible to the damaged area. In this simple way, the leakage of coolant from defective holes is blocked.

As a rule, such radical actions are taken in the "field" conditions, when there is no other way out of the situation. At the same time, it should be remembered that it is impossible to operate a car after such a radical repair for a long time, and the number of plugged tubes should not exceed 3-4 pieces.

The latest car models are increasingly equipped with plastic barrel cooling radiators and an aluminum alloy core. It should be remembered that it is not necessary to waste time on repairing such radiators, since they cannot be repaired at all - they must be changed immediately.

Video about professional radiator repair: