EMERGENCY radiator bodges?

[HustleRussell]

What works best? I've 180 miles to go and losing a lot of coolant. The hole is in the radiator in one of the aluminium tubes (stone chip damage?)

[S1_RS]

I've used radweld to great effect a few times, imho the best one is the solid lump you crumble into the system rather than the liquid.

[alangla]

Last time I had something similar I put a bottle of Radweld in. It's only a temp fix though - you'll need to replace the radiator eventually.

[CAPP0]

Grandpa will take off his flat cap and tell you that breaking an egg into the top of the rad will do it. Don't know how effective that is though!

[fivetenben]

If you can find any, steel epoxy has worked for me in the past. Stuff like this:

http://marinestore.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Sc...

Obviously have to wait until the water level is low enough to stop draining out of the hole so you can apply the stuff though... Good luck!

[rigga]

S1_RS said:

I've used radweld to great effect a few times, imho the best one is the solid lump you crumble into the system rather than the liquid.

Very true,not seen that stuff for a while now though,we used to have it when i worked in the trade but only seem to see the liquid stuff in halfords and the like

[EDLT]

Liquid radweld held my radiator together for four years.

[john2443]

If it's a biggish hole and you can access it, try to fill it with something (wire wool used to be the recommended thing) before putting Radweld in as it gives something for the RW to stick to instead of being washed away.

Gaffer tape.

Leave the radiator cap off, without pressure you won't be squirting water out as quick - will boil at a lower temp, but it'll boil with no water in anyway.

Get the biggest container you can, fill with water and keep in boot, top up at every services.

Keep watching the temp gauge, if necessary put the heater on and open the windows.

Good luck.

[HustleRussell]

Thanks folks, I've 'terostat'd a penny over the leak and put a bottle of Radweld and half a pot of ground pepper in! (don't ask, friend's recommendation!). Fingers crossed.
P.S. there is already a new radiator ordered which is at the other end of this 180 mile journey.

[sebhaque]

Was told that if you've got a leaky rad you can solve it by opening up the cap and cracking a few eggs into your system. The idea is that as the coolant heats up it'll cook the egg, which then plugs the gap. Whether it'll work or not I have no idea, but I've heard this spouted out a couple of times.

On a (slightly) related note, this post has made me much more sensitive to the smell of the eggs I've got on the boil.

ETA - piss, didn't read the 4th post.

[warmfuzzies]

CAPP0 said:

Grandpa will take off his flat cap and tell you that breaking an egg into the top of the rad will do it. Don't know how effective that is though!

Myth busters did it to great effect.


Kevin

[marshal_alan]

handful of porridge oats also has the same effect as eggs

[steveo3002]

big dollop of car body filler forced well into the fins around the hole should slow it up or cure it until you get home

[Murv]

When I tried "the egg trick" on my Fiat Strada (many Years ago) all I achieved was to spray omelette down the A2 on my way home...

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

Back when I raced bikes, I'd buy a brand new showroom model, then ride it on the roads for 1000 or so miles to bed it in and loosen it up. Then we'd strip it, tune it and add all the racing bits.

One year, the first day I was out on the new bike with about 50 miles on the clock, I was following a mate on another bike. He rode over some bits of gravel in the road, which flicked up and put two holes in the radiator I was not happy as you can imagine! Coolant everywhere.

Got it recovered home, and as a temporary fix, I removed the rad and plugged the holes with 'chemical metal.' I used some paint stripper around the holes so that the filler would get a good key onto bare alloy.

I carried on running it in with no problems, and as it showed no signs of leakage - I ended up doing 3 full race seasons with that rad plugged! It never leaked or caused a problem. I then sold it on to someone who carried on racing it too - and as far as I know, it NEVER leaked!

So - chemical metal - race proven as a radiator repair!

[Ozzie Osmond]

john2443 said:

Leave the radiator cap off, without pressure you won't be squirting water out as quick - will boil at a lower temp, but it'll boil with no water in anyway

+1 This approach, combined with gentle driving and preferably turning the heater on full power as well, can keep you going for a very long time. Even leaving the bonnet on its safety catch can help with engine cooling when you're in a squeeze.

[chongwong]

Ozzie Osmond said:

+1 This approach, combined with gentle driving and preferably turning the heater on full power as well, can keep you going for a very long time. Even leaving the bonnet on its safety catch can help with engine cooling when you're in a squeeze.

also agreed, however leaving the bonnet on latch has caused my bonnet to twist slightly. Hardly noticeable, but i know its there so it really annoys me

[john2443]

OP, are you home yet!?

[HustleRussell]

Sorry I didn't update sooner, It's been a busy weekend!
I was, in fact, towing my Caterham up to Cadwell Park for Friday testing and racing Saturday and Sunday. When the rad sprung a leak, I knew I had to get there- So I decided to bodge it and order a new radiator for delivery to a friend's house close to the circuit so I could fit it over the weekend.
My bodge worked well, so I decided not to fit the new radiator at the circuit. The car has now done over 500 miles with it. I will be flushing the system and changing the radiator ASAP though.
Unfortunately my race car wasn't quite so reliable, I suffered my first ever DNF on Saturday and my 2nd on Sunday

[GC8]

K-Seal is best, but it isnt cheap. Unlike Radweld, which can be bought in pound shops.

A liquid metal epoxy would be a good bet too, if access a available.