Pin hole in radiator - what to do

[rustfalia]

Opinions from the masses.

Pin hole in radiator and I am a looong way from home.

Rad weld and suck it and see

orrrrr

Suck it up and spend abpotentially horrendous day in a recovery truck.

Any other ideas?

[jondude]

Self tapping screw.

[podman]

Long way from home and if rad weld is available, id 100% give it a go...Good luck either way mate.

[Jazoli]

You can get 2 part expoxy sticks that you roll together and create a plug, you should be able to get it in a hardware or plumbers merchants.

[bogie]

If it really is just a pin hole then try the k-seal or rad weld, whatever you can find locally. I used it successfully before to fix a regular drip coming from somewhere deeper in the radiator where I couldn't see it.

[V8RX7]

jondude said:

Self tapping screw.

^^^ This - ideally with a bit of rubberised tape wrapped around it

[V8RX7]

Jazoli said:

You can get 2 part expoxy sticks that you roll together and create a plug, you should be able to get it in a hardware or plumbers merchants.

Or this ^^ if you are near shops

Car parts places will sell JB Weld - if you can get to it to put it on - lasts around 6 months IME

Or K seal works well and doesn't gum everything up IME

[Milkbuttons]

Get yourself lots and lots of fluid, drive home, keep an eye on temp gauge on your journey, stop regularly and top up with more fluid.

If it's only a pin head hole you shouldn't be loosing to much fluid to quickly.

Best of luck though..

[rustfalia]

It's a pin hole but when you knock the bike off you can see it spurting out towards the front tyre.
Got dried coolant over the exhaust and down the side of the fairing in places.
In cornwall and need to get back to the midlands to give the idea of distance.

Il do some googling and keep you updated.

On the plus side just finished three days touring Devon and cornwall had a great time so just need to get back for work on Wednesday

[rustfalia]

Rad weld to the rescue made it hope no dramas.
Just to find a cheaper radiator than the 550 that Honda want.

[Krikkit]

rustfalia said:

Rad weld to the rescue made it hope no dramas.
Just to find a cheaper radiator than the 550 that Honda want.

You might be able to have it repaired by brazing if it's not a ruin all over - then get it repainted and away you go.

[Tango13]

This lot re-cored the rad on my Triumph and it came back like new.

https://www.aaronradiator.co.uk/motorcycle/

[Krikkit]

Tango13 said:

This lot re-cored the rad on my Triumph and it came back like new.

https://www.aaronradiator.co.uk/motorcycle/

Even better idea, I'd forgotten about re-coring.

[rustfalia]

Seems there is a place fairly local that specialises il give them a call tomorrow.

[Fastdruid]

Bit late now, I wouldn't personally use any of the "radweld" type products but each to their own.

I've successfully used plastic padding's Leak Fix on a few leaky radiators... this one worked for about 3 years and many trackdays before I sold the bike...



Also worked perfectly on another bike for many years where a tab had broken off the stone guard and it had rubbed against the rad until it rubbed through.

[Krikkit]

Wouldn't use radweld, would use a cable tied ribena bottle bodge!

Radweld is good for its intended purpose - problem is people abuse it to hide head gasket failures which is where it gets a bad name.

[Fastdruid]

Krikkit said:

Wouldn't use radweld, would use a cable tied ribena bottle bodge!

Idiot. The leak fix is the dark black blob of stuff smeared on the bottom of the rad. Nothing to do with the Ribena bottle, that is there as an overflow (as it was a track bike).

[seveb]

Don't use radweld, terrible idea post 1970s cars where radiator channels were massive and holes were small. Get some metal putty then get it welded when you get back.

[Krikkit]

Fastdruid said:

Idiot. The leak fix is the dark black blob of stuff smeared on the bottom of the rad. Nothing to do with the Ribena bottle, that is there as an overflow (as it was a track bike).

I did read your post and know how an overflow works. Knob.

[Steve Bass]

Just crack a couple of eggs in the rad, job's a good'un