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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / June 2005

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Cracked upper rad outlet

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rajp - 04 Jun 2005 22:39 GMT
Can anyone recommend a temporary remedy for a cracked upper radiator
outlet for a 96 Subaru Outback, until the radiator is replaced?
Steve Cook - 04 Jun 2005 23:31 GMT
Steve Cook - 04 Jun 2005 23:32 GMT
do_not_spam_me@my-deja.com - 05 Jun 2005 00:00 GMT
> Can anyone recommend a temporary remedy for a cracked
> upper radiator outlet for a 96 Subaru Outback, until
> the radiator is replaced?

If the outlet is plastic, it's probably fiberglass reinforced nylon and
is best repaired by cleaning it off and then running a soldering iron
along the crack.  For filler use either some radiator repair rod (if
the Subaru dealer doesn't have it, try a GM dealer or a radiator supply
house) or shave off slivers from some of the reinforcement ribs.  The
soldering iron can be very low powered, even 10W, since plastic absorbs
almost no heat.
Mike Romain - 05 Jun 2005 14:10 GMT
Is is brass or plastic?

The brass ones can easily be permanently fixed by soldering using
plumbers solder and flux.  That is acid core stuff.  Electronic solder
won't work.

I repaired my upper rad outlet almost 6 years ago and it is still
holding strong.

If it is plastic, you can get some plastic 'weld' compound you mix add
and heat to activate.  It sort of works if you get lucky.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

> Can anyone recommend a temporary remedy for a cracked upper radiator
> outlet for a 96 Subaru Outback, until the radiator is replaced?
John_H - 06 Jun 2005 01:43 GMT
>The brass ones can easily be permanently fixed by soldering using
>plumbers solder and flux.

A lot of Japanese radiators also have the outlet spout soldered to the
opposite face of the tank for rigidity -- ie the spout extends across
the tank on the inside.  If the joint on the opposite side of the tank
breaks, as is usually the case if there's a leak on the outlet side,
it's far more common for the tank to be cracked than the solder joint.

You can easily tell if it's that type of construction as there'll be a
shallow semi-circular indent (to locate the spout) on the opposite
side of the tank.  It's next to impossible to identify a cracked tank
from a leaking solder joint unless you clean it up thoroughly before
making a very close visual inspection.

The only permanent fix is to remove the tank from the core, remove the
spout from the tank and repair the cracked tank with a brass plate.
The spout needs to be soldered back in, on both sides of the tank,
before the tank is replaced.  If the spout's badly rusted inside the
tank, as is often the case, you'll also need to make a new one.

Or, for a temporary repair while you're waiting for a new radiator,
silver brazing will probably last for a few days.  Soft soldering a
cracked tank would be lucky to get you once around the block.

--
John H
Mike Romain - 06 Jun 2005 15:11 GMT
> >The brass ones can easily be permanently fixed by soldering using
> >plumbers solder and flux.
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> --
> John H

I guess I am lucky I own a Jeep.  I have recently twisted my CJ7 up bad
enough to snap the metal straps on the sides of the rad that hold the
two tanks together but that soldered with regular plumbers solder brass
top rad hose spigot is still hanging in there 6 years later....

I did remove and clean up the rad before soldering though.....  I also
find a chunk of copper strap like 'all round' will act as a good 'band
aid' if soldered over a crack.

I also just welded two steel straps like [    ] over the side rad straps
to hold my tanks back together.  Only lost two coolant rows....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
 
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