radiator weeping

[Clem Clement]

I'm seeing some crystal growth along the top seam of my 40 Merc Dearborn car.

I really don't want to R/R the radiator. What sealant should I use that won't plug
up the radiator any. I have a heat problem as is.
Clem

[tubman]

If you "have a heat problem as is", wouldn't this be a good tome to pull the radiator and have it repaired properly? I don't know if this would effect your "Dearborn Status", but I would rather risk that than a cracked block or other side-effects of overheating.

[19Fordy]

If your radiator is not pressurized apply a smooth bead of black rtv to the seam. Wonder if that FLEX SEAL stuff "as seen on TV" would work as a short term solution.

The truth is, you should R and R the radiator to prevent a costly disaster as the leak will only get worse.

[oldskool]

don't use any stop leak or any junk in your rad, I once used barrs leak and it clogged the radiator,have a pro repair it

[joe 1950]

don't put a bandage on it it will only come back to bite you we all know how that works do it right pull it out and make sure its plugged or you may have other problems causing the overheating

[deuce_roadster]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Make sure the leak isn't from underneath the top hose dripping down and looking like it is the seam. I agree with others though, your car deserves to have the radiator fixed properly. It isn't that big a deal to remove the hoses and the radiator. Have someone give you a hand and put a piece of cardboard in between the fan and radiator while carefully lifting it out. This also gives you an opportunity to check the hoses.
Remember those ads where Chuck Yeager said "Never wait for trouble"? (even though it was a GM ad)

[Clem Clement]

Thanks. I'm hoping for an eggs run Wednesday to check on things.

[deuce_roadster]

Hope it is something easy for you.

[FrankWest]

old timers back in the 1930's used to pour a small size box of pepper into the radiator. This would have the small soft ground pepper fill and tiny cracks.

[V12Bill]

Just had to have the radiator in my 1950 F1 recored. I checked into new replacement radiators. Aluminium had overflow on wrong side, no provisions for shroud, set up for high pressure, Drain in back instead of front. New Brass works radiator was $800 and had some of the same issues. I bit the bullet and got my old radiator back with the new core and no issues. Sit down and weigh the pros and cons.

[supereal]

When I worked for a Ford dealer, the "factory authorized rebuilt engines" always came with a contained of material, usually "Barr's Leaks". Ford flathead blocks often were fragile due to "core shift" when they were cast. Machining during rebuild would cause internal leakage. Many years ago when I visited the Ford Rouge plant I was surprised to se a virtual mountain of engine blocks piled up out in the yard. The failure rate of newly cast blocks was very high. When we removed the water pumps during repair, we often dug out heaps of core sand with a length of wire. This stuff could, and did, impair cooling.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by Clem Clement

I'm seeing some crystal growth along the top seam of my 40 Merc Dearborn car.

I really don't want to R/R the radiator. What sealant should I use that won't plug
up the radiator any. I have a heat problem as is.
Clem

I have used a lot of different coolant sealants in various applications and never had any issues. Because of the nature of how they work am not sure how they could clog a radiator. I would guess some mixture of compounds in the coolant resulted in a jelling which may or may not have been related to the sealant. Need to pay attention to the directions on what you select, some require you to remove an antifreeze (or other substances) and flush with clear water prior to usage (antifreeze can be added later in the process). Anyway, I have had good luck in my applications.

If you are interested in a Rumble Seat recommendation: "Recently I came across BG Cooling System Sealer (part #571). ABSOLUTELY SUPER STUFF! I saw a demonstration where the bottom of a beer can (I volunteered to empty it first) had been punched with an ice pick several times. They filled the can with water and held it up so the water poured out the holes. Then they added a mix of water and their tan colored sealer. The water completely stopped streaming out of the holes in less than 5 seconds!!!! Great stuff. Since it’s organic, it doesn’t harden in the system...It simply stays in suspension until there is a leak. Another thing I like..... flushing the system flushes it out. It doesn’t adhere to the walls of the cooling system. I use it to seal head studs and head bolts when building an engine in addition to sealing radiator leaks on the road. It’s so good I carry a can of it in my heap all the time. You never know when a rock or something will cause a leak. Oh yeah.... it will seal blown head gaskets if the hole is fairly small..."

[Jack E/NJ]

Metamucil psyllium powder works for me. Unsweetened of course. 8^) Jack E/NJ