Official Luthiers Forum!

Ever notice how everything seems to break at once? My radiator has
actually had this problem for more than a year, but it's just not holding
up any more. I spent yesterday putting a new alternator in my truck when
I realized how bad the coolant is leaking from the nipple that the upper
radiator hose connects too.

The nipple is plastic, and the plastic has chipped away leaving more of a
stub than a nipple, and not enough stub to get a good clamping around
the hose. Thus coolant slowly seaps out where the clamping pressure is
weak.

I can't afford a new radiator after the alternator, and don't really care too
since the problem is so ridiculous. The idea I came up with is to have a
machinest make an extension that I can expoxy over the stub. That way I
can get a good clamping pressure and the problem will be gone. Do you
think this is plausible? Is there an epoxy that can handle the heat and
pressure build up? It seems like a $40 fix vs. a $200 radiator that I can't
afford.          ;           ;     

There's some stuff from devcon that might work but I'm not really familiar with all their products. Do you have a pic?Billy T38917.0475347222

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Find an appropriately sized piece of pipe. Add a flange to serve as a mounting base and go get yourself some J-B Weld at the local auto parts place (or Wal-mart for that matter.)

J-B Weld is amazing stuff. Long a favorite of us shadetree mechanics, it has even been used to repair cracked engine blocks.

“I kid you not,” as Jack Parr used to say. Dennis E.38917.2968287037

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D..

J-B Weld would be my choice too. Amazing stuff.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Ditto on the JB Weld

Thanks so much for the info and encouragement. JB Weld it is. I'm glad
this isn't a dead end idea. I'd take a picture, but I'd have to drain the
coolant to do so. Not a bad thing in itself, but it's 108 degrees today! I'd
also be thrilled if standard pipe fittings would work. I just need to be
able to slip that radiator hose over it and clamp it down.

Am I able to build up with J.B. Weld if there are any gap areas?

I have used Permo-O-Seal to stop a leaking water pump seal and pinhole on a radiator without any problems. If you have a small leak after using the JB Weld, try the perm-o-seal to close it up. It can also be found at the site that Dennis posted.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

I am having a radiator repaired right now. The fellow doing the repair is replacing the entire side piece which includes the nipple that you are talking about. The cost is $98.00. Mabe someone in your area can do the same.

Al