The plastic top has a hairline crack and leaks, Can Epoxy be used at
20f, will epoxy even work. Might silicone sealant work globbed on.- posted
17 years ago
The plastic top has a hairline crack and leaks, Can Epoxy be used at
20f, will epoxy even work. Might silicone sealant work globbed on.
====================== Silicone sealant will definitely not work. Epoxy on that type of plastic is highly questionable. I would not try that either. If you are determined, you could try using a soldering iron and a stick of similar plastic to try melting enough material over the hairline crack to seal it that way, but if the material has become sufficiently brittle to crack, the best idea is to replace the radiator. Theoretically you can just replace the tanks if the core is good, but I was unable to find a shop to do that. Just think of what happens if the radiator fails and you don't notice it in time. You'll be replacing at least the head or possibly the engine. Makes it easier to justify the cost of a radiator. Few things can ruin your engine more quickly than overheating.
I tried epoxy and it lasted maybe a day. I even roughed it up with sand paper and cleaned and dried it and it wont hold! So I just bit the bullet and got a new one!
You dont think either will bond if I understand you. Yea a new one is best.
Some radiator shops claim that they can repair plastic tanks. I cannot vouch for them.
I have found some pretty tough cements that will hold when regular epoxies fail New is good, repair might work.
I think if I were bitten by this phenomenon, with a newish car, I would have a custom brass radiator fabricated for the application. Not too expensive, and most likely a cure.
I called JB Weld they said it will work but take 25-30hrs to cure and that it cures to near -60f
I have used RTV silicone, (gray color not clear) before and lasted for a year on a Civic, it was a leak on the underside of the radiotor and not on the top. It was a long time ago and I'm not sure if I applied it on a plastic or metal part.
I tried Permatex's Radiator and Gas Tank Repair putty. It's about $5 I think.
I heard about these putty welds not holding, but worked well in this case while the owner waited a week for the mail ordered Koyo radiator while driving local. Didn't bother to see how long it held as soon as the new rad arrived.
That's why for some things I just go local NAPA and pay a bit more for the Modine (now Proliance) with lifetime warranty.
There is also the Quick Solder, haven't tried it:
My daughter's '97 Sonata V6 did the same thing,..replaced the radiator as the temp out in the west of New south wales (australia) reaches 40c in the shade on a daily basis in summer for weeks. It was frustrating, as these new radiators (some cars have been using them, like BMW them for 20 yrs or so now) are not as good as metal. Its the brittleness with age that stuffs them. In her case it split along where the crimps are on the top tank. Blew its guts badly,..she saved the engine as she saw coolant spraying up onto the windscreen.
Jason
Can one buy a metal replacement radiator for the Camry at, say, Napa?
Michael
Yes, you can get the all aluminum radiators for the following models:
I like NAPA's Modine or the now renamed Proliance rads. It's close by. But I've used Koyo from
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:
Go to
They offer a number of aftermarket radiators for Camrys.
I dont know that I like the aluminum radiator concept too well. Would much prefer brass as they are generally more resistant to corrosion.
OK, this is the real KOYO site. The last one was only a resaler. Fake!
NAPA sells the Modine (now Proliance) with a lifetime warranty. I've used both Modine and Koyo. But going to a NAPA store is more convenient than waiting for e-tailer shipment for Koyo.
snipped-for-privacy@nospam.nix wrote:
Fake!
That pliii.com website doesn't say... is the Proliance an aluminum radiator?
Where can the Koyo be bought...? Is it mail order only? And about how much do they sell for?
Michael
If you go into the catalog at that site, you can find the part numbers for your application. Click on the number, and it will take you to a description. The ones I checked are aluminum cores with plastic tanks.
http://67.129.153.73/CGv2Production/Pictures/Toyota%20J-Pegs%5C16400-03061.jpg And the $110.89 Proliance alum/plastic:
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:
Fake!
BTW, I wouldn't recommend Spectra Premium. I order one and it was a Koyo reboxed! I order another it was a poorly made SPI rad that I had to return because it looked like a toy. So it depends on the batch, you might get a good rad or not.
I just trust either Proliance (used to be the Modine, TransPro, and ReadyRad lines) or Koyo much more.
snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:
Fake!
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