Barry, my first suggestion would be to take it out and to a radiator shop.
If all they have to do is solder up a crack, the cost should be under $50.
In fact, I had the local shop resolder the fill neck on my Stag yesterday,
and that part of the job was only $30. (Of course, I had them do other
things at the same time, so it might have been more if it was only that.)
Failing that, I would try fiberglass cloth and JB Weld instead of resin. JB
Weld by itself is pretty weak, but it makes a good binder for the
fiberglass. I've repaired several low pressure water vessels (30 psi) with
this combo, and it seems to work pretty good. Sand the entire area first
down to shiny metal, at least 1" in all directions from the crack (and
preferably 2" from the ends since it may try to travel). Then wipe the
surface down with first Acryli-Clean or equivalent; and then with acetone.
Mix the JB Weld and apply a moderately thin layer to the surface. Then lay
the cloth over it, and work it down into the JB Weld. If you wet your
fingers or tool, the JB Weld won't stick to them. Saran Wrap also seems to
work pretty good. If you can't get enough JB Weld through the weave to cover
the top, you can try adding a thin layer of it. It will look ugly as h*ll
when you're done, don't try to fix it. Let the whole mess harden at least
overnight and preferably 24 hours before putting pressure on it. After it's
all set up, you can use a file to smooth out the peaks and spikes.
I've tried that aluminum solder stuff they sell at fairs and whatnot, but
without much luck. But then, I've never had much luck trying to solder a
brass radiator either, so maybe it's just me.
Good luck
Randall
> Does anybody have any idea of what to use as a repair for my aluminum
> radiator? I have tried to repair a small leak in the tank of the radiator
> in my Spitfire, which IS aluminum (griffin radiator) but have had
> absolutely NO luck (don't ask how it got the leak) I have tried 5
> min epoxy
> but that lasted about a week, and now using JB weld epoxy only lasts about
> a day - I have cleaned and sanded the surface, tried a reinforcing piece,
> but to no avail - this is about the fourth time I have tried to
> fix this in
> two weeks and frankly I'm getting darn tired of it! The hole is more of a
> small crack than a hole.
> am I missing something - nothing will seem to stick and handle the heat -
> any suggestions (welding is out)? What do radiator shops use to fix these
> new radiators in vehicles. Most of them are plastic and aluminum nowadays
> and surely they can be repaired!!
> $475 is a little too much for a new radiator!
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