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Jb weld on the aluminum radiator ?

Would you J-B Weld your aluminum radiator?


  • Total voters
    16

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andyb2637

10+ Year Contributor
97
0
Jul 13, 2008
Chicopee, Massachusetts
So what happened was i just bought a sweet triple row radiator for 166 shipped from ebay. The brand is champion ship racing(bought it since it had a liftime warranty). No this isnt a product review but it is very solid and fits snug. Now when i was putting it in i accidently punctured one of the coolant rows. Just one of them. Will jb weld work in this situation. I here it works pretty good but this is an aluminum radiator so im alil iffy. What are your thoughts?

I could just send it back n say shipping damage :sneaky:ROFL...
 
So what happened was i just bought a sweet triple row radiator for 166 shipped from ebay. The brand is champion ship racing(bought it since it had a liftime warranty). No this isnt a product review but it is very solid and fits snug. Now when i was putting it in i accidently punctured one of the coolant rows. Just one of them. Will jb weld work in this situation. I here it works pretty good but this is an aluminum radiator so im alil iffy. What are your thoughts?

I could just send it back n say shipping damage :sneaky:ROFL...
Why not an actual weld?
 
It might hold up for a few days, but it will eventually crack and leak. I would just find some to weld the hole. Another thing to consider is that if you put jb weld on it, than it will be a pain in the ass to get it all off when if fails and you need to weld it.
 
Do you like changing head gaskets? If you say yes, then JB weld it. If you say no, then pull the rad out and have it welded.

Keep in mind, an improper cooling system is a leading cause of blown head gaskets.
 
I don't have extensive experience using it on a radiator but I did have a Fluidyne that used JB weld to seal holes in a few cooling rows and it worked like a charm for many years. I might have been a lucky one though!
 
Ive been there and done that. Do not JB wled it. It wont hold long. I had mine welded at my place of employment and we do some thin stuff but man those things are damn thin. I rigged up a way to put 20psi regulated air on the radiator and dipped it in a water tank to see if the weld was sound and it took three tries so make sure you can test it cause the welders at my work are the best ive ever seen and it still didnt work on the first try.
 
I had to junk a 400$ koyo cause of that nothing worked, jb weld, tried brazing it, and it just effin ruined it. I should have attempted tig but it's just so think i think even 10 amps would blow it away. Anyway, good luck, I'm over 400hp and have an oem rad now haha.
 
Devcon makes an Aluminum Putty similar to JB Weld that I would try. I used it in an industrial setting for years repairing aluminum molds and it worked well. These molds were on a conveyor that went thru a heating bay and regularly saw over 150* every 3-4 min for two 8 hour shifts 5 days a week for years on end.

I would not try to repair complete fractures on something that holds pressure, but plugging holes should be fine. I used to plug holes and fix chipped/gouged contours and grind back into shape. We used to get 16oz jars which were pretty pricey ($60-70 maybe?) Maybe you can find a smaller size for a good deal cheaper...

I also jb welded a plastic end tank on a hyundai radiator and it held for over 4 years.
 
I fixed a fin that got punctured on a koyo, I used the 2 part putty that comes in a tube. Metal knead it I think it was, It was on an evo 9 time attack car and it hasn't leaked yet.
 
If I punctured an aluminum radiator, I'd weld it.

That being said, I have repaired a radiator with JB Weld in the past. Though it had plastic end tanks (leak was on the end tank) and it was a beater car that I didn't care about. But it held for years until the rest of the car fell apart around it.

I'd bet it would work fine for you, but I'd still only use it as a last resort.
 
Not a radiator patch, but I have eliminated my FIAV lines, coolant to turbo lines, and coolant line to factory oil filter housing. I did all of thise with JB weld and short bolts since I am not taking the water pipe off the car anytime soon. Has held up fine for 2 years so far. Zero leakage.
 
I used it on a nice fluidyne aluminum radiator and it worked grate and never leaked for a few years. I swapped it out for a stock radiator eventually but not because it was leaking.
I opened the hole up with a needle nose and made sure I got the jb all up in that mofo. Then I let it set up a bit and crimped it down and added more to the top.
 
Take it to a rad shop. If it is only 1 small hole it won't cost much to fix right. Why fart around with it. Do it once, do it right.
 
I punctured my PWR aluminum radiator at a track event years ago. I used some JB Weld to fix it and ran it the rest of that day and the next, then ran it at another couple of race weekends with no leaks. Haven't messed with it since, but the car hasn't been running since then either. That stuff works. I'm considering having it welded but don't really want to mess with it since it's been working okay. We'll see.
 
Hey guys I ended up using the JB on it since I had to get to work the next day and it was 8:30 at night but good news though. It has been holding perfectly for the whole time. When I did put it on the leaky spot I made sure to give it 6 hours to cure. In that 6 hours I pushed the putty into the hole even more. The next morning when I checked on it, there were no leaks. Filled her up and she runs perfect! Just make sure the area you apply it to is clean (Obv).

The only reason I ended up doing it is because my Mechanic showed me his boiler in his house. He JB welded that 4 years ago when that had a leak and it builds way more pressure then my laser will ever. I felt it was probly the best example I could have seen. Hopefully if anyone's in a quick fix they'll use this or an egg if you guys watch myth buster ;)
 
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