It's a Koyo full size radiator for a dc2.

I know the end tanks are relatively easy to weld, but i have a miniscule puncture in the bars going vertically. Its only about 2mm or so big, but Tig welding it just melted it. Does anyone do these kind of repairs? or am i just SOL.

 

Have fixed quite a few of them and have always tig welded them. I am talking about the coolant tubes also and not the tanks. It's not easy and not for the beginner. Kinda like welding a soda can.
1 needs to be clean once clean pinch the hole closed just the area of the hole do the absolute min so you will maintain water flow thru the tube when your done
2 grind a very slender point on 1/16 or .04 tungsten at least 1/2 inch long
3 I sand down 1/16 tig wire to about .03-04 dia
4 A machine with very good control at low amperage and a foot control
5 patience and a good clear lens try to rush and you will make junk
6 check with air pressure and soapy water

you will need to remove some of the fins in the area to be welded needle nose pliers work good

 

kind of hard to see but i removed the last row on my arc radiator because it was too damaged to repair, you can do this with any of the rows though, doesnt have to be the end.

 

Interesting, thanks guys.

 

That muggy weld website has a lot of videos of brazing tiny holes like that.

http://www.muggyweld.com/1clip12.html

 

wow that link is awesome!

 

if you dont feel like trying it again, there are probably shops around you that do radiator repair and restoration that can easily handle what you have. Ask some classic car shops where they go.

 

cool thanks for the info. I called Koyo today since they are actually in Irvine and they referred me to a place close by. Hopefully they can handle the job. .

 

AC shops can also help...remember that a radiator is very similar to a condenser and evaporator. My friend brazes holes in radiators at his shop a lot.

 

This super alloy 5 stuff sounds like a modified zinc/tin solder, which is what you use to solder aluminum. The other zinc/aluminum solder works too, but melts at 700-800*, vs 390-650* for the other stuff. Zinc is needed for some reason, to prevent the aluminum from becoming brittle or something. Mcmaster has that solder, along with the apropriate flux. It adds up to be under $25 from mcmaster.com if you add the solder, flux, and shipping.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crx12 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That muggy weld website has a lot of videos of brazing tiny holes like that.

http://www.muggyweld.com/1clip12.html</TD></TR></TABLE>

So i took my radiator to a local shop that Koyo actually recommended to me. I didn't get to watch the procedure, but the final product looks like what was done in the link above. My coworkers are skeptical that it will hold up on the track though, any thoughts? Any experiences of repaired racing radiators failing at the repair spot?

 

Well as long as the surfaces were preped well, neither the appropriate epoxy nor solder will have a problem with ~200* temps, mixed coolant, or ~16psi radiators run at.

I've done some pretty shabby fixes at the races, and they usually held. Mind you this is with a 400ci engine running with a dirt-filled radiator, being fixed in the time it takes the driver to use the port-o-potty. The 'good' places have the benifit of experience, time, and proper materials. I had a propane torch, plumbing solder, and wet radiator cores...

 

^^^nice! hah, makes me feel better about the repair job. But i'll just bring an extra radiator to my next track day just incase!