Punctured 520 radiator, any suggestions?

[Ofeargall]

My wife had to jump start our 79 Jeep from Edd, the Datsun. She left the engine running on the truck and the jumper cables tangled with the fan. Fortunately the fan belt is a little loose (and old) so it didn't keep spinning. But, one of the jumper cable clamps got pinned against the lower part of the radiator and put a small puncture wound in one of the vertical flow thingymabobbers.

 

Can I just pinch that one closed somehow? I'm pretty decent at soldering but I've heard that you can never get it to hold on these parts. I don't know... I'm just looking for suggestions. Someone here must have taken a shot to the radiator at one time or another. How did you fix it?

 

Thanks in advance.

[datsunaholic]

Solder will hold if you use the right stuff, it has to be CLEAN, use flux, the right solder, and if using a torch (vs a soldering iron) don't use Acetylene- use Mapp gas. If using an iron, it needs to be high-watt, not a little PCB iron. Oh, and if the hole is on the edge you pinch the hole (but not the whole tube) closed.

[P.Rubber]

SIlver solder and a torch with white brazing flux.

[datzenmike]

The vertical tubes are paper thin. I mean thin! Go easy on the heat. Try to tin it first then plug with solder.

[jefe de jefes]

Sand the area then jb weld

[Ofeargall]

Wow! Thanks guys! I had to solder my rad mound bracket back on to the jeep. I sanded that down to brass, fluxed it all, heated it, fluxed again, tinned it and then put it all together. But that was where the bracket meets the tank and it was all heavy duty so I was a bit more confident.

 

I'll get it pinched and soldered. If that doesn't work I'll go the job weld or Sugru route.

 

Probably do it this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

I need to get some silver solder to make a new end for my throttle cable on my motorcycle anyway. Good excuse...

[]2eDeYe]

I've pinched, rolled and flattend the tubes a few times, never had to solder them.

[Ofeargall]

Okay, I pinched the tube, fluxed and soldered the spot. Doesn't seem to be leaking a bit! While I was at it I re-soldered the bracket on the driver's side as it had come loose at some point. When I did get it all back together the top rad hose was leaking pretty bad. I posted somewhere else on Ratsun about that fix. Basically, a top hose from a mid 60's Volvo Amazon is an exact fit replacement on my J13.

 

A couple pix...