Plastic Radiator?

[silver912e]

My Nissan has a hairline crack in the top of its radiator. The radiator is plastic (that's a new one on me), so I bought a new one, but I need to limp along on this one until the weekend when I can do the install. It's leaking a little, and I was wondering if some crazy glue will get me to the weekend?

Any ideas?

Thanks.

(Damned water-cooled cars)

[IROC]

I don't know if I would trust super glue. Every time I have tried to "make it to the weekend" with a leaking radiator, it has come back to haunt me.

BTW, lots of plastic radiators these days...

Mike

[notfarnow]

Could you use a soldering iron to "weld" the crack up? I've done this with plastic bumpers before

[M.D. Holloway]

Chances are, the plastic is a thermo-set material which means once it has been processed and cured you can't melt it back. Plastics are catogorized into two families - Thermoplastics (which can be remelted and molded) and Thermosets (which can not be re-processed or remelted without draqstically changing the physical properties).

For high temp, automotive applications, thermosets are typically used. Not sure you will want to try a repair job to get you through.

[id10t]

You are replacing it anyway, why not try the raw egg sealer method for the weekend?

[Superman]

Duct tape? A bottle of Radiator Stop Leak? Bars Leak?

[RANDY P]

JB Weld the crack.

[island911]

Originally posted by notfarnow
Could you use a soldering iron to "weld" the crack up? I've done this with plastic bumpers before

Good advice. (epoxies haven't worked there for me)

I've done this (weld) to plastic radiators w/ good results. Tho' admittedly, I may have snuck-in some carbon fiber to add some strength to the area.

oh, try not to breath the fumes.

[flyenby]

every time I have used stop leak...........water pump bearing fails after that.............