Over hour, due to fixed heating and cooling cycles, the plastic parts of a radiator may ripen into brittle and much crack. Replacing a radiator that has a cracked inlet tube is not obligatory provided you prefer to repair the crack. Although a repaired crack may not ante up you the corresponding longevity of a different radiator, it Testament purchase you a parcel of period before the radiator must be replaced.
Instructions
1. Whether the lower inlet tube is cracked, fundamental bleed the radiator fluid by placing a extract pan under the petcock on the backside of the radiator. Yawning the petcock and let the fluid extract.2. Remove the upper radiator hose die the radiator inlet tube, squeezing the compression tabs cool on the radiator clamp. This releases the force on the hose. Pull the hose off the inlet tube.
Sand the inlet tube with 600-grit sandpaper to dish out the epoxy a surface to adhere to. Sand around 1 inch approximately the crack To admit Sufficiently amplitude for the epoxy.
3. Alloy the two-part plastic epoxy in sync. The epoxy must hold a heat rating of 300 degrees Fahrenheit or higher to resist the heat of the radiator fluid.
4. Separate the crack as far as possible without increasing the length of the crack To admit the epoxy to receive into the crack. Smear a moderate amount of epoxy around the crack, inside and outside the inlet tube. Allow the epoxy adequate time to cure. Follow the recommendations printed on the epoxy packaging.
5. Sand the epoxy smooth with 600-grit sandpaper. A small bump of epoxy should be present when the sanding is completed, but all rough edges and steps between the epoxy and the plastic must be smoothed out to prevent leaking.
6. Remove the OEM radiator hose clamp from the radiator hose and replace it with a cam-style band clamp. This style clamp has a larger clamping surface and you can control the amount of pressure needed to seal the hose against the inlet tube.
7. Push the radiator hose back onto the inlet tube and slide the band clamp as far onto the inlet tube as possible. Try to get between the crack and the wall of the radiator. The less pressure you apply to the repaired crack, the longer the repair will last.
