Coolant overflow tube connector broke off

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I apologize if one of the photos appears upside-down, it does not on the device that I used to take the photo, but it does on the preview of my upload here.

Vehicle is a 1985 Chevy K5 Blazer. It is not a daily driver. I bumped up against the coolant overflow tube connector (for lack of a better term) with just enough force to break it off the neck of the radiator. It came from the little hole you can see directly below the radiator cap. I tried to JB Weld it back into place, but the location is so awkward that I couldn't get a clamp of any size in there to hold it while the JB Weld cures. I then went to the hardware store and got a male-to-male fitting that fit into both the overflow tube and the hole, however once again I can't come up with a way to hold it in the hole while adhesive or JB Weld cures/hardens.

The depth of the hole under the radiator cap is no more than 3mm or so, which is barely anything for adhesive/JB Weld to grab onto anyhow.

Any ideas? My redneck neighbor-- albeit he's a handyman-- says just ignore it and watch the temperature gauge, but I'd like more input than that!


 
Take the radiator to a radiator shop.....They can acid flux & silver solder that back on it a few seconds, The hole needs to be vertical when soldering the nipple back on....At least when I do it.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I am still considering options and ultimately need to discuss it with my wife. Doesn't look like something that will break the bank, though
smile.gif
 
If you do not have soldering skills, replace radiator. If you have to pay someone to solder that old radiator, you might as well put it towards a new radiator. Don't leave it like that, excess coolant will spill out and air will be drawn back in when everything cools down. I would keep your neighbor away from it after seeing his solution to the problem (schmuck).
 
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Originally Posted By: methusaleh
Thanks for all the replies. I am still considering options and ultimately need to discuss it with my wife. Doesn't look like something that will break the bank, though
smile.gif



I broke one years ago when I was all but broke.

I used fishing line and blue PVC glue (epoxy would have been better but used what was in the shed)."lashed" the spout into position with multiple wraps of fishing line, and blue glue.

It lasted ages, until I soldered it properly finally.
 
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