Super Glue as temporary radiator repair?

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I found my coolant reservoir empty early today and saw a hairline 2-inch crack on the side of the plastic radiator. Easy to spot because of the green coolant drops. Looked as if a sharp knife cut into it. Radiator needed only an ounce of water to fill it to the brim. Anybody tried Super Glue yet as an emergency repair till I can get it to a shop for replacement in a few days? Wikipedia says cyanoacrylate softens at 150 degrees Centigrade, well above the boiling point of water. I really really need the car for a few days.
 
I used JB weld to repair a cracked plastic tank in the radiator on my old 1995 Wrangler. The first few times it only lasted 150 or 200 miles, but eventually I was able to fix it so it didn't break off once it went through a few heat cycles
 
I think JB Weld would be the better choice, for a quick temporary fix, and nothing more.
 
Originally Posted by Miller88
I used JB weld to repair a cracked plastic tank in the radiator on my old 1995 Wrangler. The first few times it only lasted 150 or 200 miles, but eventually I was able to fix it so it didn't break off once it went through a few heat cycles


OK, guys. JB Weld it is. What application technique did you use to make it last a whole lot longer?
 
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I used a ton of the not-quick set JB weld and 80 grit sandpaper to rough up the surface.

It was a temporary fix but lasted until I ended up selling the thing. Was surprised that it held up.
 
Super glue will not work. I used fiberglass mat and jb weld from Walmart. Clean out the crack. Try to make a groove in it. Roughen up the area with course sandpaper. Then apply jb weld then lay your cut piece of fiberglass over top then apply more jb weld on top of the fiberglass. I tried getting jb weld into the fiberglass first then applying the jb weld soaked fiberglass but it did not work as good as the above steps.
 
Joegreen, did you let the first JB layer dry first, then apply the fiberglass, and then the second JB weld layer? Or did you do the layers one after the other in quick fashion, then let everything dry?
 
I used some JB SteelStik on my radiator, not on the plastic though, on the fins. It was suppose to be temporary, but that was 2 years ago and no leaks still. I did my best to clean and dry the area, then I pulled a light vacuum up through the radiator cap with my MityVac, I was hoping that with the vacuum, it would pull some of the epoxy putty in through the small hole and hopefully mushroom slightly on the other side to hold the patch. I had to move a little faster than I would have liked as the stuff hardened pretty quickly. Either way, no leaks so far.
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I think JB Weld would be the better choice, for a quick temporary fix, and nothing more.



If I were to try this ( and I have not ) JB Weld is what I would try . I have used it when it was / is exposed to higher temperature than the radiator will experience .

May need to use some very course sand paper to scuff the surface of the plastic . In hopes the JB Weld would hold better to a rougher surface .

I would also be shopping around for a new radiator . RockAuto.com plus the local brick and mortar stores . Maybe amazon , too .
 
Get a PLASTIC specific epoxy. J b weld makes one as do others. Both super glue and regular epoxy glues do poorly on most plastics.

If the crack is out in the open?...cut a piece of cloth (Old T shirt) and bond it over the crack with the plastic specific epoxy (poor mans carbon fiber).
 
Originally Posted by ammolab
...cut a piece of cloth (Old T shirt) and bond it over the crack with the plastic specific epoxy (poor mans carbon fiber).


No, poor man's laminate. Cloth will work fine for this. A 2nd layer turned 45 degrees applied while your first layer is still wet would be pro level.
 
Originally Posted by berniedd
Anybody tried Super Glue yet as an emergency repair till I can get it to a shop for replacement in a few days?


Instead of a Meguiver repair, why not buy a new reservoir and replace it now if that is what you are planning anyway? Faster than if you removed it, glued it and put it back only to repeat with the new one.
 
When i was young and poor i always keep some bondo in the trunk and a split rad tube was easy gas station fix. with the engine hot shutoff and drain down below the hole. Spread the tube open with a knife and scrape the paint or oxidation off around the hole. mix a small glob of bondo and put it onto the opening and press in just a little bit. The hotter the rad is the quicker it will harden. Fill with water and go. I usually also did not pressurize the rad with this fix. Rode for months until i replaced the rad.
 
If you have a relatively slow leak in the radiator you can often slow it down to run a few miles to get home or to a shop by leaving the cap loose so pressure doesn't build up.
 
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