Radiator issue

[Tiger]

This carries on from the original oil leak post.
Both securing studs have broken on the radiator that is one leaves a hole the other is loose 
Not sure how to proceed 
I will try to show a photograph in the morning 
Sorry if this is not clear hope the photo will help

["Slack Alice" Simon]

The radiator on my special just sits on a couple of brackets I made, with a bit of leather between to stop wear.

The hoses and the radiator's own weight keep it in place, have done for years.

[Ilmoro]

A common method of fixing this is to silver solder some threaded stud (3/8) ? onto a 1" square of thin brass sheet. This is then soft doldered to the bottom of the radiator in place of the broken stud, obviously having prepared and tinned the area; this effectively reseals the radiator and provides a fixing mount.

I didn't think my silver solder skills were up to this task, so asked a model engineer friend to do it for me. He came up with an even better idea: Turning down a length of 1" brass bar to the required thread size, threading it and leaving a thin 1" circular base to soft solder to the radiator. (See photo) Unfortunately I haven't got round to fitting it yet, so cannot vouch for its effectiveness/longeivity.

Ian
  radrepair.jpg (Size: 124.63 KB / Downloads: 382)

[Tiger]

Thanks Gents
Love the turned brass rod

[flywheel1935]

Shame there is no decent radius at the transition of base to stud ?????
I'd give it a month before it shears !!!!

[Ilmoro]

You're On.

[goodwoodweirdo]

Ilmoro you're on a winner if they stay on your kitchen table for a month :-)

[Ilmoro]

Ilmoro you're on a winner if they stay on your kitchen table for a month :-)

Not only that... They are far more likely to tear the bottom out of the radiator....or with my soldering skills, simply detach. Also I plan on incorporating a rubber mount to hopefully reduce the stress on the bolts due to chassis flex:Interestingly, I did the whole cumbria run (in my case 200 miles) and  lost no water out of the radiator, but when I jacked up one side of the car, water poured out of the radiator attachment.

[John Cornforth]

Hi

I have successfully done this repair on one side of a radiator. I made up a threaded metal "penny on a stick". I have plenty of soft soldering experience, but not the many years needed to attempt radiator work. Instead I attached the fixing to the radiator with JB-weld metal loaded epoxy. The penny part had a series of small "colander" holes added, to improve its grip on the epoxy. The tank was thoroughly wire brushed and cleaned, and a screwdriver used through the epoxy to scrape it whilst the epoxy was still fluid.

I believe that originally the studs were fixed using coil springs, washers and locknuts, which is why they are quite long. I retained this setup, but with nylocs. You only need enough spring tension to prevent the radiator jumping up on a bumpy road, i.e. not much. In this way any misalignment may be accommodated without undue strain. I added a thin soft rubber pad between tank and support bracket for good measure.

No problems after more than 10 years motoring.

[Ilmoro]

Hi

I have successfully done this repair on one side of a radiator.  I made up a threaded metal "penny on a stick".  I have plenty of soft soldering experience, but not the many years needed to attempt radiator work.  Instead I attached the fixing to the radiator with JB-weld metal loaded epoxy.  The penny part had a series of small "colander" holes added, to improve its grip on the epoxy. The tank was thoroughly wire brushed and cleaned, and a screwdriver used through the epoxy to scrape it whilst the epoxy was still fluid.

I believe that originally the studs were fixed using coil springs, washers and locknuts, which is why they are quite long.  I retained this setup, but with nylocs.  You only need enough spring tension to prevent the radiator jumping up on a bumpy road, i.e. not much.  In this way any misalignment may be accommodated without undue strain.  I added a thin soft rubber pad between tank and support bracket for good measure.

No problems after more than 10 years motoring.

Thanks for that John. That's re-asuring, I had considered JB weld and may still do so depending upon what I find when I remove the old fixture. Need to get them off my dining room table first.