....I can drive my Vette. We found a cracked line in my radiator, and since we don't have the money to buy a new one, we had to clamp that one line off, and JB-Weld the seem, not knowing if it will leak or not. This really sucks. I had hope that I'd be able to atleast start it today. Hasn't ran in 4 weeks.

 

i am by no means an expert

but here is my take on it if you go through the pain of getting too the radiator pulling the hood and all that stuff go ahead and upgrade to a be cool unit last i checked the generic was 99 bucks or so from them.

I think that the jb weld will hold it very well but would definately wait a while for another answer besides mine :yesnod:


i dont think starting it up would hurt your engine so maybe give it a try :confused:

 

We no longer have any money for anything. My mom and Ken are both un-employed. My mom just started her job today. So, money isn't going to be much better for a while. The only thing that would **** me off, would be, I've got EVERYTHING out of my engine bay right now, no radiator,no alternator,fan, fan shrowd. All I have is the engine and the radiator suport. I'd be really really pissed off if I got all that crap put in, and found that the radiator has a leak. Then I have to pull all that crap out again, wait forever so we have money to get a new radiator, and then put it all back in again.

I'd gladly pay for a radiator if I could get a job. But since I have no mode of getting around steadily besides my Vette (that's been down for 4 weeks now), I can't get a job, and then If I did get one right now, I'd have to call in and say "Hey, I'm going to be late, or I can't come in today." It's just getting irritating. I understand not being able to afford something new, but why try to make something that's had 25 years of hard beating on, work like new again. It's going to completely fail some day. I'll eventualy have to pull all that crap out again. Stressing times for me. My Vette was down for about 4 months, then I get it running for abou 3 weeks, and then this happens. :mad


[Modified by Aaron-74, 7:15 PM 10/1/2001]

 

hey aaron you mean you pinched off one of the cores off? you could actually solder it so it doesnt leak ,ive been in your predicament(sp) before and had to do it and it works...also jb weld will work if you let it dry..after your done just block one end of the radiator off and fill with water and see if it leaks..i know its not under pressure but if it leaks then then youll know...also is the leak on the bottom or the top?anybody have a spare radiator they can send him...if i had one i would. :blueangel:

 

Yes, one of the cores we pinched off on both ends. JB welded the hole. And then JB welded the end that doesn't have the tank on it. We tried to solder it but it just melted and made the hole bigger.

It was one of the uper most cores on the out side.

 

then i would block one end off and fill with water and see if it leaks before you put it in....what do you got to lose ,give it a try and if it leaks then you know youll have to get a radiator.good luck

 

I JB welded one end off that didn't have a tank on it. But the other side does have the tank on. So that's the side that's going to leak if it is going to leak.

 

Maybe Wednesday - thought that was the day the Bombing was to begin. May still be that.

 

I dunno....I just hope I'll be driving my Vette by then. Alot of people in school are looking forward to seeing it again.

 

Idea - will the radiator from a 73 fit a 74? You take it from there. Don't you have a boneyard of 73 parts? :D

 

I'm not too sure. I'm sure it would. BUT, Ken has been lucky enough not to have to replace anything in the cooling system that I know of. So we don't have a 73 radiator around. I got brets (war71) radiator, but it didnt fit.

 

Hi Aaron, you may want to try this before you re-install the radiator. Try pressurizing your radiator out of the car. This can be done by simply installing an old bicycle tube on each end of the radiator outlets. Cut the tube and clamp on the ends on to the outlets. You can put some water in the radiator or not. Remember to put the radiator cap back on. Put air (but not to much, remember that the system on uses about 15lbs of pressure) into the tube and then you can check the radiator for any leaks. It may be easier to locate the leaks by running some water over the radiator. If you have a leak, there will be bubbles coming from the leaks. I tried this before and it does work. Good luck...

 

Alrighty....

 

Man I hope it works for you Aaron, I have been in your shoes before too. If you are determined enough it will all work out. If there was anything I could do I would. I have had great luck with JB weld: gas tanks, water pump housings. It should hold. Don't loose sight of your dream.


[Modified by 71,454,4spd, 9:35 PM 10/1/2001]