I wanted to get your thoughts on using radiator stop leak for my case 580c. There's a small leak at the bottom of the radiator near one of the mounts and I was hoping that stop leak would be a good temporary patch. But I also don't want to cause more damage or issues down the road. Before anyone chimes in about changing the radiator, I do intend on doing that but this old hoe needs so much work I want to make sure that it's actually fully operational before I spend any more money on it. So are there any drawbacks to using radiator stop leak? Are there any particular brands or types that work better? Thanks!
White fine ground pepper works really well as a temporary fix. I've seen a bloke punch a hole in a radiator with a screwdriver then added pepper which sealed it up in his race car. He continued racing (short track) all night without any overheating and won a 100 buck bet.
Only drawback if it works is clogging your radiator or heater core in the cab. You can clamp off or bypass heater before "treatment" to protect the heater core. See you're in NY, if you're pushing snow it's a nice accessory. Have used Barr's Leak before with success on old equipment and big trucks when needed to get back home. The pepper deal will work as well if just a pin hole and rad. pressure doesn't blow it out. If you opt for sealer follow directions, especially getting hot enough and running long enough to prevent a big clump of sealer from settling somewhere in the system. If and when you replace old rad. try All States AG parts/ Parts ASAP for quality aftermarket replacement at decent price and if you sign in may qualify for free shipping. Bought two rads. from there and would recommend. You could also remove/ clean and silver solder that leak as well, don't know your repair skills. good luck. Stinky.
I've had good luck with barr's leak over the yrs. with no side effects eg. heater core getting plugged. If I remember right make sure the top mounts on that rad are secure. Been a no. of yrs. since I owned a C but had the rad rebuilt .
What is the radiator made of? Dont be afraid to have a go at soldering if it it metal or brass.
Thanks for the replies. I've heard of heater cores getting plugged up but my 580c does not have a cab heater. I haven't considered trying to solder it myself. Guess I can't hurt to try.
Ever seen the egg fix? Certainly not applicable in this situation but never would have thought it worked but 40 years ago, after T-boning a deer on Rt 95 in Maine, 4 hours from home, service guy dumped 3 egg whites in my radiator and it mostly plugged a 3” hole punched through my radiator. Enough to get it home. Lol
Heard about the egg trick many moons ago but never used it, don't usually have eggs in the truck with me, but had a neighbor that used to drive around with his pet chicken, both odd birds..
Years ago a rock punched a hole in my radiator on a trip. The rest area had Solder Seal stop leak. It was in what looked like a black pepper can. That stuff worked, my heater core never clogged up and it did not leak for months until I got time to pull the radiator and have it repaired. One time this customer gave us an old Hyundai. Head gasket and heater core were leaking. The head gasket was leaking into the combustion chamber and it was smoking bad. Being a free car, my buddy who worked for me, added Bars stop leak. after 2 or 3 bottles he drove it and used the heater for a year or so before he entered it into an enduro at our local race track.