Leaking Radiator

I also need to say that I really appreciate each and every one of you for your suggestions. It's a bit stressful to be away from home and have "a situation".

The leak is at the top and when I looked in the fill neck for the radiator I could still see coolant. From the looks of the leak area and down the radiator this leak isn't new. I have had to top off the radiator a few times but, just a little. Looks like the same situation for the ride home. I have a mechanic next door to the storage place that always does the jobs I don't want to do. I'll ask him to do the radiator. I feel pretty certain that I can get home OK. I have done a bunch of car radiators over the years but, never a motorhome.

It looks like the condensing coil will really be an issue getting the radiator out. And, I cant tell if I take the radiator out through the top or the bottom. I'll evaluate it when I get home. I will be running the heat as we did coming down as it was cold outside. I suspect that it will likely be a cold ride home. That's a good thing under the circumstances.

Weldon wrote:
Put some Bars Leak in the radiator....it may stop the leak for the time being. Carry extra water and head home.

Bar's Leak is a good product, but when I was working in the automotive field, we preferred Alumaseal to Bar's Leak. It provides a good coating thoughout the entire cooling systems without causing a potential build up. I personally have used it in the situation you're describing and it provided a seal that I never had to touch again for over 100K miles.

Put some Bars Leak in the radiator....it may stop the leak for the time being. Carry extra water and head home.

? hockey tape (black the whole thing) used it on steam pipes all the time good temp fix. Did it on a school bus once --found it still there two years later. always keep a role with me,

Provide the radiator cap is the high point; I would not tighten the radiator cap so the system will not pressurize. Put it on to the first click. If the cooling system pressurizes it will force more coolant out the seam.

Something else not mentioned. Whatever you do as a temporary fix, run your heater the whole time you are driving. The reason is that the way the circulation works, you loose the water in your heater core long before your temperature gauge will ever show you are getting hot. This first sign is at idle, the heater will go cold. If this happens, you have not damaged anything, but you are beginning to run low. Eventually you will loose the heater at speed. At that point, you need to find a safe place to pull over and refill. This will give you plenty of warning long before any damage is done.

I should also mention, make sure you have hose fittings, so you can hook up a hose directly to one of your faucets and make sure the hose will reach your radiator. You don't want to be fumbling around with filling pots and pans and pouring it into the radiator. In other words, make sure your fill method from your fresh water tank is quick and easy. You don't want to be sitting on the side of the road messing around with it.

I'm with Skip and use JB Weld to get you home as long as your route isn't from Knoxville. Keep a few gallons of water in the fresh tank just in case so you can top off if necessary in the middle of no where.

The problem with a leak is the system can no longer pressurize and increase the temperature when the water half of the coolant starts to boil. Basically that same as an old radiator cap that won't pressure seal.

Hi,

Is your overflow reservoir still full, and that is what you are going by? The radiator system needs to be "Leak free" in order for the shrinking radiator fluid to draw in water from the reservoir to the radiator top tank. So the water/air leak is letting in air, and not drawing fluid into the top tank. You will need to remove the radiator cap, and fill it there.

Radiator fluid is flammable. Yes - really. Dried, it can burn.

Anyway if you wash the area good, and clean the radiator fins for good measure, you should be OK to make the 230 mile drive. Lucky that it is the top tank, and normally it will not need to be full all the way.

I would check with NapaOnline.com and see what a new radiator will cost. Most shops will not warranty a repair, and do not want to be on the 'hook' for a new engine if they make a 5 minute repair and it starts leaking again, and you do not notice it until the engine is bad. So they will get the price on a new radiator, add 25% - 50%, and then the cost of all the hoses. Add about 5 shop hours at $75 - $125 each hour, and give you that total. It would be much less expensive to do it yourself. If it takes you 8 - 10 hours, remember that the shop guy has no real shortcuts, and would be billing you 10 - 12 hours anyway, and you are saving $1,000 on this one repair!

I would be going home to make the repairs. If the RV gets to hot, pull off to the side, and DO not shut off the engine right away. Let it idle at about 1,200 RPM for about 2 minutes. Only if the radiator is empty, (IF temp is going up) then shut it off. But with the engine running, it is safe to add a little water to the radiator cap. After the engine has been off and cooling for about 10 minutes, with a dry rag (to not transfer heat to your hands) open the cap, and some steam will come out. Start the engine before adding cold water. Adding cold water to a hot engine can crack the block - a $5,500 repair. If the engine is running, it will not crack. If you where able to drive 100 miles between refills, stop after 90 miles the next time, sort of preventive time to add a little more water. Yet I think that you could make it all the way home.

Good luck!

Fred.

When you say pipe I assume that it's not a composite tank and fitting? I have repaired a plastic/composite tank on a Jeep with crazy glue. How ever you seal it, drain it down enough and then clean and dry it with something like brake cleaner or whatever. Carry extra water. If you are going to nurse it home and need to add water let it run while adding it. If it's real low let it cool down and then let it run while adding the water. Add it slowly so you dont have a surge of cold water hitting a hot engine and crack the heads or block. Yer flirting with disaster but worse things have been nursed home. If you do all that, drain the water out when you get home, not just for freezing but it will start rusting everything real bad.