Date:         Wed, 30 Mar 2005 18:55:49 -0800
Reply-To:     jbclem1 <jbclem1@CHARTER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         jbclem1 <jbclem1@CHARTER.NET>
Subject:      Finding and repairing small radiator leak?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Appologies to the listserv...I sent this message to you by mistake.  Here it is again;


My 1983 Westfalia radiator, not all that old, has a small leak obvious only when the engine is hot.
I was looking at the radiator trying to figure out where the leak was coming from...from the front
of the car with the grill off and looking at the radiator you see rows and rows of small W like
fins.  I pulled off about 1/2 inch of fins in two rows in a wet area...the fins are way to thin to
be carrying water... and was wondering if anyone has tried to find a leak this way, and then fix it
(solder, epoxy, ???).  That is, with the radiator in place or removed, taking off a small amount of
fin material, then pressure testing the radiator to see if a hole/leak would be noticiable.  If you
could see a hole then I assume you could solder it shut.

I'm not sure where the water flows, is it going through the horizontal metal shelves that contain
the fins, or are there larger pipes in the middle of the radiator, or both.

Does anyone have any experience or ideas in this area?


John