Coolant and Plastic fatigue... Nice example...

[Montreal525]

Driving to work yesterday, I start to smell coolant in the vents inside... Looking at my temp gage, I can see it starting to creep up slowly towards the red zone... Turn to a side street and shut off the engine... Sure enough, the upper radiator plastic fitting snapped, like something ate thru it...

I tried to put the hose back on what was left but no way, not enough meat there... Damn it, I just came back from my fifth tow truck ride...

Looking at the picture, does anybody have any idea if I can fix this. It would be a shame to throw it all away, the rest of the radiator is in good shape... As a bonus, the tranny cooler had to be emptied too...:(... Another trip under the car to top it off...

Jeff

[mikell]

I've never had any luck in my attempts to use epoxy or other glue to fix something like this. Sorry.

[bad_manners_god]

You can try JB Weld, sometimes it could work if left to dry properly. But your best bet IS to get a new radiator before it happens again.

[tim eh?]

You can try JB Weld, sometimes it could work if left to dry properly. But your best bet IS to get a new radiator before it happens again.

i used duck tape once on an old dodge van, but that was an old dodge van - and it only lasted the ride home.

i see a thread about this every month it seems - i can't imagine how one could possibly prepare for it, you can hardly keep a spare radiator in the trunk just in case. i agree it would suck to junk a radiator because of a bad pipe - anyone think there is a way to reinforce this weak spot?

[bmwrp8]

After i blew a hose a couple of months back i changed my water pump, belt , thermostat , aux fan , and coolant then that very same thing happen to my radiator after the work was done grrr.. since it's cheaper i bought a nissin brand rad.:(

[attack eagle]

mine has copper sleeve in it and the stopper ridge removed so the hose can be clamped further in... but for only $158 it just makes sense to replace it.

[e34.535i.sport]

Look on the picture... when you try to push the hose back over you probably find that the plastic protrusion at the top stops you getting it on - you should be able to file this down enough to get the pipe further on...

Another member of the forum give me this idea when mine went - apologies as I can't remember who for the life of me.

[shogun]

find an industrial radiator shop and let them make the plastic parts replace by aluminium, that never breaks, here a sample we installed. They just need the old plastic to measure and copy.
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38465&highlight=alu+radiator

[Rick L]

I wouldn't want to go through the trouble to fix it and then the thing breaks again. If it broke here, most likely other part of the radiator might be just as bad. Replacement radiator doesn't cost much so you should just change it. Also, you don't have to empty tranny cooler when you replace radiator. Just tie rubber glove finger over the tube and leave it point up.


Driving to work yesterday, I start to smell coolant in the vents inside... Looking at my temp gage, I can see it starting to creep up slowly towards the red zone... Turn to a side street and shut off the engine... Sure enough, the upper radiator plastic fitting snapped, like something ate thru it...

I tried to put the hose back on what was left but no way, not enough meat there... Damn it, I just came back from my fifth tow truck ride...

Looking at the picture, does anybody have any idea if I can fix this. It would be a shame to throw it all away, the rest of the radiator is in good shape... As a bonus, the tranny cooler had to be emptied too...:(... Another trip under the car to top it off...

Jeff

[Jon K]

my car runs on hatred, it doesn't need coolant

[632 Regal]

where are the ****ing centercaps dude?
my car runs on hatred, it doesn't need coolant

[Montreal525]

Here's my solution for now. I got a sleeve from the local hardware store. Fits really thight, almost a press fit. Put in some gasket material, filed down what was left on the radiator to get a better grip and put three collars... one on the radiator, one in the middle, where it used to be and one on the sleeves that extends outward. Note on the picture that I wound up cutting about two inches of the sleeve, it was too ong for the bend in the hose.

Cleaned everything up, put it back on, filled it up, tried bleeding but nothing happened so I guess no air got in (I'll try again tomorrow). Hose is locked down solid, I tried yanking it hard and it would not budge... Car ran smooth to operating temperature and stayed there... I picked up my dad's car as he doesn't need it for now so I'll be testing this repair out a bit... I don't know if it will hold... Anybody wants to start a betting pool ? :D

Jeff

[Montreal525]

Hum... for some reasons, pictures won't upload in my last post... Let's try again...


Nope, no pictures for now...sorry

[Kakaire]

It happened to once a year and half ago, I did exactly what Rick says and up to now I am still going. Good thing I had a set of small files with me, did it on the road side. In the next few minutes I was back on the road.

[Montreal525]

Ha, pictures are back, here we go :

[Montreal525]

Hum, I can only post one at a time...oh well..

[Montreal525]

Last

[Dave M]

F'in lovely. I'm all about being creative with repairs and as long as you keep a watchfull eye on that temp guage you're not hurting anything. I had a similar setup on an old vw scirocco and it lasted as long as the vehicle.

Dave

[tim eh?]

F'in lovely.

+1 looks solid. i am going to add a file and some hose clamps to my rad emergency kit. (so far i have duct tape)

i've found on the new site you have to use "insert image" links if you attach more than one photo to a post.

[bubba966]

Looks like I'm going to do this to my 540 M-Sport. Damn neck broke off last night on the way home from dinner. :(

Walked to the plumbing supply place just now and found that a 1" x 1 1/2" steel nipple fit in the rad neck pretty tight. Tight enough that it looks like I'll have to screw it in. Got a tube of high temp RTV to seal it up there as well. Guess I'll be picking up a new rad soon rather than later...

[yaofeng]

Do you sleep well at night? What about planning a 1,000 mile trip?

[Tiger]

Well how old is your radiator? I find that Behr radiator for BMW tends to last about 7 or 8 years... The trick is don't clamp down on that hose clamp hard... as minimum as it can hold pressure is the key.