Help!!

sr30

sr30

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I’ve got a 2006 VW Beetle that’s got a nickel to quarter size hole as seen in the picture at the end of my thumb.

6b25ca2372ad471b49fde20eee541469.jpg


I’m thinking there’s no way to “patch” this hole. A quick google search is telling me it’s in the $700-900 range to replace the radiator...

I know I can get the new radiator for less than $75 online.

Anyone in the Mooresville-ish area know how to pull off this job?


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The last one I got from 1800radiator. As of the last time i talked to the guy that bought the truck it was still good to go 11 years later.

And are in Harrisburg nc.
 
I actually used some putty-type sealant I got from a friend. He used it on his RC cars, it’s got steel in it or something.

Knead it until it warms, then plug the hole. Let it set, worked great.




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There is a radiator place off of 40 or 77 in statesville it's been a while since I was there but they were the cheapest I could find for my pickup 9 years ago I ain't had no issues with it
 
sr30 said:
I actually used some putty-type sealant I got from a friend. He used it on his RC cars, it’s got steel in it or something.

Knead it until it warms, then plug the hole. Let it set, worked great.




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Click to expand...


Probley work for a little while. After a couple heating/ cooling cycles of dis-similar materials it will leak.
Better to bite the wallet and change it out.
 
Mirac said:
Probley work for a little while. After a couple heating/ cooling cycles of dis-similar materials it will leak.
Better to bite the wallet and change it out.
Click to expand...

Maybe so, but free was/is better than a $7-900 bill at this point in my life w 7 mouths to feed at home. [emoji16]

Appreciate the tip.


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sr30 said:
It’s already leaking. [emoji23]

Think I’ll run some of that stuff that plugs from the inside next.
Click to expand...
Plugs from the inside? As in you're going to add something to the coolant to try and stop that leak? If it actually works, it also sounds like a good way to clog passages and overheat the engine. Best case, it doesn't do any harm and doesn't actually stop the leak.

Curious to hear what our resident auto techs think.
 
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@sr30 I'm not familiar with a late model VW Beetle but looking at the picture you posted, did something penetrate the bumper cover and do the damage I'm seeing in the picture? It looks like something either penetrated the cover or the damage occurred during contact with another vehicle or something.

It looks like there is damage, other than the hole you're pointing out, on the right side of the pic near the grill and in one or two other places. Just curious.
 
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Qball said:
@sr30 I'm not familiar with a late model VW Beetle but looking at the picture you posted, did something penetrate the bumper cover and do the damage I'm seeing in the picture? It looks like something either penetrated the cover or the damage occurred during contact with another vehicle or something.

It looks like there is damage, other than the hole you're pointing out, on the right side of the pic near the grill and in one or two other places. Just curious.
Click to expand...

Indeed. My MIL has a habit of rear-ending people.

I think the hole in the bottom of the radiator reservoir was created when some “anchor point” for something up front got knocked off.


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sr30 said:
It’s already leaking. [emoji23]

Think I’ll run some of that stuff that plugs from the inside next.


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Click to expand...
Wasting more money. Eventually you will spend enough in stop leak hoaxes to have fixed it correctly.

Stop leak stuff also clogs up good components.
 
The plug-it-from-the-inside stuff only works on pinholes...
 
I’m not going to say “ fix it right” ... just sorry for your troublee
 
sr30 said:
It’s only a pinhole leak right now.
Click to expand...
How will it clog that pinhole and not any of the tiny coolant passages in the block?

In other words, if it's great at clogging holes, it may end up causing more headaches than if it did nothing at all.

If the patch you applied is stopping most of the leak, maybe apply some more?
 
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I’ve always imagined that the stop leak stuff coagulates like blood, basically staying suspended while in the engine but building up in layers when it spits out until the hole is sealed. Of course it wouldn’t work for a large hole. If that isn’t how it works I won’t be at all surprised.
 
JimB said:
I’ve always imagined that the stop leak stuff coagulates like blood, basically staying suspended while in the engine but building up in layers when it spits out until the hole is sealed. Of course it wouldn’t work for a large hole. If that isn’t how it works I won’t be at all surprised.
Click to expand...

The patch on the nickel-sized hole is what’s leaking. Seems to have slowed some but the reservoir is nearly empty. I’ll just fill it w water and the 50/50 stuff for now.




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Can you use a small C clamp and a short piece of aluminum to hold a rubber patch over the area?
 
Bruh, don’t be cheap. Get a radiator from rock auto or your local parts store. Most have some kind of warranty.

Get a few gallons of coolant.

Couple hours of your time and some hand tools, replace it and then bleed the system.

Couple hundred bucks at most.

The worse part is over since there is probably little to no coolant left in there
 
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sr30 said:
It’s already leaking. [emoji23]

Think I’ll run some of that stuff that plugs from the inside next.
Click to expand...

NO!

NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!

You do NOT want that cr*p circulating throughout your coolant system!

BAD IDEA!

Replacing a radiator on most vehicles isn't that big of a deal. The Beetle, however, makes it a bit more of a pain in the keister.

Looks like you have to take the head lights out and the front bumper off. From there, it's a matter of disconnecting the radiator hoses/lines, then unmounting and removing the radiator. The mechanics of replacing the radiator is easy...it's just getting to it that appears daunting.

Looks like it's really a matter of finding the hardware required to remove the front bumper...which is probably the "frightening" part. Mechanically, however, that part looks straight forward.

Bit the bullet, dedicate a full day if you're not too mechanically inclined, and get to work.

Maybe someone here can lend a hand.
 
JimB said:
I’ve always imagined that the stop leak stuff coagulates like blood, basically staying suspended while in the engine but building up in layers when it spits out until the hole is sealed. Of course it wouldn’t work for a large hole. If that isn’t how it works I won’t be at all surprised.
Click to expand...
Note that AC stopleak is often referred to by pros as "stop compressor". Most of the mechanic-in-a-bottle stuff is junk that preys on people's hopes that they can repair an issue for $5 - $10 and 2 min of time.
 
The old fix it in the bottle was good in the day but with vehicles today using smaller compact
radiators and a/c coils that have multiple capillaries internal to the single tube bad idea.
That is how they can cool with such a small crossflow radiator or coil.
radiator.JPG
 
If its on the exterior of the radiator, mix up some JB Weld and patch the hole.

I fixed a crack in an outlet valve on a fire pump with JB weld a decade ago, and it still takes 150 PSI without leaking.

As long as the hole is small, and you mix the stuff right and let it cure, its a good fix.
 
Apply JB Weld, place a small piece of fiberglass window screen on the area, apply more the JB Weld.
 
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