hey guys noticed some water dripping by my radiator and found out that i have a small crack near the very top its skinny and about 2 inches long. it doesnt leak that bad but definatly want to get it fixed. you guys think jb weld will work, or an other suggestions? i will be buying a new one in like four months if i can get something to hold it till then

 

I had one the exact same. No matter how small the hole/crack is, the pressure makes it leak bad. I lost a whole jug of coolant in an hour trip. You could try JB but make sure to maybe sand around it first so its rough and has some hold or the pressure will blow it right off.

My suggestion. New rad asap. Cooling system is your best friend. When an engine overheats, it stops. Period.

 

I have tried JB Weld & other types of good bonding agents trying to stop a leak I had once with plastic tanks. I'm here to tell you nothing I tried worked beyond a few minutes once pressure & heat got to it. See the plastic expands & contracts with heat & cooling I even tried poly glues that allow movement.
Replace it they are not that expensive, & you will be much better off. My Blazer did the same thing as yours, & since I had run a long experiment trying to fix one once I just replaced it.

 

i have heard cracking an egg into the radiator might hold it for a little bit

 

ya it actually worked for an hour till right before i pulled into the mudpit, than it all came off, but the good news is i found a brand new one with a lifetime warrenty for 50 bucks. didnt think they were that cheap but hey ill take it.

 

That is cheap...I think one I bought a couple of years ago was around $140. Did yours fall off a truck?

 

no my dads friend owns his own shop so we get parts wholesale. brand new

 

I had that EXACT issue before on my other Blazer. Tried Bars stop leak, and JB weld. No luck. Best to keep an eye on it and get that radiator replaced. Especially if you can get it for $50. I got mine at cost through work for $110.

 

The only thing with Bars Leak is it wont help a plastic crack. Its adheres to the metal and "bungs" it up sorta. I tried it too before I found the crack.

 

I will attempt to remember to keep this updated. I have a mediums sized 4 inch vertical crack on drivers motor side of radiate 96 blzer 4.3. I pulled the radiator, pryed all the little climps from around the plastic on that side. I cleaned both sides of the crack with plumbers pvc primer. I sanded with pretty rough sand paper. I used two coats of JB Water Weld sandwiching dry wall fiberglass mesh in between the weld on both sides - spread to thin on edges building to fairly thick over crack- about a centimetr away from crack all the way around of course..

Used RTV Blue to reseal and crimp all around that end...let dry overnight. Reinstalled and drove about 20 minutes on a pretty hot day. Got back home gingerly and aprtially popped the radiator capped about five minutes later with rag over and reasealed quickly....lots of pressure. and best for last---no leak.

The JB Water Weld plastic said it was good up to 300F and was resistant to almost all forms of chemicals.

Will report back for sure if there is some kind of catastrophic failure- i can envision the repaired (or funnier the non-repaired- end) blasting itself into a a not-sofine vapr...the plastic or vinyl seemed rather rotten-stupid design in my humble estimation of course.

So I would say it is a success thus far.