Radiator repair

[Dan DiBiase]

Sounds like the OEM one has held up well, overall.... ;-)

Dan D
'04 A4 1.8Tq MT-6
Central NJ USA


________________________________
 From: Radek <radek at uniserve.com>
To: quattro at audifans.com 
Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2014 11:28 PM
Subject: Re: Radiator repair 
 

Thanks guys.  I'm going to pour some stop-leak into it and put a strap 
around, hoping it holds until spring.  Then, I'm going to buy a new one.  I 
understand the consensus is that the OEM is best, despite the 
plastic/aluminum combo???
Radek

>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 13:05:08 -0800
> From: John Larson <viejoloco at comcast.net>
> To: quattro at audifans.com, radek at uniserve.com
> Subject: Re: Re: Radiator repair
> Message-ID: <52FE8504.4010703 at comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> On 2/14/2014 9:29 AM, Radek wrote:
>> The leak is in the bond between the plastic top and the aluminum
>> core.  The core is held to the plastic end by U-shaped notches (for
>> the lack of a better term) which I managed to set a little deeper with
>> a punch. This has slowed down the leak.  Has anyone managed to
>> separate the core from the top and bottom ends without destroying
>> something?
>>
>> Radek.
>> 88 90Q
>> 91 V8Q 5-sp
>>
> The important issue here is the inherent fragility of heat cycled
> plastic.  Better radiator shops may have the tools necessary to replace
> the rubber o-ring between the plastic and the aluminum, but the plastic
> may either be eroded or break during the repair process.  In the 40
> years I've worked on Audis, trashed plastic cooling system components
> have become commonplace.  We have seen it in radiators for decades, and
> in water manifolds bolted to heads and blocks as those have replaced the
> metal castings formerly used. What looks like an o-ring failure is
> nearly always disintegrating plastic surrounding the rubber.  My
> advice?  Buy a new radiator and be done with it.  It'll be cheaper in
> the long run.
>
> John
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 19:22:05 -0500
> From: Jason <uberhare at gmail.com>
> To: John Larson <viejoloco at comcast.net>
> Cc: quattro at audifans.com, radek at uniserve.com
> Subject: Re: Re: Radiator repair
> Message-ID:
> <CAGydU8QS6P7QPKdDTKVUffZucbzStwJOvdfhvCr3PR6aLzO6zA at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> I drove my BMW diesel around for 6 months with a ratchet strap holding the
> tanks together.  :)  Some rad shops can recrimp the ends tighter.
>
> Jason
>
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 14, 2014 at 4:05 PM, John Larson <viejoloco at comcast.net> 
> wrote:
>
>> On 2/14/2014 9:29 AM, Radek wrote:
>>
>>> The leak is in the bond between the plastic top and the aluminum core.
>>>  The core is held to the plastic end by U-shaped notches (for the lack 
>>> of a
>>> better term) which I managed to set a little deeper with a punch. This 
>>> has
>>> slowed down the leak.  Has anyone managed to separate the core from the 
>>> top
>>> and bottom ends without destroying something?
>>>
>>> Radek.
>>> 88 90Q
>>> 91 V8Q 5-sp
>>>
>>>  The important issue here is the inherent fragility of heat cycled
>> plastic.  Better radiator shops may have the tools necessary to replace 
>> the
>> rubber o-ring between the plastic and the aluminum, but the plastic may
>> either be eroded or break during the repair process.  In the 40 years 
>> I've
>> worked on Audis, trashed plastic cooling system components have become
>> commonplace.  We have seen it in radiators for decades, and in water
>> manifolds bolted to heads and blocks as those have replaced the metal
>> castings formerly used. What looks like an o-ring failure is nearly 
>> always
>> disintegrating plastic surrounding the rubber.  My advice?  Buy a new
>> radiator and be done with it.  It'll be cheaper in the long run.
>>
>> John
>>

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