Questions and Answers

Small Holes And Stop Leak Q. I have some small holes in the top of my radiator about the size of pinholes. Is there a substance I can put in the radiator to plug up these holes? 1984 Dodge Ram Van Slant 6 engine Automatic transmission 200,000 miles non fuel injected carburetor disc/drum brakes ps, no ac, no cruise control Thanks, Joe

A. There are several brands of stop leak available but I hesitate to recommend their use because there is a chance they could clog a heater core or radiator as well as stopping a leak. One of the most popular brand of stop leak is called "Bars Leak". That is the one I usually reach for when I need to use a stop leak.

What I do when I get a radiator with small holes it the top tank is solder them closed. I clean the area around the holes so I'm down to clean metal. Then I apply some soldering flux around the hole and, with a fairly heavy soldering iron or gun, I heat the area and melt some rosin core solder into the hole. It's not very difficult to do and is much better than a stop leak.

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