I have a decent size hole in my radiator, i hit something and the fan hit the radiator.?

Question

I am unable to see how big the whole is the leak is not steady its just a bunch of anti-freeze dropping to the ground from the radiator. I cant get into a shop until some time next week. I need to go to work, i drive about 30 miles to work and back, what can i do to clog up the wholes until then?

Answer 1

Hopefully you have rental coverage on your insurance policy.

Answer 2

If your damage is so bad that it drains down to the holes sitting overnight you just need a new radiator but if it leaks the worst when you are driving or just after you shut it off you can try this trick.



If its got a typical radiator cap (the type where there is a sealed main cap and then a plunger with a seal) I would take a pliers or wire cutter and mangle the inner plunger part, dont remove it just bend it slightly or cut a piece out of the rubber gasket so it cant seal in the radiator neck. This will prevent the cap from sealing and keep the system from building pressure. Since the outer cap is still intact any overflow should go into the overflow tank. Without the pressure your leaks should be much slower. The pressure in the system raises the boiling point so in the summer you really need the pressure but since it winter you should be able to get away without the pressure even if you dont live somewhere where its freezing right now. This way you are only out the cost of a cap which should be under $10. If you dump all sorts of stop leak stuff in you may end up with other issues.

Answer 3

If the fan hit your radiator because you hit something your fan is probably damaged. Sounds like the hole is a little to big for something like a stop leak.



Temporary cures

1: stop leak from a store like walmart or some automotive store.

2:an egg or eggs

3:pepper works good, you may not think it would, but it does.



Once things have cooled off, open the coolant filler cap and pour in as much pepper as you can find, up to a full shaker's worth. Start the car and let it warm up, allowing the pepper to circulate.



It depends though how big the hole is. The pepper gets as hard as brick and clogs it up.



If its to big it wont work though. So good-luck. Remember though don't put the big ungrounded pepper. (You want to use the finely ground pepper. )



When you get it in to get it fixed permanently, remember to get it flushed to get it flush just in case to remove any access pepper.

Answer 4

Stop leak will work if it's a small hole, at most auto parts stores.



But it the rad moved back far enough to impact the fan, that leak is the least of your worries.



You would be better off to make the time to have it checked now.



shops do have extended hours in most places.They don't all close at 5.

Answer 5

if you can see the hole drain the radiator and slap some jb weld in the hole. fill it back up as soon as the jb weld gets hard. that might hold you until you can get another radiator.