Radiator seam leak - 240D - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

chetwesley · #1 07-11-2010, 09:16 PM

I noticed a week ago that I had lost some coolant. This week I checked again and it had gone down somewhat again.

I found this.

It looks like it is leaking from this seam. I notice there are redish stains like that (ugh I don't want to know what the inside of my radiator looks like) on the fan/shroud and front of the engine as well so it must spray when the engine gets heated up and I am cruising down the highway.

Is there a gasket in there/any way to repair that, or is it going to be a new radiator for me eventually? Of course this happened just in time to start driving 100 miles two days/week.

Mark DiSilvestro · #2 07-11-2010, 11:03 PM

People say there are some shops out there that can dissassemble and repair these composite plastic & aluminum radiators, but I'm not aware of any in my area.
Also, once these radiators have aged for a couple decades, The plastic gets brittle. They can suffer from sudden 'broken-neck' syndrome - where the plastic tube connected to the radiator hose can, without warning, break off from the plastic radiator tank. Best to get a new one.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Fattyman · #3 07-11-2010, 11:08 PM

Get your coolant system flushed First. That will prevent you from putting all that nasty stuff into your new radiator.

leathermang · #4 07-12-2010, 08:43 AM

If you flush your system it may show up other leaks... and help you decide on which cure would be more logical....

camsna · #5 07-12-2010, 09:12 AM

Het a new one. They can be had for cheap (PM me for details) and are dead easy to replace. In my experience, it never pays off to have a radiator repaired. Just chuck it and replace it methinks.

Mark DiSilvestro · #6 07-12-2010, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camsna

Het a new one. They can be had for cheap (PM me for details) and are dead easy to replace. In my experience, it never pays off to have a radiator repaired. Just chuck it and replace it methinks.

In the case of the older copper-brass radiators, repair can be a viable option as radiatr shops can routinely fix cracked tanks or recore hopelessly clogged/damaged units - often for a fraction of the cost of a new copper-brass Mercedes radiator!
A couple times, I have successfully epoxied in a metal sleeve to 'temporarily' repair a broken plastic hose neck, but I think replacement is the best option with the plastic-aluminum radiators.

Happy Motoring, Mark

JB3 · #7 07-12-2010, 09:39 AM

I say replace it too. Just had the neck on my blow, and it was pretty inconvenient. The plastic is really really brittle after all that time. Temporarily, you may be able to clean up the seam, and put some JB weld there to close it for now.

leathermang · #8 07-12-2010, 10:27 AM

If using something like JBWeld for a pressure leak situation it is best to increase the area which the JBWeld is able to hold on to...
I do this by using a piece of brass shim stock to cover the hole in question..with the JBWeld under it ... it does not rust... and allows for the sealant to work in the fashion it was intended... at the thickness intended... some things like superglue are fine in very tiny cracks... but some things need mass to get near their optimum rated holding capacity.... which means if you spread it around some... and put the ' backing plate' of somthing like the brass shim stock... do not press it down hard... the idea is for the shim to help hold the epoxy in place long enough to start to cure....and unite the patch at the back side as a single unit.. it also makes it more likely that the area cleaned will have some area which the sealant will be able to attach to... cleanliness is critical for some goos.... I have old tractor fuel tank fixes which worked more than 20 years using this... and I was not able to do perfect cleaning ...you only need some area around it on the outside to be really good holding area for this to work..
lastly.... read the instructions and LEAVE it in place without any movement or load until the number of hours the instructions say... often 24 hours...duct tape is very helpful .. a dribbling moving patch will not have max potential strength.... but if you can put a heat lamp on it you can increase your chances of a good cure...
a couple of square inches of JBWeld or other sealant.

#9 07-12-2010, 10:53 AM

I've replaced both of mine. After seeing their condition, I should have replaced them sooner.