Cool/Heat: Radiator repair???? Silver seal vs barges??? Or none

[289stude]

How do you guys feel about addative repairs? My Avanti has a small leak at the very bottom drivers side of the rad. Don't really know if it's worth pulling the whole radiator out and don't know that it can. Be repaired without removing. Is there any downside (other than maybe not being permanent solution) to useing the addative type sealers?

[pdrnec]

It'll clog up your heater core, those things are only good for emergency temporary fixes. Just my opinion.

[PackardV8]

Think about the concept of a compound which can find its way to the specific leak site, plug the leak against 12 PSI and 200 degrees heat, but not attach itself to any other area of the cooling system or plug any other small passages in the radiator or otherwise have a negative effect. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Your car, your money, your decision, but I wouldn't put any of those in my radiator if they were free.

jack vines

[studegary]

It is good to use if you are talking about a couple of hundred dollar car that you plan on junking within six months. I doubt that your Avanti falls into that category, but then I don't see it in your list of vehicles, so it may not be important <G>.

[289stude]

I just bought it I'll get it to a radiator shop next week, just wanted to drjve it over the weekend without it leaking all over. It will be my signature pic soon 63 R4 clone (all NOS components) machined to R4 specs original 7" wide Avanti halibrands.

[R_David]

I think I just drooled on my computer monitor a little bit....
Nice Avanti!!

[pdrnec]

I just bought it I'll get it to a radiator shop next week, just wanted to drjve it over the weekend without it leaking all over. It will be my signature pic soon 63 R4 clone (all NOS components) machined to R4 specs original 7" wide Avanti halibrands.

I wouldn't put stop leak in the radiator of that car if you put a gun to my head.

[mbstude]

I remember riding in the back seat of that car when I was 14 or so. I used to think it was one of the coolest Avantis I'd ever seen.

I still think that, but I used to, too.

[289stude]

I do to think its one of the coolest looking avantis I'm typically not a huge Avanti fan. Don't get me wrong I dig them but never really found one that made me pull the trigger on till this one. The wheels man the wheels just make it scream cool. The paint is original and I'm gonna keep it that way for a while.

[studegary]

I hope that you knew that I was kiddig about the junker Avanti. I did use <G>.

I didn't think that ignition shielding was used on R3 (and R4 if there was one) Avantis because the secondary wires were too large.

[Gunslinger]

As far as the coolant leak goes...fix it once and fix it right. It will be money and effort well spent. Otherwise you may find yourself doing it again.

[289stude]

As far as the coolant leak goes...fix it once and fix it right. It will be money and effort well spent. Otherwise you may find yourself doing it again.

Oh for sure. I just wanted to fix it temporarily until I could get it in somewhere. Funny thing is I topped it of with coolant and it hadn't leaked since ????

[kmac530]

The additive sealants are a temporary fix for a side of the road break down or some clunker....NOT a car like that Avanti.

If you really MUST drive it just for the weekend before taking it in, try a JB weld type of product. It is still a definate TEMPORARY type of fix, but it is one that will not adversely affect any of the other inside parts of the motor like a Bar's SL or Silver Seal, or an Egg or Pepper.....yada yada It will only affect the small area you apply it to, and can be chipped or ground off later when you get it repaired.

I know many will scream at me for even suggesting such an atrocity on such an exquisite automobile, but it is a legit option for a temp fix that is easily reversed later.

[289stude]

It quit leaking on its own for now??? I topped it of with coolant and it stopped leaking, weird! I'll take it in next week to get checked out none the less. We have a good radiator shop in town it's just a little old school shop that does great work and is cheap.

[sweetolbob]

It quit leaking on its own for now??? I topped it of with coolant and it stopped leaking, weird! I'll take it in next week to get checked out none the less. We have a good radiator shop in town it's just a little old school shop that does great work and is cheap.

John

I have two Avanti radiators setting behind my shop, both with the same issue. A lot of corrosion in the lower corners of each. Both are leaking slightly in the corroded areas. I think your issue may be the same as mine as the lower areas are subject to the most corrosion from the outside. I wouldn't fix either of mine by adding stop leak because even if I did the corrosion would eventually get serious enough to cause a larger failure. As you can guess the reason they are setting is they have been replaced by new ones.

I mention this only to support what you are suggesting your course of action will be. That is to pull your's and repair/replace it. You have way to much setting in the engine compartment to let a suspect radiator fail at the wrong time.

Bob