How and with what to solder a copper radiator

How to solder a copper car radiator with your own hands

An automobile cooling radiator is designed to lower the temperature of the coolant (antifreeze or antifreeze) circulating inside the engine. Its design usually consists of two tanks and honeycombs located between them, which are a system of thin tubes equipped with thin lamellas. Reducing the refrigerant temperature is achieved through natural or forced air blowing of the cells.

Despite its simple design, the radiator sometimes fails. Its main malfunction is a violation of tightness. In other words, it begins to leak. A coolant leak while the power unit is running threatens the latter with critical breakdowns due to overheating.

Replacing a radiator is not so much a troublesome task as it is an expensive one. And the bill here runs into thousands and even tens of thousands of rubles. In this article we will talk about whether it is possible to solder a cooling radiator with your own hands and what tools you will need for this.

Why does a leak appear?

A leak in the device under consideration can occur only for two reasons: due to mechanical damage and due to corrosion processes occurring inside the tubes. In the first case, it may be the impact of a foreign object on the honeycombs or tanks. This usually happens as a result of traffic accidents, hitting a high curb, being hit by a stone, etc.

Everything is clear here. A visual inspection will allow you to accurately determine the location of the damage, as well as assess the possibility of repair. Corrosion is a little more complicated. In order not to make a mistake and solder the cooling radiator where needed, you will need to carry out a few simple steps to detect the problem area or even areas.

The fact is that corrosion damage can occur in several places at the same time.

Looking for a leak

A clear sign that the radiator is leaking is the presence of traces of coolant on the ground under the car, on the engine guard, or on the engine itself. Finding the location of the leak without dismantling the device is almost impossible. But before you remove it, you should make sure that the problem is in it, and not in the pipes or, for example, in the leaky plug of the upper tank. When this is done, you can safely drain the coolant and remove the radiator for diagnostics.

If a visual inspection of the device does not yield any results, check it by immersing it in water. To do this, take a container of a suitable size and fill it with water. Close all pipes with plugs and immerse the radiator in water. Now all that remains is to create air pressure in the device. This can be achieved by simply blowing into the filler neck of the upper tank or by coming up with another option with a compressor (pump). The escaping air bubbles will show you exactly where the damage is.

Copper or aluminum

In order to properly solder a cooling radiator, it is necessary to determine exactly what material it is made of. Most often, cooling devices are made from copper and aluminum. It is not difficult to determine the type of material. Copper honeycombs have a characteristic reddish-brown color, aluminum ones – gray.

If you have determined that you have a copper radiator, you can consider yourself lucky. This metal is easy to solder at home. If you get an aluminum device, then you will have to tinker with it, because this material is difficult to solder.

Repairing a copper radiator

To solder an engine cooling radiator made of copper, you will need the following tools and tools:

powerful soldering iron or gas torch;
solder;
soldering flux;
pliers;
sandpaper.

First, you need to dry the radiator, especially if you checked it by immersing it in water. Next, the damaged area should be thoroughly cleaned with sandpaper. If there are slats on it, they need to be removed locally. After this, the soldering area is treated with flux and dried again.

You can solder the cooling radiator using either a gas torch or a soldering iron. In the first case, solder is applied in place and heated with a torch until it melts and fills the crack. When using a soldering iron as a heating tool, make sure that it has sufficient power.

If the solder does not adhere to the surface or lags behind, it is necessary to repeat the stripping and fluxing process. You can check the repaired radiator using the method described above.

What is the difficulty of soldering aluminum?

Aluminum is a very specific metal. Its peculiarity lies in its high chemical activity, manifested in the formation of a so-called oxide film on the surface. It appears instantly when pure metal comes into contact with air, reacting with oxygen. And it is precisely because of this that it is impossible to solder an aluminum cooling radiator in the usual way. This will require additional substances that contribute to:

removing oxide film from the surface;
reducing surface tension;
protection from adverse factors affecting the soldering process;
improved solder flow.

Materials and tools for soldering aluminum radiators

In order to solder a cooling radiator, the honeycombs of which are made of aluminum, you will need:

powerful soldering iron;
solder (tin-lead or tin-bismuth alloy);
iron filings;
rosin;
fireproof container (crucible).

It is desirable that the soldering iron has a power of more than 100 W. Otherwise, it simply will not be able to warm up the aluminum. As for solder, a tin-lead alloy is suitable for sealing small cracks (holes).

If the damage is significant, then it is advisable to use solder consisting of 5 parts bismuth and 95 parts tin. Such an alloy can be easily purchased in stores that sell radio components.

Usually, it has the form of wire and is marked as POSV-33 or POSV-50.

Preparing gumboil

Soldering a cooling radiator with your own hands is only possible if you have high-quality flux. You will have to prepare it yourself. And it’s better to do this just before you start soldering.

So, pour 2 parts of ordinary rosin and 1 part of iron filings into a fireproof container. Sawdust can be made using a file with fine notches, processing any iron workpiece that comes to hand.

Heat the resulting mixture over fire, stir and let cool. That's basically it. Flux for aluminum is ready.

Flux for the most durable seam

To obtain the most durable protective seam at the site of damage to the radiator, a special flux called flux is used. It can also be obtained at home. To prepare flux, you will need the following substances in the following proportions:

potassium chloride – 56%;
lithium chloride – 23%;
cryolite – 10%;
coarse table salt – 7%;
sodium sulfate – 4%.

The ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. This melt must be stored in a hermetically sealed glass container in a dark place.

We repair an aluminum radiator with our own hands

The radiator, as in the previous case, is washed and dried. We thoroughly clean the soldering area with emery cloth and then degrease it. After this, we apply pre-prepared flux to it using a soldering iron.

Rub it thoroughly over the surface. Next, we apply solder layer by layer, stretching it over the surface to be repaired.

The role of the iron filings is to destroy the oxide film at the very last moment before soldering, thereby allowing the aluminum and solder to bond.

Source: https://kalina-2.ru/remont-vaz/kak-zapajat-mednyj-radiator-avtomobilja-svoimi

How to solder a copper radiator

Radiators are a large family of devices that, by virtue of their design, are designed to emit and dissipate heat into the air. Hence their name, which is consonant with many words in foreign languages. For example, in English “radiate” means to radiate.

In various areas of modern life, these devices are found very often and the principle of their operation is very similar. But when we talk about radiator repair, we most often mean the radiators of the car cooling system.

Determining the location of damage

Car radiators are at greatest risk of damage, as they operate in temperatures with different signs and under the influence of strong vibrations. Cases of mechanical damage to such devices cannot be excluded.

Radiators of air conditioners, which are used as condensers and evaporators, are less often repaired. But such cases also happen. It’s very unpleasant when the climate control suddenly stops working in a luxury car during the hot season.

One of the most effective and affordable repair methods is soldering radiators. If a car radiator is damaged, it is very important to promptly identify the problem and try to fix it.

The auto radiator, which is part of the engine cooling system, is a very important component. Structurally, this device consists of two vertical tanks connected by a large number of thin horizontal tubes.

The coolant circulating in them releases heat into the air through natural heat exchange and cools down. To improve heat transfer, the surfaces of the tubes in contact with the surrounding air are increased.

To do this, thin metal plates - fins - are soldered to them.

Signs of damage to the radiator are an increase in engine temperature during operation, as well as a decrease in the coolant level. Of course, fluid loss can occur not only through the radiator, but most often the cause is this particular unit.

Visually, major damage can be determined by observing the coolant leak. But it will be quite difficult to do this on a hot engine, since the antifreeze will immediately evaporate.

Some compositions are painted with special pigments that remain on the surface of the part after drying, which helps to identify the location of damage.

If it is determined that the leak occurred in the radiator, but no damage is visible, it is necessary to remove the device from the car, first draining the coolant. After this, you need to close all the holes, leaving one, and supply air under slight pressure into it, lowering the radiator into a container of water. The location of the hole can be determined by the escaping air bubbles.

Repair of copper radiators

A damaged element does not always need to be replaced with a new part. You can often solder the engine cooling radiator yourself. No complex equipment is required for this.

It is enough to have a fairly powerful soldering iron, tin-lead solder POS-60 or ZIL-2 (for brass you can use POS-40) and flux (rosin diluted with alcohol).

An electrical device is unlikely to be suitable for soldering pipes or soldering brass pipes to radiator tanks. Most often, devices are used that are heated in an oven or in the flame of a blowtorch. The method of soldering with such a soldering iron is unique:

parts that need to be soldered must first be cleaned and heated with a hairdryer, blowtorch or stove;
the hot part must be thoroughly treated with flux to remove oxide films from its surface;
solder is delivered to the seam not on the soldering iron tip, but directly by feeding a tin rod;
Using a heated soldering iron, distribute it over the soldering area.

If a leak is found in one of the cooling tubes, you can use a gas torch to fix the problem. To get to the damaged area and perform quality work, you need to carefully remove the finning plates. This can be done by applying a special abrasive attachment to a portable drill. You can immediately clean the damaged area.

Source: http://4x4expert.ru/info/kak-zapajat-mednyj-radiator/

How to solder a copper car radiator with your own hands

When a car radiator starts to leak, not all car owners have the opportunity to immediately replace it with a new one. For some models, a car radiator costs tens of thousands of rubles, for others you have to wait for more than one week for its delivery. Soldering the cooling radiators can help hold out until replacement. The soldering method depends on the material from which the heat exchanger is made.

Why does a leak appear?

The main reasons leading to antifreeze leakage from the cooling system through the heat exchanger are the following:

mechanical destruction of tubes or collector tanks during an accident;
thermal destruction of joints due to overheating and operation without liquid;
corrosion damage.

The first two reasons are somewhat easier to repair because, as a rule, the location of the damage is easy to determine.

In case of corrosion damage, the location of the leak will have to be located. Moreover, it may not be the only one.

Looking for a leak

If a stain of antifreeze remains under the car after parking, it means there is a leak in the cooling system..

Before removing the cooling radiator or air conditioner, you should make sure that all pipes and the expansion tank housing are in order. The heat exchanger of the interior heating system is also checked.

Before dismantling, you need to drain the liquid from the system . The removed radiator is carefully inspected in good lighting. If the damage cannot be seen, all holes are plugged with tight plugs and the heat exchanger is immersed in water. The emerging chain of bubbles will indicate the location of the leak. If you increase the pressure by connecting one of the pipes to the compressor hose, you can detect a leak faster.

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Copper or aluminum?

For high-quality soldering of faulty car radiators, you need to find out what they are made of. Modern devices are made of aluminum, copper or plastic.

The easiest way to distinguish material is by color:

copper: red-brown;
aluminum: grayish shades.

The plastic used for radiators is usually black.

Copper is quite easy to solder in a home workshop or garage . Soldering leaky aluminum car radiators is complicated by a number of its physical and chemical features.

We repair the radiator

Soldering copper radiators will require preparing the following:

high-power electric soldering iron or gas burner;
correctly selected solder;
flux paste;
abrasive paper;
pliers;
degreasing solvent;
rags.

At the preparation stage, the product is cleaned of mechanical impurities and thoroughly dried. To speed up drying, you can blow it through one of the nozzles with compressed air under low pressure. The leak area is cleaned with abrasive paper. If there are lamellas nearby, they are carefully trimmed. Flux compound is applied to the soldering area and allowed to dry.

A powerful soldering iron or portable gas burner is used as a heat source . The electric soldering iron can be powered from the mains or from a battery. Solder is placed in the soldering area and heated with a flame so that it melts and flows into the crack or hole. If the molten solder does not wet the metal the first time and does not flow into the gap, you will need to re-clean the surface and apply flux.

What is the difficulty of soldering aluminum?

A layer consisting of oxides with a high melting point quickly appears on the surface of any aluminum part . This temperature is three times higher than that of the metal itself. Until this film is destroyed, there is no point in soldering aluminum parts.

To repair an aluminum radiator you will need:

remove the oxide layer from the surface:
increase solder fluidity;
reduce the surface tension coefficient;
prevent the re-occurrence of the oxide layer.

This is achieved by mechanical surface treatment and the use of specially selected flux compositions.

Materials and tools

To repair an aluminum heat exchanger, you will need:

high power soldering iron (at least 100 watts);
tin-lead (POS) or tin-bismuth (POSV) solder;
rosin;
fireproof melting container.

You will also need a wire brush, hand brush or drill attachment.

Repairing brass

Soldering a brass radiator is carried out in almost the same way as a copper one . The soldering area should be thoroughly cleaned and degreased. It will take longer to warm it up; for this it is convenient to use an industrial hair dryer. Before soldering, the repair area must be etched with soldering acid, applying it with a narrow brush. For working with brass, POS-40 solder is recommended, which has a higher melting point.

For the most durable seam

There is another recipe for flux, which is commonly called “flux”. With its help, you can achieve special seam strength. To create the flux you will need the following ingredients:

All components should be crushed and mixed thoroughly. The composition should be stored in a tightly closed container, protected from light.

Source: https://ostwest.su/instrumenty/kak-pajat-mednyj-radiator-avtomobilja-svoimi.php/

How to solder a copper car radiator with your own hands?

" Technique "

Question for experts: Can I solder a copper radiator with a 150-watt soldering iron???

Best regards, Igor Khudin

Best answers

This is unlikely (c).
Copper conducts heat very well.

No. Not enough power. Unless you warm up the soldering area with something else, it’s very good. But in this case there is a risk of melting the solder in another place.

If you use heating (a 300-watt light bulb, an electric stove - just so as not to overheat, or warm it up in the sun) then you can - I soldered, but really in the summer.

I soldered at 250 watts, and that was not enough. Take two soldering irons, heat with one, solder with the other. Use good flux or solder paste. First, tin the area around the hole, then apply a pre-tinned patch of sheet copper or copper mesh, and heat it up. If the crack is small, you can do it without a patch. You can insert a piece of copper wire into the hole

It is better to solder it using gas soldering and LOK welding. It will be much more reliable. If you still have metal water pipes in your village, then san. technicians for 0.5, how can you do it, they will solder it. Well, or the boiler room also has the necessary equipment.

If you know how to solder well, you can do it.
otherwise, don't even bother.

Depending on where you solder, it’s better to use a 250 gram copper soldering iron for the tray. honeycomb for the bath - a special wedge “carrot” 150 grams. just a honeycomb - you can solder it with a regular electric one, I soldered three honeycombs after the stone with a simple 75 watt one. True, before this the radiator warmed up in the sun for an hour. Fortunately, it was summer and hot. Heat copper soldering irons on a gas burner or blowtorch. until cherry color. You will also need soldering ammonia for tinning the soldering iron tip.

soldering acid or sulfur, or regular aspirin, for tinning the radiator at the soldering site, and a thin metal mesh brush. and of course solder and rosin or solder fat.

You can't do it with just a soldering iron.
But if you heat the soldering area additionally, at least with a Chinese burner, then it’s possible. Well, radiators are not soldered with rosin, like wires. You will need soldering acid and corrosion cleaning acid.

answer

This video will help you figure it out

Answers from experts

You can seal it with silicone, but if you solder, you must coat it with flux

Solder with a soldering iron.
And before that, you need to remove the radiator, inspect the leak site, prepare it - clean it, degrease it, tin it and solder it.

You need a 100 watt soldering iron... clean it thoroughly. . tin. . solder it thoroughly

warm up with solder.. solder. .

It's better to remove the radiator. .

Niva was done this way a hundred years ago.
. The radiator hasn't been replaced yet...

Remove it, take a metal brush, clean it, solder it with a powerful soldering iron (there are some that look more like a hammer). POS solder seems to be 50, in general, not the same as for radio components, aspirin or acid is used instead of rosin, then wash the soldering area with alcohol or gasoline, otherwise corrosion at the soldering area will quickly begin

take off, my greasy antifreeze, horizontally = easier to pass the seam = does not drain, clean it up, degrease the zinc chloride, solder it. Copper hammer on a gas stove, you can use a soldering iron (but produces benzene fats) old gas stoves = remove the middle of the burner and hum the flame directly

pipes = clean and apply a thin layer of graphite = do not stick

solder with a small torch and degrease with acid. give it to the radiator man. Until you learn how to take pictures several times

You need either a powerful (400 watt) electric soldering iron or hot (external heating) soldering acid, POS solder, cord brush.. and desire..))

I took the old one to the gas office, where they do copper welding

mnogo-trub/pajka-trub/pajka-mednyx-trub-svoimi-rukami

Two weeks ago, I was just doing this kind of crap. The heat exchanger in the gas water heater “exploded”, and the rolls at the soldering points were unsoldered. First I tried it with a torch for soldering air conditioner pipes. But it doesn’t take it, the heat exchanger transfers heat to its plates too quickly.

I had to go to a friend in the Moscow region, where I soldered it with an acetylene torch. I used store-bought solder, copper rods. He gave more acetylene than when welding, did not use any acid, although it would have been necessary to deoxidize it with something. I had to give more solder. And with a soldering iron...

I won't do it there!!!)) )

The burner in the video will not support the heat exchanger.

The gas workers have a repair shop, you remove the radiator and take it to them, where a specialist will repair it with an acetylene torch. The form of payment in cash or through a cash register depends on local regulations and personal ingenuity.))))))))))

I’ll add one more option to the above === in a car service center or in a neighbor’s garage, if you have a semi-automatic device for welding in a shielding gas environment, you will be happy

Contact us, we will help. We perform soldering of the radiator (heat exchanger) at your home. There is no need to take the radiator anywhere. nn-rgo /uslugi/pajka-radiatorov-gazovyx-kolonok

Source: https://dom-voprosov.ru/tehnika/kak-payat-mednyj-radiator-avtomobilya-svoimi-rukami

How to solder a radiator with a soldering iron

Finally overcame laziness and decided to write about soldering the radiator!
While there was silence in the blog, to my surprise, the number of subscribers exceeded a hundred! This makes me very happy, so it’s worth continuing to write!

I stopped writing while soldering the radiator. Unfortunately, during this time almost nothing has changed. Work, then a session, periodic repairs of the second car, etc. They didn’t let me deal with the Volga.

Now to the point: the experimental necromancy of radiators bore fruit - I learned how to solder radiators quite well, plus I realized that not everything that can be soldered is worth soldering. Let me remind you that after flushing the radiator with citric acid, it began to leak quite a bit, and therefore, I and decided to try to solder it myself.

I think it will be more interesting and useful if it is not just a story, but some kind of soldering manual. Fortunately, I have accumulated a lot of experience, and on the Internet, I haven’t seen much description of how this is done.

Tools and materials:

The first and necessary thing is a soldering iron, even two - one - “a la hatchet”, for good heating of large areas, the second - thin, for sealing in hard-to-reach places. A gas blowtorch is also an indispensable thing. Pliers for picking out the “mesh” of the radiator. Well, brushes for the drill for cleaning.

At first I tried to use alcohol-rosin flux for soldering; I had it left over from when I soldered a guitar pedal in my adolescence. I really liked it then, but it’s completely unsuitable here. In addition to the fact that it solders poorly, it also leaves layers in the solder through which coolant can leak.

So I decided to use soldering acid - it works great.

And of course, solder. I used more than 300 grams of it. From the factory, the radiator was sealed with POS 40 brand solder. At first, I also tried soldering with it, but it was very tedious, and the radiator quickly cooled down to a temperature that was not enough for this brand, so I switched to POS 61.

Process:
First you need to determine where the leak is. In the worst case, we'll just see a huge hole. The next level, easy leakage, when filling the radiator with water. And finally, when there are no large holes left, the radiator is pressure checked. I did it like this:

Despite its simple design, the radiator sometimes fails. Its main malfunction is a violation of tightness. In other words, it begins to leak. A coolant leak while the power unit is running threatens the latter with critical breakdowns due to overheating.

How to properly solder a copper radiator

Tools and materials:

At first I tried to use alcohol-rosin flux for soldering; I had it left over from when I soldered a guitar pedal in my adolescence. I really liked it then, but it’s completely unsuitable here. In addition to the fact that it solders poorly, it also leaves layers in the solder through which coolant can leak.

So I decided to use soldering acid - it works great.

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Despite its simple design, the radiator sometimes fails. Its main malfunction is a violation of tightness. In other words, it begins to leak. A coolant leak while the power unit is running threatens the latter with critical breakdowns due to overheating.

How to solder an aluminum radiator

Soldering aluminum radiators when performing repair work is one of the most complex and critical processes. As a rule, both in the case of repairing heating devices and when restoring car radiators, the solution to this problem is entrusted to professionals.

But if you have knowledge, skills and minimal dexterity, it is quite possible to solder an aluminum device with high quality. What is required for this and how the work should be done, I will now tell you.

Features of working with aluminum

The choice of aluminum for the manufacture of various radiators is not accidental: this metal has an optimal combination of low weight, strength and excellent thermal conductivity. Thanks to this, plate structures with a large total area can be made from aluminum, and they will provide excellent heat transfer.

But the material also has a drawback, which is the difficulty of repairing any radiators if damaged:

Aluminum is a chemically active material. Because of this, the metal surface oxidizes very quickly, becoming covered with a layer of oxide film.
The oxide film becomes an obstacle to soldering two aluminum products. For maximum strength, it is necessary to achieve direct metal-to-metal contact, but when heated, a thin layer of oxides inevitably forms between them.

On the other hand, if it were not for the film, then the corrosion of aluminum in air would be extremely active. The same is typical, for example, for a copper radiator: the surface layer of oxides plays the role of insulation, impermeable to oxygen.

To effectively solder an aluminum radiator, you need to get rid of oxides on its surface. For this purpose, special compounds are used - fluxes. The use of fluxes based on cadmium, bismuth or zinc allows you to clean the surface of the material, reduce the stress on the surfaces during connection and improve the adhesion of the metal to the solder.

The price of high-quality fluxes for soldering this metal can be quite high (for example, Castolin Alutin 51L - about 300 rubles for 25 g). That is why, when repairing radiators at home, they use homemade compounds - the so-called fluxes.

In any case, when soldering, the main task is to isolate the treated area from contact with oxygen. This is achieved in a variety of ways.

An alternative technique - sealing the defect by cold welding - can only be considered as a temporary measure. Still, such compositions cannot withstand operational loads, and sooner or later their strength decreases.

Method 1. Iron-rosin flux

So, how to solder a damaged aluminum radiator? The easiest way is to use rosin-based flux. The instructions will be as follows:

Preparation. We clean the area to be treated, removing any remaining paint and dirt, then sand the metal with an abrasive and degrease it with a solvent. The more carefully we carry out all this work, the more effective the repair will be.

Preparation of flux. We melt rosin in a metal crucible, gradually heating the container and stirring the melting substance. Add iron filings in small portions (1 part to 2 parts rosin) and stir until the mixture is completely homogeneous.

Surface treatment. We cover the area to be repaired with a thin layer of molten iron-rosin flux. The fewer missed sections, the higher the quality of the repair.

It is advisable to carry out both work with fluxes and soldering under a hood. If this is not possible, then you need to work in a well-ventilated area.

Soldering. We collect a small amount of solder on the soldering iron, and then apply it in a circular motion to the aluminum under a layer of flux. Iron filings act as an abrasive: they clean off oxides, ensuring a bond between solder and aluminum. Melted rosin allows you to minimize the access of oxygen, so secondary oxidation does not occur.

The main disadvantage of this method of soldering aluminum is its complexity. It is almost impossible to treat such large damage, since the flux hardens quickly and the quality of the repair is reduced.

Method 2. Homemade flux

When repairing fairly large damage to aluminum radiators with your own hands, you can use special compounds - flux. In this case, the work is performed like this:

Preparation. We prepare the defect site according to the scheme described in the previous section, cleaning and degreasing the metal.

Fluid components. Sodium sulfate (4%), potassium chloride (56%), lithium chloride (23%), cryolite (10%) and table salt (75%) are individually ground in a mortar almost into powder. After this, pour the materials into the crucible and mix until a homogeneous powder is obtained.

Ground components are hygroscopic (absorb moisture from the air). Therefore, they need to be stored in dark glass containers with ground stoppers, avoiding overheating and direct sunlight.

Preparation of the floodplain . Pour the dry ingredients into the crucible and melt until smooth, stirring gently.
Soldering. We apply a thin layer of flux to the surface, which is preheated using a gas burner. After this, we solder the damaged area using tin-lead solder with the addition of bismuth.

Method 3. Low-temperature solder with sizing

A car radiator differs from heating radiators primarily in the configuration of the tanks. When troubleshooting a problem, you have to solder small thin-walled tubes and plates, so the methods described above will not always be applicable.

An alternative is to use aluminum solder rods with a low melting point. An example of repairing a radiator is given in the table:

Illustration	Work stage
Cleaning up the area.

Using sandpaper or a special attachment on a drill/screwdriver, we clean the aluminum, removing the film of oxides.

Degreasing.

We treat the area with a solvent, removing organic contaminants and oxide residues.

Crimping damage.

Using small pliers, we crimp the damaged area, reducing the area of the hole. This is done to facilitate the soldering process.

Soldering.

Using a gas burner, we warm up the area. After this, we introduce a rod of solder with a low melting point into the flame and rub it over the damage.

With each pass, solder particles will be deposited into the hole and onto the surfaces around it, gradually eliminating the defect.

Additional sealing.

After soldering is complete, apply high-temperature aluminum adhesive over the repaired area.

Source: https://MyTooling.ru/instrumenty/kak-pajat-aljuminievyj-radiator

How to solder a geyser heat exchanger - 3 soldering methods?

First of all, you need to remove the casing from the column. This must be done carefully, first disconnecting the wires from the display. In some models of water heaters, for example Neva 4510, the gas and pressure regulators must be removed before doing this.

Next, turn on the water and locate the leak. Often it is located on the bend of the heat exchanger pipes near the sheathing. If it is easily accessible, it will be possible to seal the fistula without removing the column.

If there is no direct access, and the fistula is located from inside the radiator, you will need to disassemble the column and remove the heat exchanger.

After this, the gas is turned off and water is drained from the column. To do this, open the hot water tap and unscrew the union nut from the cold water inlet. Under the influence of gravity, the water will flow out. Modern dispensers have a special plug for draining water, after opening which the liquid is poured into a substitute container. Remaining moisture is blown out with a compressor or vacuum cleaner. This is important because during soldering the liquid will boil and evaporate, creating pressure and blowing the solder through the fistula.

The last stage of preparation is cleaning and degreasing the leak area. This is done using fine-grained sandpaper. You need to clean it carefully so as not to make a through hole, since the pipes in the heat exchanger can be very thin. After this, the cleaned tube is wiped with any solvent or white spirit to remove any remaining dirt and grease.

Soldering methods

There are three ways to solder the geyser heat exchanger:

Powerful soldering iron

To solder the fistula site with your own hands, you will need a soldering iron with a power of about 110 W, flux and solder.

The first stage of soldering is applying flux. This is a substance that cleans the surface of the material from oxides and allows the solder to spread more evenly. Flux paste containing copper is best. If it is not available, you can use regular rosin or an aspirin tablet.

After this, the soldering iron is applied to the tube in which the hole is and solder is applied. It is important that the solder melts from the pipe, and not from the soldering iron. A thin layer of solder is applied and the thickness is gradually increased to 1-2 mm. This is enough to prevent hot water from leaking under pressure.

Burner with gas cylinder

You will need a burner, a small gas cylinder, flux, and solder. The burner is connected to the cylinder and ignited. You need to choose a not very strong flame so as not to damage the column radiator.

First, the leak site warms up well. This is done to ensure that any remaining moisture in the pipes evaporates. After this, the pipe is heated and solder is supplied to it.

After soldering, it is imperative to remove any remaining flux, because it contains acid and can subsequently corrode the walls of the heat exchanger pipes.

Watch my video on soldering using this method:

Cold welding

It is important to choose a cold weld that will not melt from hot water. All actions must be carried out wearing protective gloves. A small amount of cold welding comes out of the package. You need to knead it in your hands for about three minutes. As soon as the material begins to harden, you need to apply it to the site of the fistula and hold it tightly until it hardens completely.

If there are several fistulas nearby on the heat exchanger tube or there is a large hole in the tube, you need to solder a copper patch. You can also make soldering from a piece of copper pipe.

Checking the result

After completing the soldering of the geyser heat exchanger, you should carefully inspect all radiator pipes. If green spots are visible somewhere, most likely these are small fistulas. These places also need to be cleaned and soldered, so as not to disassemble the column again in the future.

Next, water is supplied to the column and the tap is gradually turned on. The water in the system should fill slowly. At first, air will come out of the tap along with the water. When the system is full, the tap is opened fully to check the soldering with maximum water pressure. At this time, the soldering area is carefully inspected for leaks.

The last stage of the test will be to turn on the column and test it with hot water. Just in case, wipe the soldering area with a paper napkin. If there is minimal moisture, it will show it.

Features of different models

Before you start soldering the heat exchanger with your own hands, you should take into account the design features of the water heater model. It is not recommended to solder heat exchangers from Chinese companies, such as Vector. The pipes in them are made of very thin copper; when soldering, new holes may appear. Heat exchangers of cheap water heaters must be replaced in case of breakdown.

Speakers from German companies, such as Oasis, are considered one of the most reliable. They are equipped with copper heat exchangers with increased service life. The cost of components is higher here, so repairs are justified. By soldering the fistula on the radiator of the Oasis speaker, you can significantly extend its service life.

Mid-price speakers, such as the Russian Neva and Swedish Electrolux, are also subject to repair. They have copper radiators with anti-corrosion coating. Soldering allows you to eliminate fistulas and leaks.

Source: https://boilervdom.ru/gaz-kolonki/remont/kak-zapayat-teploobmennik-gazovoj-kolonki-3-sposoba-pajki.html

How to solder a copper radiator video

Tractor T-40 » Cars

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15.11.2019

Tools and materials:

At first I tried to use alcohol-rosin flux for soldering; I had it left over from when I soldered a guitar pedal in my adolescence. I really liked it then, but it’s completely unsuitable here. In addition to the fact that it solders poorly, it also leaves layers in the solder through which coolant can leak.

So I decided to use soldering acid - it works great.

Loss of radiator seal is a common vehicle malfunction. In many cases, it can be eliminated without replacing the radiator with a new one. To do this, perform local repairs of the damaged element of the device. How to solder a radiator so that it restores its functionality for a long time? Let's look at the basic techniques.

The main reasons for the loss of radiator tightness, signs, repair features

Loss of tightness of the radiator of the cooling system may be due to the following reasons:

Natural wear and tear. The approximate lifespan of a radiator is about 10-12 years. As the device wears out, its internal working surface becomes covered with a layer of scale and deposits formed as a result of chemical and thermodynamic processes. The walls of the radiator plates and tubes become thinner. Since the liquid in the device is under pressure, microcracks are possible, as a result of which the liquid begins to leave the system.

Considering that the sizes of microcracks are small, a strong leak is not observed in this case. Wet traces of leakage may disappear after cooling the engine and antifreeze. It is advisable to immediately detect the consequences and place of fluid leakage. The sooner repairs are made in this situation, the less damage will have to be repaired. Can be successfully repaired by cold welding .

Filling the cooling system with water. Freezing in the cold season. If there is a slight leak of antifreeze, many drivers add limited amounts of water to the system. During the warm season of vehicle operation, the number of such top-ups can be large. As a result, the concentration and characteristics of antifreeze change. In winter, even at slightly below zero temperatures, it can freeze. In this case, volume expansion occurs. The radiator may “break”.

The resulting crack is usually large in size. It can occur at the junction of plastic and metal radiator elements. In most cases, such damage is difficult to repair.

Filling the cooling system with low-quality antifreeze. Overpressure. In most modern engines, the coolant is under pressure. At the same time, the boiling point of antifreeze increases to more than 100 degrees Celsius. This allows you to increase the efficiency of the engine. If low-quality antifreeze is poured into the system, it may boil at a lower temperature. This may damage the radiator. It may be small. In such cases, it is better to use the soldering repair method, as it provides better performance in terms of resistance to increased pressure. Soldering is easy to do at home .
Mechanical damage . This malfunction may be due to:
foreign objects entering the radiator area;
road accident;
destruction of fan blades;
poor quality repairs.

Soldering a radiator at home

Soldering cooling system radiators is a classic repair method. It was used at the beginning of the last century. At that time, radiators were made of copper or its alloys (usually brass). Soldering technology was mature at that time. A copper kettle could be repaired in any city. The soldering process is performed at the melting temperature of the solder used. To perform soldering, the following materials and tools are required:

a powerful soldering iron of 220 Volts (it is better to use a hammer type with a power of 250 or 200 Watts, if not available, at least 100 Watts);
medium grit sandpaper;
active flux;
tin-lead solder POS-60 or POS-40;
solvent for surface cleaning.

The pre-repaired surface of the radiator is cleaned of foreign contaminants. Next, if necessary, to provide access to the soldering area, carefully remove the cooling fins. Then a final cleaning is carried out using sandpaper.

The soldering iron (if it is new) is pre-tinned. To do this, active flux is applied to its tip, heated to operating temperature, and then solder is melted onto the soldering iron tip. If there is no active flux, you can use an aspirin tablet. At the same time, it is advisable not to inhale the “thermonuclear” fumes from the tablet.

Next, active flux is applied to the cleaned area. After this, a large drop of solder is applied to the soldering iron tip and the soldering process is carried out. It requires a little experience. It may take time to get good soldering done.

Features of soldering aluminum radiators

Modern cars mainly use aluminum radiators. Aluminum material does not solder well. Almost instantly after stripping, it becomes covered with a layer of oxide, which prevents soldering. On radio markets you can find a special active flux for aluminum. It greatly simplifies the soldering process.

You can use small metal shavings when soldering. It is applied to the repair site mixed with flux. During the application of solder, shavings scratch the surface of the aluminum. Under the layer of flux, the metal does not have time to oxidize, and soldering is successful. Please note that aluminum is a soft material, so you should not apply excessive force to avoid damaging the radiator.

Welding as a method of radiator repair

At home, it is difficult to use welding to repair radiators. This requires special skills and special welding equipment. Otherwise, the thin metal of the walls will burn through, and instead of being repaired, the radiator may become completely unusable.

Cold welding

Cold welding refers to the joining of materials using a special glue. Usually this is a two-component adhesive based on mastics, epoxy compounds, metal powders to strengthen the structure of the joint, and additives.

The technological process for repairing radiators for almost all types of cold welding is approximately the same. The repair area is first cleaned with solvent and sandpaper. Then the glue components are thoroughly mixed (the mastic is kneaded). After this, the composition is applied to the repair site and left in a warm place.

To increase the reliability of cold welding, extensive repairs are usually performed. To do this, limit the leakage of glue from adjacent areas and from the back surface of the radiator. A kind of “bowl” is created into which glue is poured. This allows you to increase the reliability of the connection. Thermal expansion blocks antifreeze leakage.

A special feature of operating a vehicle after cold welding is the need for periodic monitoring of the repair site for a month. During operation, the radiator is subjected to large mechanical, thermal, and chemical loads. The bonding site may collapse, crack, and undesirable chemical reactions may occur there.

The radiator is primarily responsible for cooling the engine. Its serviceability is an indispensable condition for the performance of the engine.

Source: https://t40-tractor.ru/avtomobili/kak-zapajat-mednyj-radiator-video.html

How can you solder a radiator?

On the Internet you can find many photos of how to solder a radiator. But before looking at the pictures, you need to read the recommendations of experts, otherwise you won’t understand anything.

To do everything correctly, pay attention to the procedure for soldering the damaged surface. The repair method depends on the material from which the radiator is made.

In most cases, radiators are soldered using cold welding. Instructions on how to solder a radiator are as follows:

For convenience and quality work, dismantle the radiator;
Find the place where the liquid may be leaking;
To accurately calculate the fault, cover the radiator holes;
Immerse it in water, you will see small water bubbles above the breaks;
The damaged area must be prepared for repair - sanded and degreased well;
We take a dose of cold welding, knead it and put it on the crack.

Due to the activator, cold welding can be turned into a liquid, which is intended for those places where it is difficult to penetrate. Let everything dry, clean and paint.

Aluminum radiator repair

Soldering an aluminum part is a labor-intensive process. How to solder an aluminum radiator? Before repairs, you need to prepare many tools, which are sold in specialized stores.

Due to the aluminum oxide film, the alloy does not adhere well to the crack, so follow this process:

find the damaged surface;
melt and mix rosin with iron filings;
Apply the resulting mixture to the damage and blend with a heated blowtorch;
when the flux covers the surface, add part of the resulting mixture. This will destroy the oxide film;
if the gap is large, then we use a compound of bismuth and tin;
To make the seam more reliable, we use flux - this is a composition of potassium and lithium chloride, cryolite, ordinary salt, and sodium sulfate.

The resulting mixture is heated with a hot soldering iron. At the end of the work, we check the result. Pour water with potassium permanganate into the radiator and wait a couple of hours. If it doesn’t ooze anywhere, then everything was done correctly. We work with gloves and in a well-ventilated area.

Copper radiator repair

I use the same method to solder a radiator made of copper and brass; I do this using tin. To solder a copper radiator, it is better to use a hammer soldering iron, which works without electricity. A blowtorch is used for heating.

First of all, you need to sand the cracks that have formed, then coat them with zinc chlorine. To prepare it you need: zinc and hydrochloric acid; We put the zinc in the acid and wait until the mixture combines.

Next, use a heated blowtorch to transfer the tin to the damaged area. We check the quality of work with water, then paint.

Repairing a radiator at home

The radiator is one of the most vulnerable parts of a car. If it malfunctions, it is not necessary to contact specialists; you can repair it yourself. To solder a radiator with your own hands, you need to have room and the necessary tools.

To repair the radiator, just go through the following steps:

remove the radiator from the car and drain the liquid;
find the right tools;
solder the damage;
check the result of the work;
put the radiator back in place.

To properly fix the problem, be sure to dismantle it. At the same time, it will be possible to inspect all damage to the radiator and properly solder the gaps. We find cracks using polyethylene, a vessel and water. We cover the holes with film and then lower them into the water. Small bubbles will appear from the water above the cracks.

We wash and clean defective areas. You can sand it using sandpaper, a fine file (semicircular, thin, flat), or an iron brush. This stage must be taken seriously, since the rest of the work will depend on it.

The next step is degreasing, then sealing, it depends on the choice of the necessary tools.

To solder the radiator you will need the following tools:

electric soldering iron;
gas burner;
a mixture of lead and tin;
flux;
rosin dissolved in alcohol.

The choice of tools for soldering depends on the material of the radiator, for example, a copper radiator is soldered with solder with a low melting degree, etc.

Other radiator repair methods

In addition to welding damaged areas, other repair methods can be used:

Mustard powder;
Egg;
Sealant;
Argon-arc welding.

Photo recommendations on how to solder a radiator

Source: https://respect-kovka.com/kak-pravilno-zapayat-mednyy-radiator/

How to solder a copper car radiator with your own hands

Why does a leak appear?

Looking for a leak

Copper or aluminum

Repairing a copper radiator

What is the difficulty of soldering aluminum?

Materials and tools for soldering aluminum radiators

Preparing gumboil

Flux for the most durable seam

We repair an aluminum radiator with our own hands

How to solder a copper radiator

Determining the location of damage

Repair of copper radiators

How to solder a copper car radiator with your own hands

Why does a leak appear?

Looking for a leak

Copper or aluminum?

We repair the radiator

What is the difficulty of soldering aluminum?

Materials and tools

Repairing brass

For the most durable seam

How to solder a copper car radiator with your own hands?

Best answers

answer

Answers from experts

How to solder a radiator with a soldering iron

How to properly solder a copper radiator

How to solder an aluminum radiator

Features of working with aluminum

Method 1. Iron-rosin flux

Method 2. Homemade flux

Method 3. Low-temperature solder with sizing

How to solder a geyser heat exchanger - 3 soldering methods?

Soldering methods

Powerful soldering iron

Burner with gas cylinder

Cold welding

Checking the result

Features of different models

How to solder a copper radiator video

The main reasons for the loss of radiator tightness, signs, repair features

Soldering a radiator at home

Features of soldering aluminum radiators

Welding as a method of radiator repair

Cold welding

How can you solder a radiator?

Aluminum radiator repair

Copper radiator repair

Repairing a radiator at home

Other radiator repair methods

Photo recommendations on how to solder a radiator

What tools are used for thread cutting?