"unique" field expedient radiator repair technique

[genphreak]

looks like a lot of effort, I have just pinched and rolled the tubes before and it held all the way home from a vacation once.

For a pinhole leak in a tube, its easy once you get hold of a good soldering iron:

1. Drain coolant below the level of the hole, mop up excess coolant, (ie it must stop seeping thru the hole).
2. Remove any surrounding oxidation and the factory paint using fine-med emerycloth/sand paper and apply electrical solder (normal stuff w embedded flux) with hot iron (the hotter the better)
3. Refill coolant and follow your engine's procedure to bleed the air, pressure test and drive (I suggest pullig over to check a few times rather than let it leak any).

Works really well if a spanner slips and you damage a tube. Did this on an e30- so far lasted 2 years in the Australian heat... towed a caravan... still seems good, so it might even be worth painting the repair area for lengevity...