Tried my hand at soldering a small leaK in the heater core. It's not pretty but after applying about 2psi of pressure to it no visible sign of leaking and maintained pressure overnight!
That's pretty good for using a torch for soldering. Better results (and less chance of damage) are obtained with an old school soldering iron (A big chunk of copper with a handle that gets heated up with the torch). In hunting for a picture to show you, I saw a bunch on eBay - People are asking crazy prices. There are 4 or 5 of them in my Dad's tool shed. Maybe I should cash in. Like This:
Last edited by klhansen; 01/13/20217:19 PM.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
An entrepreneur with a hacksaw, a file, and a chunk of copper could fabricate one and "antique" it - - - - -and still cash in on some people's gullibility! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I thought that these old trucks usually had a about a 4psi radiator cap, maybe 2-6psi depending what you were doing, my radiator shop rebuilt my radiator and checked this round heater core for leaks after flushing it. They provided me with a new 4psi cap and thanked me for not doing my own pressure test to modern levels. -s
Thanks for the replies. I mentioned I applied "about 2 psi" using a old bike tube with valve sealed on the inlet and outlet. I used a hand bike pump with integrated gauge to ensure that I didn't put to much pressure on the core. I'll try to get a picture of the setup and post it.