Old video but I have this welder. Fixed a poly gas tank for my old truck. That was around 10 years ago. Still not leaking. This thing has saved me more money than I know. It’s worth every penny you pay and then some.
Excellent video. Since I'm planning to keep my cars for a long time. I replaced the plastic radiators for full aluminum and more capacity radiators... Northern California gets super hot sometimes...
Tried welding plastic using your kit from Polyvance, guess the radiator was too old, because after two tries, still leaks after running for 15 minutes...disappointed that it failed to work for me...
Its difficult to get a pinhole free weld using that technique. Most soldering irons have too small of a tip to provide adequate pressure to the substrate to get a good weld. Also many zip ties contain a nylon blend which may not be a great match for the type of nylon radiators are made from. I have also run across zip ties made of polypropylene and HDPE, which will not weld with nylon at all.
@@AmericanThunder Most are still not typically large enough unless you have a REALLY BIG soldering iron and you have the ability to control the temperature of the iron.
@@AmericanThunder I'm not saying it can't be done. Its just much easier with the right tool. The airless welder has its origins in a soldering iron. The custom tips were added to make the process much easier and faster than using the smaller tip of a soldering iron. The output of the tool was then adjusted to best suit plastic repair, followed by a temperature controlled version for even more control on low melt-point materials.
Stop drilling the end of the cracks helps in aluminum but melting the plastic should take care of it .When radiators weren't plastic I repaired a hole in a car battery with a prestone bottle and a hot glue gun.
Cool kit but... I have a lot tools but not a heat gun, not a laser thermometer, not a plastic welder melter thing. This is way to specific in tools which your average person WILL NOT HAVE!
The laser thermometer was to demonstrate how much we heated the radiator. It isn't necessary. The heat gun is also not necessary, but it speeds up the process (as stated in the video). You can buy both the heat gun and the plastic welder kit from Polyvance. The links to both of these items are in the description box.
Acquiring the basic tools which in this case is just the soldering one and the plastic or nylon to be melted, it's way cheaper and easier than replacing the whole radiator, talking about an average person
Yeah, some radiators are really inexpensive. However, if you have a kayak, atv or other plastic things that tend to break, they can also be welded with the same welder. Keep in mind you would use a different welding rod for each type of plastic, but the welder itself can be used for a lot of things.
Nam Dzang jbweld the red one. Just sandpaper, clean and dry the area, and apply a coat of jbweld let it dry, but depends on ambient temp. I always put 3 caps of jb. Never have a leak again in that area..
What if you didn't use a chisel to put a crack in it? I only have a small thin crack but it is enough for fluid to bubble out, what's the best bond with heat resistance that can be used quicker than this approach?
Good video.. what about repair a broken plastic pipe on the radiator. For ex the very smallest connection that goes with a hose too the expansioncooler container
@@scottb7600 Great. When i was writing this i looked into the same channel that they did just that in an other video too fix a longer thinner pipe on the radiator hehe
If it's a small hole or crack drill it out and put a expanding rubber freeze plug in tighten and your done no chance of the polycarbonate separating again fixed radiators like this for years !!!!!!
Do you want to know how much Polyvance believes in their products? The radiator featured in this video was in a vehicle that belonged to Polyvance's Vice President. We drilled into his perfectly good radiator because we know our products work, and we knew we would be able to repair it. This repair was done around 7-8 years ago. This vehicle has since changed hands (but stayed in the Vice President's family.) The vehicle is still driven often. The repair on this radiator has held up all this time.
Polyvance. Not to rain on your parade, But when in a normal plastic radiator failure situation, (not a pre-planned one) if one part has cracked the other pieces should not be far behind.
incredible tool..but if you do a one time job - ask yourself is it worth of spending all that money or easier to get new radiator with warranty...i guess new with warranty and moneywise you break even,except the fact that you still driving with old patched radiator if you buy this tool... STILL THUMBS UP TO INVENTORS,because if you have garage shop this tool is MONEY MAKER!!!!!!!!!
@@LVPHD1 I tried several adhesives on a crack in the side tank of a Mk1 Ford Focus radiator without success. That included a product made especially for radiator repairs and a couple of other epoxy products. We've had the radiator out 3 times now, but it has failed very quickly every time. I am wondering whether to try welding, but some say it doesn't work.
My '98 Chevy Tahoe has a pinhole on the plastic part of the radiator. Can I use soldering iron instead of buying a whole kit to melt the nylon rod? Just asking. It'll save me a bunch of money. Thanks.
I'll say this, you can always try. The big problem with a soldering iron is temperature and surface area. The welder makes the weld much easier...plus if you have any broken plastic in the future, all you need to get is the right filler rod and you're good to go!
PA66 is the code for Nylon... GF33 indicates it is 33% glass filling powder and strands for strength. PA66-GF33 is 33% glass filled Nylon. You can repair this mixture of nylon with more nylon. This is what this entire video is showing. Yes it works on a motorcycle oil tank. I need a drink.
If the radiator is cracked, you will see it leak. If it's leaking, it will overheat once the coolant leaks out. If you continue driving it while overheating, you can warp the heads.
The thing that destroys Nylon radiators is Heat ( and hammers, drills, chisels). Overheated engines weaken the plastic as they are designed for normal hot coolant temps. Higher temperatures from an overheating engine will turn the nylon brown or tan and brittle over time.
That kit costs as much as a cheap radiator. If it were half that price I would buy one, but for a little more I could buy a good radiator. Not worth it unless you are a shop that repairs them.
You should still be able to use this product. Check out this video where we repair two large cracks on a radiator: ruclips.net/video/O67ZkKRnOVM/видео.html&t
It's more or less the same principle. The main difference is the welding rod, which will be cleaner and identifiable as a specific type of plastic so you can match it exactly.
If its the aluminum part, you are SOL, but if its the plastic part, you'll need to use a dremel tool or a di grinder to grind out the corroded area. If its a big hole, you'll want to cut a piece of 2045W stainless mesh about 1/2 in bigger than the hole all the way around and melt the edges in. This will give you a support structure with which to fill the hole. Once that's in, simply weld over the hole using R21 glass reinforced nylon welding rod, blending it well at the edges with the base material an forcing it into the mesh to get a structure that behaves as one piece.
I tried to use a JB Weld radiator repair kit but it set before I could apply it. I later used a very similar product by another manufacturer but it failed immediately.
@@Swingfree1947 jb weld could work IF and only IF you can seal the leak from inside which is pretty much impossible. Anything added on the outside will never ever hold, we are dealing with an uncompressable liquid which expands when heated, this creates tons of pressure (not literally tons) and the repair won't last
I just had my plastic radiator crack after an overheat. it seems that the coolant inside boiled and because of the too much pressure, it cracked its way open. it has a quite long crack about 4 inches. do you think it can still be repaired with this method? thanks
Yes, you can weld it as long as the crack doesn't extend into the fins. A lot of times that failure happens as the result of your head gasket blowing which pressurizes the coolant system to the point where the weakest link fails...which in turn would make your car overheat because it blew out all your coolant.
For plastic radiator leak, forget everything. Use Weicon Aqua repair stick. Made for plastic radiators. Used it n satisfied. Takes upto 120 C (250 F). The extra I have I will use for my plumbing
Nice try Einsteins, but those style radiators crack and or become not sealed at the crimping points, have never seen that style crack as you show in the 47 years Ive been around vehicles...... BLUE DEVIL works well in heater cores, radiators as well as head gaskets....for a while & not permanently
Polyvance did not create a product to solve a problem that supposedly does not exist. Radiators crack all the time at places other than the crimp seal. Filler neck cracks are EXTREMELY common.
It may be possible, but there are hundreds of varieties of nylon and each has specific properties and are chosen for specific applications. Not every nylon likes to be blended with every other nylon. That said, if you tried it and it didn't work, you could always start over, grind out what you put in and weld it with the R06-01-03-NT welding rod.
Scott Bixler yeah, i wish I seen your reply because I already had a plastic welder and some nylon washers and it just stressed fractured right after starting the car. I couldn’t find that much info on nylon so your reply helps a lot thanks man.
Visit this video page on our website to see the full list of products used and other helpful tips: www.polyvance.com/video/radiator-repair/repair-cracked-plastic-radiator
![FIX or REPAIR? Radiator Failure and The Cause [PLASTIC TANKS]](/img/1.gif)
Old video but I have this welder. Fixed a poly gas tank for my old truck. That was around 10 years ago. Still not leaking. This thing has saved me more money than I know. It’s worth every penny you pay and then some.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your story with us!
That first part had my teeth clench. Its like watching the radiators funeral. Any more sec. I would' ve been in tears.
Excellent video.
Since I'm planning to keep my cars for a long time.
I replaced the plastic radiators for full aluminum and more capacity radiators...
Northern California gets super hot sometimes...
Yes, we have a race car and did the same. There are times when more cooling capacity is needed.
Kit costs more than a new radiator
This a good video. Thank you from Guatemala...it goin too help a lot to many peoples in that cars problem.
Thanks for watching!
Excellent. I have been trying to find out what type of plastic. NYLON. Thanks a lot.
Same
Thanks for your answer, Scott.
Tried welding plastic using your kit from Polyvance, guess the radiator was too old, because after two tries, still leaks after running for 15 minutes...disappointed that it failed to work for me...
I was doing the same thing in the 70's when I worked in a warehouse repairing plastic totes.
My radiator filler neck broke off. I stuffed an old glove in it 'til new radiator came. $55. on eBay. Free shipping.
Just use a soldering iron and zip ties (they're made from nylon plastic) as welder rods. Works the same.
Its difficult to get a pinhole free weld using that technique. Most soldering irons have too small of a tip to provide adequate pressure to the substrate to get a good weld. Also many zip ties contain a nylon blend which may not be a great match for the type of nylon radiators are made from. I have also run across zip ties made of polypropylene and HDPE, which will not weld with nylon at all.
@@scottb7600 Most soldering irons come with a flat tip attachment specifically for that purpose.
@@AmericanThunder Most are still not typically large enough unless you have a REALLY BIG soldering iron and you have the ability to control the temperature of the iron.
@@scottb7600 I've been doing decent plastic welding for about 40 years using a Weller iron with a flat tip, no issues, it just takes practice.
@@AmericanThunder I'm not saying it can't be done. Its just much easier with the right tool. The airless welder has its origins in a soldering iron. The custom tips were added to make the process much easier and faster than using the smaller tip of a soldering iron. The output of the tool was then adjusted to best suit plastic repair, followed by a temperature controlled version for even more control on low melt-point materials.
A soldering iron and scrap plastic from a old radiator works just as well!
Stop drilling the end of the cracks helps in aluminum but melting the plastic should take care of it .When radiators weren't plastic I repaired a hole in a car battery with a prestone bottle and a hot glue gun.
Esay rebuild every car model radiator soldering aluminion and pvc
😎👍 Good video
Cool kit but... I have a lot tools but not a heat gun, not a laser thermometer, not a plastic welder melter thing. This is way to specific in tools which your average person WILL NOT HAVE!
The laser thermometer was to demonstrate how much we heated the radiator. It isn't necessary. The heat gun is also not necessary, but it speeds up the process (as stated in the video). You can buy both the heat gun and the plastic welder kit from Polyvance. The links to both of these items are in the description box.
Fluery
Ive got them.... maybe spend 30 bucks also?
Acquiring the basic tools which in this case is just the soldering one and the plastic or nylon to be melted, it's way cheaper and easier than replacing the whole radiator, talking about an average person
and if you buy all that you will use it once, and you could have paid for a new radiator instead
Nice dude that's a appropriate repair
Good job
Love the metal rock theme 🤘🏻
Thank you so much!
The kit is 80 bucks. My new radiator was 88 bucks at A1 auto .com. Probably a good tool for repairing something but not radiators not cost effective.
Yeah, some radiators are really inexpensive. However, if you have a kayak, atv or other plastic things that tend to break, they can also be welded with the same welder. Keep in mind you would use a different welding rod for each type of plastic, but the welder itself can be used for a lot of things.
So when do you recommend to use the ss mesh?
There's no thermostat. Temp too low, is not soupost to be over 200? I use jbweld and works fine... even on metal.
I am told about JBWeld but there are different types and how do you apply it please
Nam Dzang jbweld the red one. Just sandpaper, clean and dry the area, and apply a coat of jbweld let it dry, but depends on ambient temp. I always put 3 caps of jb. Never have a leak again in that area..
@@j.onofre6613 I tried the regular JB Weld and it stuck well, but still cracked in the same spot. Does the "RED" flex, if so that should fix my issue.
Temp should be low on the side he is working on.. the hot coolant enters on the other side and cools as it reaches the location he is working on.
What if you don’t have a plastic welder?
What if you didn't use a chisel to put a crack in it? I only have a small thin crack but it is enough for fluid to bubble out, what's the best bond with heat resistance that can be used quicker than this approach?
A crack is a crack, no matter how small...plastic welding is the only permanent way to repair it.
Good video.. what about repair a broken plastic pipe on the radiator. For ex the very smallest connection that goes with a hose too the expansioncooler container
It can be used for that as well. Be sure to use some of the mesh in the kit to reinforce the repair after you weld it to add tensile strength.
@@scottb7600 Great. When i was writing this i looked into the same channel that they did just that in an other video too fix a longer thinner pipe on the radiator hehe
If it's a small hole or crack drill it out and put a expanding rubber freeze plug in tighten and your done no chance of the polycarbonate separating again fixed radiators like this for years !!!!!!
Good job عمل جيد
Thanks for watching!
Very good
Thanks for watching!
Actually pretty impressed
Thanks!
Can I use torch lighter? Instead of heat gun?
No, the plastic will overheat, oxidize and become brittle.
Do you want to know how much Polyvance believes in their products? The radiator featured in this video was in a vehicle that belonged to Polyvance's Vice President. We drilled into his perfectly good radiator because we know our products work, and we knew we would be able to repair it. This repair was done around 7-8 years ago. This vehicle has since changed hands (but stayed in the Vice President's family.) The vehicle is still driven often. The repair on this radiator has held up all this time.
Polyvance.
Not to rain on your parade,
But when in a normal plastic radiator failure situation, (not a pre-planned one) if one part has cracked the other pieces should not be far behind.
incredible tool..but if you do a one time job - ask yourself is it worth of spending all that money or easier to get new radiator with warranty...i guess new with warranty and moneywise you break even,except the fact that you still driving with old patched radiator if you buy this tool...
STILL THUMBS UP TO INVENTORS,because if you have garage shop this tool is MONEY MAKER!!!!!!!!!
even a home shop it will save you money. You can use it on other plastics as well, you just change which welding rod you use to match the substrate.
What if the crack is along the crimped metal housing?
A crack along the metal is a little more tricky. We only focus on the plastic elements, as they seem to be the most common repairs to happen upon.
I thought that may be the case. Thank's for the response.
Of course! Thank you for watching!
Polyvance what kinda car is this
That looks a lot like the '95 Thunderbird I worked on today. My crack is by the tab that holds the nut clip for the fan shroud :-(
You must play the same music while doing this repair. That’s the first step
It couldn't hurt!
Who is this playing!? It Rocks!
Kicking ass video
Where can i find this music!?🙌🤘
how long did it last?
i am interested in this product.
This video was done circa 2009 and that car is still on the road, going strong with no issues from the radiator at all since the repair.
Or this video was filmed in 2009, I should say.
thx, for helping me clear my mind over epoxy and plastic welding.
That's what we're here for!
Are ALL plastic radiator tanks nylon? I just discovered a pinhole in my 98 F150 (built in 97). I’ve already got this tool with nylon rod.
I just used JB weld. $6.00, one day to let it set and voila! No more leak.
And my repair looks a lot more esthetic than that lol.
@@LVPHD1 I tried several adhesives on a crack in the side tank of a Mk1 Ford Focus radiator without success. That included a product made especially for radiator repairs and a couple of other epoxy products. We've had the radiator out 3 times now, but it has failed very quickly every time. I am wondering whether to try welding, but some say it doesn't work.
What if the crack is in a part where you can't do that work to fix it
Another radiator is always an option.
My '98 Chevy Tahoe has a pinhole on the plastic part of the radiator. Can I use soldering iron instead of buying a whole kit to melt the nylon rod? Just asking. It'll save me a bunch of money. Thanks.
I'll say this, you can always try. The big problem with a soldering iron is temperature and surface area. The welder makes the weld much easier...plus if you have any broken plastic in the future, all you need to get is the right filler rod and you're good to go!
Simple but very usefull
Thank you for watching!
Does this work with PA66-GF33 (motorcycle oil tank)?
PA66 is the code for Nylon...
GF33 indicates it is 33% glass filling powder and strands for strength.
PA66-GF33 is 33% glass filled Nylon.
You can repair this mixture of nylon with more nylon.
This is what this entire video is showing.
Yes it works on a motorcycle oil tank.
I need a drink.
Would a product that is called JB Weld work?
JB Weld will not be a permanent fix. The bond will not withstand the repeated expansion and contraction of a radiator.
How did you find out that the tanks are made from glass filled nylon?
The symbol molded into the tank was PA+GF20 which means PolyAmide (Nylon) + Glass Filled 20%
@@polyvance daaaaaaang
Hi I have a question ? How do I know if the radiator is broken ? Also if my car isn’t over heated can I still drive it with a crack radiator?
If the radiator is cracked, you will see it leak. If it's leaking, it will overheat once the coolant leaks out. If you continue driving it while overheating, you can warp the heads.
Are you for real or is this just a joke.
How would this go on an older radiator where the plastic has fatigued?
Seems to work well, in my experience.
The thing that destroys Nylon radiators is Heat ( and hammers, drills, chisels). Overheated engines weaken the plastic as they are designed for normal hot coolant temps. Higher temperatures from an overheating engine will turn the nylon brown or tan and brittle over time.
Do u have the radiator support of a sunfire 2004 is the one with the little hole
Angel,
Unfortunately, we don't sell radiator supports, we just manufacture plastic repair products.
does the nylon rod come with the plastic welding kit and if not, where can you buy the nylon rod?
"Yes". The nylon rod comes with the kit.
Polyvance thank you so much!
That kit costs as much as a cheap radiator. If it were half that price I would buy one, but for a little more I could buy a good radiator. Not worth it unless you are a shop that repairs them.
@@garyaubrey4096 a replacement radiator is about $150. Plus, here with the repair, you don't have to remove and reinstall. Savings$$$$$
@Gary Aubrey yes, I'm thinking of using a $20 3d pen & a wood engraving tool
That bad Amazon review was actually done wrong, I see (white scab one).
great for that pesky drill hole or chisel crack.... too bad most cracks are at a right angle inlet or outlet, way harder repair
You might enjoy these other radiator repair videos instead: ruclips.net/video/ywGS9ZLbY7Y/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/O67ZkKRnOVM/видео.html
Ta de sacanagem 1 hora p chegar a 68°c no Brasil o motor ja liga nesta temperatura kkkkk e remendo sairia voando em 10 minutos
Ain’t worried about a hole we’re worried about bad cracks at joints
You can repair those too. The kit comes with some stainless steel mesh that can be used to reinforce those seems even more.
Where can one purchase this product?
The plastic radiator repair kit can be purchased on our website, which is linked below. Thank you for watching!
www.polyvance.com/New-Products/5212/
Nja remember+ 90 standart function radiator cooling system. But problem again +100 temperature. Radiator kaput
What if it have a bigger hole how can I repair it cheap
You should still be able to use this product. Check out this video where we repair two large cracks on a radiator: ruclips.net/video/O67ZkKRnOVM/видео.html&t
I have welded plastic with a soldering gun and a piece of scrap plastic.
It's more or less the same principle. The main difference is the welding rod, which will be cleaner and identifiable as a specific type of plastic so you can match it exactly.
Ok,smart men,.crack on the side that is full of corrosion. Any suggestions besides a new radiator?
If its the aluminum part, you are SOL, but if its the plastic part, you'll need to use a dremel tool or a di grinder to grind out the corroded area. If its a big hole, you'll want to cut a piece of 2045W stainless mesh about 1/2 in bigger than the hole all the way around and melt the edges in. This will give you a support structure with which to fill the hole. Once that's in, simply weld over the hole using R21 glass reinforced nylon welding rod, blending it well at the edges with the base material an forcing it into the mesh to get a structure that behaves as one piece.
Where and how can i buy more of the nylon rods? I don't want to keep buying the kits just for the rods.
Hi there! You can view our nylon welding rods on our website: www.polyvance.com/Nylon-1/
Polyvance thanks a lot
You're welcome!
Just use JB weld , it's way easier and cheaper.
JB Weld will not be a permanent fix. The bond will not withstand the repeated expansion and contraction of a radiator.
Yeah, and totally temporary and unreliable.
I tried to use a JB Weld radiator repair kit but it set before I could apply it. I later used a very similar product by another manufacturer but it failed immediately.
@@Swingfree1947 jb weld could work IF and only IF you can seal the leak from inside which is pretty much impossible. Anything added on the outside will never ever hold, we are dealing with an uncompressable liquid which expands when heated, this creates tons of pressure (not literally tons) and the repair won't last
Yo who does the music?
I used flex seal lol
Did it work
BIKE PATCH WORKS.
Just buy a new radiator, you can get them for less than $100 online brand new.
Depends on the car!
@@scottb7600 I just bought a brand new radiator for $60 dollars for my 04 Jeep Liberty Renegade off of Amazon.
@@dkt1976dt I'm not saying they aren't out there. but many are well over the $200 mark.
@@scottb7600 The radiator for the 94 BMW 530i was well over $200 dollars
of course I see no leak at 800 RPM Tri 2500 rpm for about 5 minutes see what happens.
We've used this for repairs on radiators 5-7 years ago that still function flawlessly.
I just had my plastic radiator crack after an overheat. it seems that the coolant inside boiled and because of the too much pressure, it cracked its way open. it has a quite long crack about 4 inches. do you think it can still be repaired with this method? thanks
Yes, you can weld it as long as the crack doesn't extend into the fins.
A lot of times that failure happens as the result of your head gasket blowing which pressurizes the coolant system to the point where the weakest link fails...which in turn would make your car overheat because it blew out all your coolant.
I would check the safety valve before fixing it
Just thread a little over sized screw and you are good to go.
The only problem is make sure the screw doesnt get too hot or it will melt the plastic
For plastic radiator leak, forget everything. Use Weicon Aqua repair stick. Made for plastic radiators. Used it n satisfied. Takes upto 120 C (250 F). The extra I have I will use for my plumbing
That is not a permanent repair.
❤❤❤
Nice try Einsteins, but those style radiators crack and or become not sealed at the crimping points, have never seen that style crack as you show in the 47 years Ive been around vehicles...... BLUE DEVIL works well in heater cores, radiators as well as head gaskets....for a while & not permanently
Polyvance did not create a product to solve a problem that supposedly does not exist. Radiators crack all the time at places other than the crimp seal. Filler neck cracks are EXTREMELY common.
Why do you think I'm on here right now that's around the same place my crack is
Same place where mine is cracked
Can’t you use epoxy or Gorilla glue too?
those do not bond well to nylon, nor do they handle expansion and contraction well so they fail after a short period of time.
Can you use any type of nylon like say a nylon washer? And how long do you have to wait for the nylon to solidify?
It may be possible, but there are hundreds of varieties of nylon and each has specific properties and are chosen for specific applications. Not every nylon likes to be blended with every other nylon. That said, if you tried it and it didn't work, you could always start over, grind out what you put in and weld it with the R06-01-03-NT welding rod.
Scott Bixler yeah, i wish I seen your reply because I already had a plastic welder and some nylon washers and it just stressed fractured right after starting the car. I couldn’t find that much info on nylon so your reply helps a lot thanks man.
You're welcome!
Heard you can break a piece off the rad. As filament
JB weld will fix it also
Not permanently.
Crazy glue should work the same!!
only if you want it to pop off and leak at the most inconvenient time.
that music!? yeah! \m/(-00-)\m/
Nobody has these tools are radiators aren't that expensive. They are 50 bucks on my car lol this is dumb.
shit works
really? i tried using shit but it didn't work. made a mess though
Who does that?
..better off getting a raditor
if you can afford it, yeah. if not, then this is a very useful technique to know
so if you’re not a mechanic good luck as you have none of those tools
If you are not a dentist good luck working on teeth as you have no dentist tools.
Visit this video page on our website to see the full list of products used and other helpful tips: www.polyvance.com/video/radiator-repair/repair-cracked-plastic-radiator