At GT Radiator Repair, we resolder radiator tubes to headers. Take a few minutes to read up on what our header service entails, then visit us in Ambler, PA. We're near to both Fort Washington, PA and Gwynedd, PA.
One of the most common causes of leaks in truck and heavy equipment radiators is cracked solder around the cooling tubes where they are soldered to the header plate of the core which the tanks are attached to.
Mostly due to vibration from roads and engine shaking, the solder around the tube to header joints will crack and allow coolant to leak out of the core. Electrolysis, which is stray electrical current that passes through the coolant, will also deteriorate the solder around tubes causing leaks. Mineral and chemical build up from water and coolants will also accumulate around the ends of the tubes causing blockage of flow through the tubes which results in overheating.
Our header service will fix this.
If the core (tubes & fin material) is still in good condition, the radiator tanks and side panels will be disassembled from the core. The solder on each header along with the mineral build up will be heated with a torch to melt the solder can then be wire brushed from the header and the ends of the tubes. If the tubes are blocked internally, a metal rod will be pushed through the tubes to remove the blockage inside the tubes. The tubes will be flushed through using a pressure washer wand.
The headers (each end of the core) will then be submerged in 3 to 4” of cleaning solution in an Ultra-Sonic Cleaning Tank. Generators inside the tank will create “sound waves” in the solution which create bubbles that will “burst” against the headers and tubes to clean and remove paint, dirt and debris. Once removed from the tank, the core will be pressure washed inside and out.
The headers and tube ends will be prepped with a solder flux which removes dirt and prepares the surfaces to accept new solder. Using a propane torch and wire solder, each tube will be resealed to the headers by flowing solder around the tube end at the header.
After resoldering all tube to header joints, the radiator tanks and side panels will then be resoldered or rebolted to the core for testing.
The reassembled radiator is then pressure tested and repainted to look and function like a new radiator once again.
A header job will restore the radiator to almost, like new condition. Leaks will be sealed and flow through the tubes will be increased for improved cooling.
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