Help, How to: Welding/brazing All Aluminum Radiator lower inlet?

[76cj7chick]

A while back I installed a Champion EC835 2 row all aluminum radiator in my 76 CJ7 jeep.... Supposedly the radiator is oe for my I6 but have had a lot of problems with making it fit correctly.. I have the radiator as low as it will go in the jeep to avoid the lower outlet/inlet and hose from getting owned by the serpentine belt... BUT with that, my power steering steel lines are now being crushed a bit... I'm worried that the lines will break or the threads may become stripped...

Does anyone have experience with brazing/welding Aluminum radiators? I hope to remove the welding from the lower inlet/outlet, cut the cylinder straight and then re-weld/braze it back on...
I have a lot of experience in soldering wires.... and have welded using flux wire, like literally 3 times.

I'm thinking.........Harbor Freight has a pack of 8 for around $16 and I can get a propane torch (if my pencil torch doesn't get hot enough) and remove the weld myself. I am up for the challenge... Just want to make sure the welding rods are up to par and won't fall apart... Please share any personal aluminum brazing/welding you may have.

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[rr41mag]

I'm a welder and have been for a while. That aluminum is pretty thin. I would take it to a welding shop and tell them what you want to do and get a quote. Those rods you are referring to at harbor freight are a mixture of metals that I wouldn't trust on a radiator.

 

[driver007]

I would agree with rr41Mag. I have been a welder for 30 years. Alum can be a real pain in the butt to weld. Save your self some grief and let a shop tig it for you.

 

[IOPort51]

And before you take it make sure it is clean on the inside. I hate to think what glycol would do to an aluminum weld. This is not a beginner kind of project.

 

[Hedgehog]

Yeah, this is sort of a pro's pro type of a project.

As far as the bottom of the radiator and the power steering lines go. My stock radiator has the very same problem. The bends are tighter than I'm comfortable with, but it works. In hind sight I would have pulled the radiator, drilled some holes and rerouted the PS lines up past the side of the radiator then back to the pump.

 

[76cj7chick]

HMMMMM...

Thanks guys for your responses.. I was really hoping that you all would have said 'I can do it'... But.. I also don't want cheap welds on the radiator... SO, If I took the radiator in to a shop, what kind of price would I be looking at? ----
If it's too steep of a price I may first see if I can adjust the radiator better and find a custom hose... But in the mean time, perhaps you can give me a idea of lowest to highest price... Don't forget, women tend to get charged more than guys for mechanical stuff. That is why I prefer to work on my own jeep...

 

[Hedgehog]

I hope you didn't take the responses to be gender related. No matter who you are this isn't an easy project, especially when your work needs to stand up to heat, vibration, pressure and have a water tight seal. A tall order for someone that doesn't do a lot of work with aluminum welding. Prices for something like this could be all over the place, especially given that you also want to re-engineer your radiator. I'd start with a radiator shop or find a good local hot rod shop, they would be able to steer you in the right direction.

 

[IOPort51]

May not be exactly a radiator shop kind of job. More of a welding shop specializing in tig welding.

 

[rr41mag]

May not be exactly a radiator shop kind of job. More of a welding shop specializing in tig welding.

X2..........

 

[duffer]

May not be exactly a radiator shop kind of job. More of a welding shop specializing in tig welding.

3x. And a decent tig person can do that entire job in about 15 minutes and it will last the life of the radiator. Definitely not a job for the typical radiator shop.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Like trying to weld paper, they are that thin.
TIG welding is the best here-You will need to find a pro-weld shop for this.
This is WHY-I won't run alum when I can run a brass radiator.
LG

 

[Hedgehog]

True, it's not necessarily a radiator shop job, but they very likely know who can do a decent job of it.

 

[IOPort51]

I would suggest that you give re positioning it one more try. If nothing rubs, a miss is as good as a mile.

 

[tarry99]

Getting it flushed out and clean in the inside will be the biggest hurtle.........cleaning the outside is a given..........I usually use an ACID just for that type of work............A picture or drawing of what you have in mind would help.........Some times you can just modify the fitting or cut it off an when off can clean that portion of the inside from the outside without flushing........... stuff we do all the time with Dry Dump oil tanks.........difference is one has water and antifreeze and the other oil.........both need to be super clean at the weld zone......

 

[76cj7chick]

So, I know some of you are saying that the radiator needs to be very clean... Would a professional TIG welder generally have their own solution to clean the aluminum or would the customer generally be responsible for the cleaning? -I'd clean it either way but just to know.. Also, I think I will see if I can re position the radiator before bringing it to have it rewelded.. But currently I am finishing up on custom cutting a 'blank' dash for my CJ7 and finishing up making gauge pod/plates and re-routing my wiring to make my peep 'special'.. ROFL.. I know a lot of people prefer the classic way they made the dash.. But I don't like looking to my right to read my gauges..--instead, I prefer to glance down.. I also added several gauges but that's another thread..

Thanks guys for your help! My little peep has me whipped...

 

[Lumpy Grits]

You'll have to ask the welder.
LG

 

[GARGOYLEJEEPER]

Best thing to clean aluminum is lemons.

 

[tarry99]

So, I know some of you are saying that the radiator needs to be very clean... Would a professional TIG welder generally have their own solution to clean the aluminum or would the customer generally be responsible for the cleaning? -I'd clean it either way but just to know.. Also, I think I will see if I can re position the radiator before bringing it to have it rewelded.. But currently I am finishing up on custom cutting a 'blank' dash for my CJ7 and finishing up making gauge pod/plates and re-routing my wiring to make my peep 'special'.. ROFL.. I know a lot of people prefer the classic way they made the dash.. But I don't like looking to my right to read my gauges..--instead, I prefer to glance down.. I also added several gauges but that's another thread..

Thanks guys for your help! My little peep has me whipped...

There is a special Acid that we use that is just for prepping aluminum to be welded....... Nothing harsh just cleans and preps the weld zone.
Anything that you can do to flush the inside out and or clean any grease off the outside will help this process..........

Nobody that welds Tig likes to handle dirty Items.

I would still suggest that you shoot a few pictures of what you are trying to accomplish.............the advice given may be totally wrong once we see what you really have in mind!

 

[76cj7chick]

There is a special Acid that we use that is just for prepping aluminum to be welded....... Nothing harsh just cleans and preps the weld zone.
Anything that you can do to flush the inside out and or clean any grease off the outside will help this process..........

Nobody that welds Tig likes to handle dirty Items.

I would still suggest that you shoot a few pictures of what you are trying to accomplish.............the advice given may be totally wrong once we see what you really have in mind!

I do believe I posted the issue in a previous thread.. But I can see if I have time this weekend to get pictures..