etcswjoe Posted May 28, 2011 Share #1 Posted May 28, 2011 Getting ready to head out to Greensboro this morning and noticed a discoloration on my radiator nothing wet on the floor and the radiator did not feel wet, however I did not want to get 5 hours away and it fail. I rode around the local area for a couple hours still looks the same but no visible leak. So did I just hit big bug or do I have a very slow leak? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted May 28, 2011 Share #2 Posted May 28, 2011 That is the same spot I got my leaks on two different rads (slow leaks) since then I have installed the Wagner grill protector and no problems since Steve has them for sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted May 28, 2011 Share #3 Posted May 28, 2011 Picture is too blurry. I'd say if you rode it for a few hours, and don't have any evidence of a leak, it's probably roadkill. Antifreeze should leave a greenish/white stain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friesman Posted May 28, 2011 Share #4 Posted May 28, 2011 I agree with Monty, you would see a leak by now. But it definitley looks like something has hit your rad. mabbee get it protected.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted May 28, 2011 Share #5 Posted May 28, 2011 Carry some black pepper with you. If it starts a small leak, a teaspoon of pepper will seal it up, and get you home. Safer than putting Alumaseal in it, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaking Posted May 28, 2011 Share #6 Posted May 28, 2011 Carry some black pepper with you. If it starts a small leak, a teaspoon of pepper will seal it up, and get you home. Safer than putting Alumaseal in it, too. That's a new one, black pepper.. what would that do to the rest of the system though (no pun intended).. A quick road side repair tucked away for future use.. Hmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted May 28, 2011 Share #7 Posted May 28, 2011 The pepper will rinse out, when you decide to do a permanent fix. I have used it many times in cages. I would normally use Alumaseal in a cage, but kind of leary of putting it in the bike. Black pepper works really well, for stopping small leaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 28, 2011 Share #8 Posted May 28, 2011 Pepper is an old time trick last used if I remember back in the 60's and 70's. I remember the older mechanics talk about it at the shop I worked in. Heck, maybe he can use it to season some stray roadkill........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etcswjoe Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted May 28, 2011 I need to go ahead and buy a new grill, I had one and the bottom cracked so I need to get off my behind and order a new one. I have used the black pepper trick numerous times, I had a 47 Chevy that it seemed like every radiator I put in it leaked and pepper always got me home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted May 28, 2011 Share #10 Posted May 28, 2011 http://www.ehow.com/how_2086630_temporarily-fix-minor-radiator-leaks.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N3FOL Posted May 28, 2011 Share #11 Posted May 28, 2011 True, anything can hit the radiator and cause an expensive repair. I've never really thought about something that can damage the radiator. As for the rad guard, where is the best place to purchase one? Link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etcswjoe Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted May 28, 2011 True, anything can hit the radiator and cause an expensive repair. I've never really thought about something that can damage the radiator. As for the rad guard, where is the best place to purchase one? Link? Direct is the only way I know http://www.wagnercustomproducts.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted May 29, 2011 Share #13 Posted May 29, 2011 ` the best in town Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG TOM Posted May 29, 2011 Share #14 Posted May 29, 2011 Pepper is an old time trick last used if I remember back in the 60's and 70's. I remember the older mechanics talk about it at the shop I worked in. Heck, maybe he can use it to season some stray roadkill........ Heck, I always thought a raw egg did the trick....you learn something new every day......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted May 29, 2011 Share #15 Posted May 29, 2011 Tom, Rocky Road Ice Cream should work fine !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvrT Posted May 29, 2011 Share #16 Posted May 29, 2011 I used Draino once .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted May 29, 2011 Share #17 Posted May 29, 2011 The pepper will rinse out, when you decide to do a permanent fix. I have used it many times in cages. I would normally use Alumaseal in a cage, but kind of leary of putting it in the bike. Black pepper works really well, for stopping small leaks. I'd never heard of that either, and my polishing guy just told me about it a couple of days ago..... Going to try it in the Suburban. It has a leak somewhere. Coolant keeps disappearing and nothing on the ground, no coolant in the oil, and no oil in the coolant. Got me baffled. Going to try the pepper.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seaking Posted May 29, 2011 Share #18 Posted May 29, 2011 how about that.. good to know in case of emergency.. A few year back the rad in an old car my friend had a crack in one of the core (vertical tubes holding the water).. pepper would not have saved the day that time as the crack was too large.. However, he pulled out a potato of all things and cut an appropriate size from it and jammed it into the rad to cover the crack.. Once the fluid got hot enough, it swelled the potato and made an excellent seal.. a quick emergency fix to get us home.. Amazing some of the old time tricks we used to use.. When driving a cage through black flies infested country which would coat your car black with their suicidal carcasses, we used to coat the leading edges of the car with Vaseline.. Once you got home, you simply wiped it off and the flies wouldn't dry to the paint. I stopped at a garage to get fuel and they asked to pop the hood to check the oil (they did that in those days, remember?). The attendant's hands slipped on the Vaseline and he looked up at me quizzically to which I answered "tight garage".. lol Next time I ride down to Florida in the spring and run into those gluey sticky love bugs, I may actually use that trick.. took forever to get their junk off the bike last year.. Black pepper huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldgoat Posted May 29, 2011 Share #19 Posted May 29, 2011 lets see black pepper for the radiator. sawdust for the rear end. transmission fluid down the old carbs stopped the smoking oil. dribble some warm water down the carb to blast the carbon out of the car. none of you would happen to be an old car salesman i once new:whistling: a nylon panty hose made a good alternator belt in an emergency wrap around the pulleys and tie a knot in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condor Posted May 29, 2011 Share #20 Posted May 29, 2011 Amazing some of the old time tricks we used to use.. When driving a cage through black flies infested country which would coat your car black with their suicidal carcasses, we used to coat the leading edges of the car with Vaseline.. Once you got home, you simply wiped it off and the flies wouldn't dry to the paint. QUOTE] Next time try PAM spray. I use it all the time on the fork tubes. It's the dried bugs that will scratch the fork seals and start things leaking. You just have to remember to grab the right can when using Pledge to clean the windshield... Don't ask me how I know that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snaggletooth Posted May 29, 2011 Share #21 Posted May 29, 2011 It's the dried bugs that will scratch the fork seals and start things leaking. Speaking of dried bugs on the fork tubes ..... there was somebody here a while back making gators for the upper tubes. Who was that? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warriorhoneybee Posted May 29, 2011 Share #22 Posted May 29, 2011 sorry to hear that joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinfool Posted May 29, 2011 Share #23 Posted May 29, 2011 I'd never heard of that either, and my polishing guy just told me about it a couple of days ago..... Going to try it in the Suburban. It has a leak somewhere. Coolant keeps disappearing and nothing on the ground, no coolant in the oil, and no oil in the coolant. Got me baffled. Going to try the pepper.... FWIW The chevy V8s with the plastic intake manifolds are a well known leak point. I had the same mysterious coolant disappearing act till it got bad enough to find. The factory intake gaskets leak coolant slowly on top of the engine where there is enough heat to evaporate it before it can drip. When it finally got found and fixed was when it blew all together and the coolant could pour out faster than you could put it in. My mechanic was amazed that I had 100K on the factory gasket, he said it might be a record. Make sure that you get the good Felpro gaskets for the repair. Sorry for the thread hijack....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etcswjoe Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share #24 Posted May 29, 2011 Put a few more hours on it no visible leaks. May go ahead and pressure test it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW47 Posted May 30, 2011 Share #25 Posted May 30, 2011 Why don't you take it to a radiator shop and have them fix it? tew47 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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