Repair Pinhole Leaks in Heater Pipe

[Wes]

I have discovered pinhole leaks in the rear heater pipes. They are too small to see with the naked eye, and are only noticeable under pressure. Can I just solder these holes up, or will the leaks just come back? They are in a bend, so replacing that section of pipe will be a little more involved than I like, especially since I don't have a pipe bender. Should I just look for replacements? The worst leaks are shown in the picture marked by black marker.

 

[73FJ40]

Maybe those are the first (of many) pinholes to leak, due to internal corrosion? Or do you see mechanical damage from the outside?

 

[Wes]

No mechanical damage that I can see. I had the radiator and heater cores fixed by a radiator shop. They had to solder some leaks. Any chance they used too much flux and that is what Is causing the problem? I have read that excess flux usage can cause problems. I have driven it only a few times since then.

 

[emac]

This may sound silly, but I have a friend that had a business repairing copper pipes in houses that had corroded. They would pump some kind of epoxy through the lines and it would seal the pipes. Maybe there is something similar for DIY use.

 

[Weber Sarge]

Don't use any type of epoxy or sealer in a vehicle unless you want to clean out an engine block and replace the radiator and heater cores...

Should be able to sand it , clean it with flux and a bit of heat and solder it . Just be sure to pressure test and flush the snot out of it before re-installing .

Sarge

 

[simps80]

silver brazing rod and some maap gas.
works quite well on those heater pipes

Rising Sun Member Forums - View Single Post - got a 40 - now it begins

did that over a year ago on some big cracks and it's holding fine