JB Weld or Solder New Barbs on HC

[Maximus_OC]

i am getting the chevette heater core from napa tomorrow. I am going to put 2 new barbs on it 1/2in OD barbs. I am wondering what works best jb weld or solder. What is the best way to do this? How much of the original barbs did you guys cut off? Is there a how to on how to do this? I want to ensure no leaks of course. I am not sure of exactly how the process works.

[brisk]

What i did was just cut one inch off the wider pipe and just fitted a 1/2ID 3/4OD over it. I didn't even bother to put barbs on it and it works great. Let me know how it goes.

[slater3333uk]

I solder. Its alot more professional + cant get JB weld in the uk but i would still solder if we could;)

[NeoMoses]

Soldering is much more reliable. If you've never done it before, do some practicing, maybe find a friend to show you how to do it if you know any (plumbers should be very good at soldering).

JB weld is easier and requires less investment if you have no tools. It's a toss-up, really, but I recently took my WC setup apart and got rid of the JB-weld on my HC (after about 1.5 years) and soldered the barbs in. It just makes me feel more secure.

[Lotec25]

I used JB weld. It was the same price as geeting it Soldering the guy at the radiator shop said it was going to be 5 days to get it done. I sanded the weld down after it sat over night and then painted the core black. Cant even tell it is on there. It is preety much just user preferance.

Lotec25

[jamesavery22]

How much would it cost to buy the tools required to do a low temp solder job? What tools would you need anyways? acetylene torch and some type of solder?

I've used jb weld for attaching bolts to the case to mount fans so they look flush (no holes through the case for screws).
But I swore on the back of the jbweld package it said it wasnt supposed to be exposed to water 24/7 :confused: That was awhile ago though and my memory might just be a little off.

[Lotec25]

you need a torch form you local hardware store usually about 20 to 30 dollars. As for the solder type just use an old metal coat hanger.

And i looked at my JB weld it does not say anything about water one it.

Lotec25

[jamesavery22]

Originally posted by Lotec25
you need a torch form you local hardware store usually about 20 to 30 dollars. As for the solder type just use an old metal coat hanger.

And i looked at my JB weld it does not say anything about water one it.

Lotec25

In that case I recommend the solder way. Its always a good thing when you get to play with fire :D

[NeoMoses]

Originally posted by jamesavery22
How much would it cost to buy the tools required to do a low temp solder job? What tools would you need anyways? acetylene torch and some type of solder?

I've used jb weld for attaching bolts to the case to mount fans so they look flush (no holes through the case for screws).
But I swore on the back of the jbweld package it said it wasnt supposed to be exposed to water 24/7 :confused: That was awhile ago though and my memory might just be a little off.

To buy the tools required to do a low temp solder job I would recommend a propane or MAPP gas torch (~$15-$50) some lead free solder (~5) and some water-based flux (~$5). A little sandpaper and some flux brushes would be nice, too, but not absolutely necessary. You could probably get away with about $25-$30 in tools for soldering.

Also, I just checked www.jbweld.com and they recommend JB-weld for fixing radiators on cars... sounds like it could work just fine in this application. You could also look at MarineWeld, a similar product from the makers of JB-weld.

[Maximus_OC]

cool thanks for the help guys. for now i am just gonna cut the large inlet pipe down an inch and put on a smaller fitting with jb weld.