drills!

[aeronca65t]

Drilling out the welds on a plate in the front of the Midget radiator. Afterwards, my plan is to make the plate "bolt-in". This is the autocross/time trials car and I don't really care about "originality" or "concours" condition. I just want to make it easier to remove the radiator, steering rack, engine, etc. So I'm drilling, and drilling and drilling....suddenly, the drill breaks through............and goes right into the radiator!! RATS!! Moss doesn't stock the late model cross-flow rad that this car has. DOUBLE RATS!! Guess I'll be doing some soldering this weekend (if it's even fixable).

 

[aeronca65t]

actually, what I meant was the spinning drill bit hit the rad and cut a hole in it (chopped right into a fin on the upper part of the radiator).

Now that I've had a chance to clean it up and look at it (and calm down!) I think it's "solderable".

I just took a break from car work and watched CNN....all things considered, today's news in the Middle East makes my little car problem look pretty trivial.

 

[triumphant]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by aeronca65t:
actually, what I meant was the spinning drill bit hit the rad and cut a hole in it (chopped right into a fin on the upper part of the radiator).

Now that I've had a chance to clean it up and look at it (and calm down!) I think it's "solderable".

I just took a break from car work and watched CNN....all things considered, today's news in the Middle East makes my little car problem look pretty trivial.

<hr></blockquote>


Oh, I see now. I misunderstood..I thought you lost the drill bit inside the radiator. Well, good luck soldering it. If now, any chance some other type radiator could be adapted? Since you don't care about originality, you might consider that as an option.

Good luck!

 

[triumphant]

That sucks...I hate it when stuff like that happens! I am wondering if you might get lucky and be able to fish it out with one of those flexible magnetic retrievers. I was thinking you could take the lower rad hose off and, if the drill has fallen to the bottom of the radiator, you mighth be able to fish it out from down there through the hose connector opening?

Good Luck,
Larry

 

[healeymanca]

A friend who raced a Sprite used a VW rad in place of the cross flow. We found it gave better cooling than the cross flow and was easy to remove. I believe it was from a Rabbit.

[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: healeymanca ]</p>

 

[aeronca65t]

The cross-flow rad in my 1500 Midget is *tiny*....probably about the size of a heater core in your average SUV! I also have a 1275 Sprite, and I have a spare 1275 rad I could "bodge in" if needed. But I like the lightweight size of the orginal and it almost never seems to overheat (even on the street without a fan).Must be real efficient. I looked at a few small-car rads yesterday, including wasserVW. All too big. If I can't solder it or find a new replacement, I'll have it re-cored. Not really that expensive and probably not a bad idea for a 24 year-old radiator anyway. Still, I'm staying away from that B&D hand drill for a while.

 

[aeronca65t]

Fixed! A local radiator shop fixed my "screw-up" for $60. Not bad really, and it's been dipped, flushed and painted....looks new. All's well that ends well. I'm away for a few days so I'll have to wait until next week to install it.
BTW: The shop-owner's pickup had the vanity plate "RAD MAN". I guess that's a good sign!

 

[Tiger]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by aeronca65t:
So I'm drilling, and drilling and drilling....suddenly, the drill breaks through............and goes right into the radiator!!

<hr></blockquote>

I guess this isn't the perfect time to suggest it, but maybe picking up a set of set-screw type drill stops would help the next time?

(note to self: need to pick up some of these myself, the plastic adjustable one I bought is junk)