6V-92 TA, operating press 9lb. what should I test it at?
TIA, Ed
Ed,
Happy new year, first off.
The only pressure test that i know of for a radiator is done with it removed from the vehicle and submerged. Pressure up and look for bubbles after 5 min.
The have a valve and pump affair that they use to test radiator caps for their let off pressure. You could use one of those and install a higher pressure cap, say 15 pounds, pump it up and look for coolant leak after a hour. Might give you some confidence that the core isn't excessively soft and will tolerate the pressure. I haver never done this but it seems a great way to find weeping connections and pinhole leak in the radiator.
Let me know how it works out. A call to a rad repair shop would get you the psi that is max for a "good" rad test. What do they use when they tank it. If the shop says "well that all depends"....hang up and call another.
HTH,
John
Hi Ed,
We also tested my new rads at 15 psi.
Good Luck
Nick-
We used to test automotive (cars) radiators at 15 psi, but I dunno if that is safe with a coach radiator. A different animal. Perhaps you can ask your local, friendly, inexpensive heavy truck radiator man. Also you can get an inexpensive ($cheap$) test package that tests for combustion gases, fuel and motor oil in the coolant, along with pH and other stuff that I have forgotten right now. Old age. Would hate to pop some gasket inside your mill with tooss much test pressure on your coach radiator. :) :) :)
Is it leaking?
Only do a pressure test if you are ready to buy a new radiator core.
An Older radiator like that could rupture a core and that would mean that your budget just went way way south. And basically forget just patching up a
leaking core. Usually doesn't hold for long before more degradation.
I wouldn't test for the sake of testing unless I already had planned to replace it.
If you put a new one in ( fresh core ) then I would pressure test it.
Dave....
I pressurize the cooling systems to 10psi. Some buses have a pressure relief valve located on the back of the radiator surge tank. If it blows off, just lower the pressure a bit and it will close. This is in addition to the manual pressure relief valve you commonly use, before you open the surge tank.
Good luck with your repair. 8)