Radiator Leakage

[Bingster]

Does the discolored areas on the radiator in this photo mean there's a leak?

[plymouthcranbrook]

It’s possible. Are you loosing fluid?  Is the area wet?  Do you see any holes or small cracks?  If you haven’t filled it with liquid yet you could fill it with water and run it to see if it leaks.  From the looks of the front of your car it most likely has a 0 lb. Pressure system or at most 3-5 psi.  You could try to use a pressure tester at just a very few pounds to see if anything leaks. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by plymouthcranbrook

[laynrubber]

Not big leaks but I think it shows evidence of small leaks…maybe sweating.  As mentioned above , notice any loss of fluid. Maybe not noticeable. A pressure test would show. I have removed the rads in the past and pressured them up to like 3 or 4 psi and I had a tub or big drip pan that the rad fit in I could watch for air bubbles

[Dan Hiebert]

That yellowish discoloration on the tank is just the paint coming off.  The white stuff is deposits from water or coolant leaks evaporating.  Looks like yours is seeping from where the core attaches to the top tank.  So, yes, your radiator has leaks.  If you don't actually see wetness after running the car, it's not leaking too bad yet, but it will only get worse.  Shops up here test radiators by sealing them up and pressurizing with air, only a few PSI as noted above, holding them underwater and looking for bubbles.  How much it bubbles and where from lets them know how bad it is, i.e., if they can fix it or need to re core it.  You will get recommendations on shade tree fixes by adding stuff that will seal up the leaks, I've never tried any of that, so I can't say yay or nay.  But - seeping like what you have there is usually due to corrosion.  Corrosion can't be plugged, only delayed.  There is also something a radiator shop may recommend (I don't remember exactly what it is) but it only works with a pressurized cooling system and won't work with corrosion - that's what a couple shops told me when I was trying to get my radiator fixed last year.  You may get many more miles out of yours with only that seeping, but as I noted earlier, it will get worse.  Our car had seepage like that for about 15 years, then finally gave up the ghost last spring.  Had to replace the radiator.

[Dartgame]

If it leaks you may try repairing it. I had mine checked at a local rad shop and they told me it was unfixable without recoring it. Recore was way out of sight $$$. I searched and found aluminum repops being made specific to my car. So I put in a Aluminum rad, very reasonable cost. Bolted right in works perfect. Take a look on ebay or google.