fixing a radiator leak in 94lx?

hey, my 94 lx wagon is leaking coolant at the radiator. i've figured out where it is... but its kinda hard to explain so i'll try. it's where the radiator and the top portion where the radiator cap spout meets. the fluid builds up along the top of the actual radiator (like the part containing all the coils). it's a leak of about 2 drips per second, but smoke comes out of the hood while driving like a granny... can't do that. and besides that, with only driving 15 minutes to get home my resevoir went from the max line to below min... and i won't have money to buy a new radiator till the begining of next month... what can i do??? thanks for any help

There is no fixing it unless you replace the top cap or trhe whole radiator. The problem is that whatever you use has a different rate of expansion then the plastic used in the cap. An aftermarket radiator is not super expensive.

i know i found one for $120 with a lifetime warranty... but the problem is that i can't get it until early next month cause i don't have the cash now. is there any way i can keep driving it until then? cause i can't afford to be without a car for that long

For a temp repair you could epoxy the crack. You can also leave the rad. cap loose, about 1/2 way or first notch. It wont build pressure that way.

Just make sure to keep an eye on the engine temp. and check coolant frequently until it has been properly repaired. There is no sense on cooking an engine or head gasket for a $120 rad.

i might try the epoxy, but as far as watching the temp guage there lies another problem... since the day we got it last year the temp guage has never quite worked right. it'll be all the way down when it starts, go less than 1/2 way up when it warms... but NEVER, EVER no matter how hot i know the engine is... will it go above that certain point less than 1/2 way to the top of the guage. so even if it was overheating it wouldn't tell me anything. but i might just try driving very little and adding coolant whenever i do

i might try the epoxy, but as far as watching the temp guage there lies another problem... since the day we got it last year the temp guage has never quite worked right. it'll be all the way down when it starts, go less than 1/2 way up when it warms... but NEVER, EVER no matter how hot i know the engine is... will it go above that certain point less than 1/2 way to the top of the guage. so even if it was overheating it wouldn't tell me anything. but i might just try driving very little and adding coolant whenever i do

You may need a new thermastat. Get some J.B weld for the crack... I have had a crack in mine for over a year without any leaks after I used the J.b weld...

Actually, heres a good way to test. Let your car warm up and idle for about 5-10 minutes... Feel both radiator hoses. If the top one feels cool, and the bottom one feels scoringly hot, then you're therm is bad..

i got some jb weld, put it on... but it only worked for about 2 miles and the crack came right through the jb weld. so i figured i'd try again, so i cleaned it off again, ruffed up the jb weld with sand paper... then put on a whole bunch more and i'm waitin for the to cure now

Also, how does your hoses feel? Is one cooler than the other, or are they both the same? Because if you therm was bad, replacing it now MIGHT help relieve some of the pressure that keeps building.