ALFAitalia's new Captain Kirk!

[ALFAitalia]

AFAIK condensers are are normally aluminium now (the one on my 2007 Vito definitely is), and the pinholes come from corrosion. So you might be looking at replacement rather than repair.

I've done a few with a combo of silver solder and a protective layer of JB Weld. On my old Grand Cherokee a similar repair lasted the whole time I owned it....even though it was regularly abused off road! Of course there maybe another leak after I've fixed this one so it might still not be DIY faxable.

 

[BTB 500]

I've done a few with a combo of silver solder and a protective layer of JB Weld. On my old Grand Cherokee a similar repair lasted the whole time I owned it....even though it was regularly abused off road!

Not silver solder surely ... the melting point of that is about the same as aluminium

 

[ALFAitalia]

???? The melting point of the various silver solders can range from under 200 ˚C to some greater than 360 ˚C, but most of the solders in general hobby use have melt temperature in the range of 215 ˚C to 220 ˚C (419 ˚F to 428 ˚F). Mine says 220c on the reel. Aluminium does not melt until around 660c. But you still have to be carefull dealing with such smal sections of metal. Not confusing silver solder with actual silver? Low melting point silver solder is made from a mixture of silver, tin, and other metals that have a low melting point

 

[Bellow]

Unless there's been some revolution, genuine silver solder always has a melt temp higher than regular solder. Silver solder will not melt with an iron - flame only.
(My ol' man used to work for Eutectic and knew this shit inside out).

 

[BTB 500]

???? The melting point of the various silver solders can range from under 200 ˚C to some greater than 360 ˚C, but most of the solders in general hobby use have melt temperature in the range of 215 ˚C to 220 ˚C (419 ˚F to 428 ˚F). Mine says 220c on the reel. Aluminium does not melt until around 660c. But you still have to be carefull dealing with such smal sections of metal. Not confusing silver solder with actual silver? Low melting point silver solder is made from a mixture of silver, tin, and other metals that have a low melting point

I think you are confusing normal soft solder with silver solder. Silver solder comes in rods (not on a reel), is pretty expensive (because it contains a high percentage of silver), and melts at 650C or so.

Model Engineering | Solders & Fluxes | Silver Solder

Designed for Model Engineering, we stock a range of soldering products including Soft & Silver Solders and associated fluxes.

soldersandfluxes.co.uk

Soft solder is traditionally 60% tin / 40% lead, but lead-free versions can contain a small amount of silver (maybe 3-4%). Silver solder is typically 40-50% silver but can go as high as 75%.

 

[BTB 500]

Unless there's been some revolution, genuine silver solder always has a melt temp higher than regular solder. Silver solder will not melt with an iron - flame only.
(My ol' man used to work for Eutectic and knew this shit inside out).

Yup I've been using both soft and silver solder for 40+ years. Silver solder needs a lot of heat (dull red for steel), and as you say can only be done with a torch.

 

[Bellow]

Silver solders are also a lot stiffer - ie, the rods don't bend compliantly as do soft solders. They need flux. They work on metals that soft solders do and don't with the exception of stainless steels. They don't work with aluminium or alloys of. Their real reasons for existing are stainless steel compatibility, higher strength (where other methods eg, welding/brazing are unsuitable) and a higher melt point of finished joints. Other than that, they are just more difficult to work with than soft solders.

 

[ChrisPDuck]

FYI - This (light grey) isn't a very good match for the grey seats in mine: Leather Repair Paint Dye ALL IN ONE for Restoring Colour to Leather | eBay

I've used this brand a few times (e.g. for a leather suite, different car interiors) and it's a good product, and maybe a different colour will match my seats better, but 'light grey' doesn't.

Update: Ivory isn't the right match either! There are probably people out there selling an exact match, but I've got enough to work with now.

I think a blend of Ivory and Light Grey will get me close enough. This photo almost captures what it looks like in the flesh. Based on the 50:50 being too 'blue', and the 3:1 (Ivory:Light Grey) being a fraction too light, I reckon a 2:1 mix will be just about right. Will test later.
(apologies for the foil test card!)