Date:         Wed, 20 Mar 1996 10:25:00 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@gi.com>
Subject:      RE: 87: follow up on leaking head


>I posted a message last week about a coolant leak from what appears to be a 

>small crack in the right head, just below the upper-right stud. Here's an
>update on what I've done so far...
>
>1. Tried to seal the crack externally with JB Weld. This is an epoxy
>product that was recommended by a FLAP. Didn't work, nice try.
>
>2. Tried an application of AlumaSeal. This is essentially powdered aluminum 

>that you pour in the coolant. It's supposed to seal small leaks. This
>hasn't worked either. Looks like part of the crack has sealed, but it still 

>leaks.
>
>I'm going to try another dose of AlumaSeal and if that doesn't work, I'll
>try BarsLeak. Any suggestions or comments appreciated.


When I first got my Mustang (why do I keep typoing it Mustnag?), it was
leaking everything you could imagine, from every place you could imagine.
Tried the usual remedies you mention, which mostly didn't work, and
finally found something called Block Seal at my FLAPS. Followed the
directions on the can (I don't remember now, whether it goes in the
coolant or the oil, or the mixture of the two which was what I had).
Most things stopped leaking for a while after that, to my astonishment.
Course, they started up again in a month or so, then a piston collapsed,
etc.etc., we found later that the engine was original, never rebuilt,
and had 300,000+ miles on it.

This seems to be pretty heavy-duty stuff, whatever it is. I'd be leery
of putting anything like this in the oil, for fear of what it might
do to bearing journals, oil filters, etc. But if you've given up all
hope and decided to rebuild your engine, you might throw some in just
for fun, before setting off for the machine shop.

My $.02,

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Steve Maher   smaher@gi.com       '80 V6anagon w/Chevy 2800
                                   '66 Mustang Coupevertible, for sale

 Check out the cars at http://www.lookup.com/homepages/76242/home.html

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