Repair/mechanic tricks and or tips?

[podagrower]

This is a testimonial as much as a repair tip.
I have an well used work van that had a blown head gasket. There was water leaking from the side of the engine between the head and block, I don't think it was leaking into the cylinder. I'm done fixing this van, simply driving it until the day before the wheels fall off. I decided to try one of those fine miracles in a can. I chose a head gasket repair product by bars leaks. I read the instructions, followed them, and have been driving the van for six monthes now. The temperature gauge moved down, the oil pressure went up (both very small amounts). I drive about 350 miles a week, stop and go, Florida heat. I haven't had to add any water to the vevicle since the repair, and am simply amazed. I don't know how long it will last, but will probably find out.

 

[patrick_g]

Cool deal. Those cans of snake oil work often enough to keep success stories circulating.

My question is, how do you know which day is the day before the wheels fall off? Do you sort of drive slow and feel for wheel wobble a little bit each day to try to catch it before it is a catastrophic failure or is it something involving a Ouija board or Taro cards or...

So far I had only one wheel fall off (while moving) and I got no warning.

Pat

 

[podagrower]

In this case, I'm hoping to walk out in the driveway one morning and find a wheel laying beside the van .

 

[Bird]

This is a testimonial as much as a repair tip.
I have an well used work van that had a blown head gasket. There was water leaking from the side of the engine between the head and block, I don't think it was leaking into the cylinder. I'm done fixing this van, simply driving it until the day before the wheels fall off. I decided to try one of those fine miracles in a can. I chose a head gasket repair product by bars leaks. I read the instructions, followed them, and have been driving the van for six monthes now. The temperature gauge moved down, the oil pressure went up (both very small amounts). I drive about 350 miles a week, stop and go, Florida heat. I haven't had to add any water to the vevicle since the repair, and am simply amazed. I don't know how long it will last, but will probably find out.

About 30 years ago, we had an old 1972 Chrysler Town & Country station wagon, and we used to go from Dallas to Port Aransas every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and spend a week there visiting my parents. So one year, on a late Friday evening, I was checking tire pressures, oil, etc. in preparation for leaving early the next morning, and discovered I had a radiator leak. I normally do not want to add "stop leak" stuff to either radiators or tires, but when my dad owned an auto parts store, we sold Bars Leaks and never had any complaints. So I went to a parts store, got the Bars Leaks, and put it in the radiator. I had every intention of removing the radiator to have it cleaned and repaired when we get back from Port Aransas. However, it stopped the leak, and as you said, it never over heated, so I never get around to fixing it "right". It still wasn't leaking a couple of years later when I traded it off.

 

[RobT]

For a quick radiator leak fix, I've heard for years you can crack a raw egg into the radiator. The egg seals any holes and you can continue on.

I saw them do this on an episode of "Myth Busters" and it seems to actually work. Has anyone tried this?

 

[patrick_g]

Rob, I know someone who did it and it worked long enough to get a chance to get it fixed. I would have done it but was out of eggs and used hot breakfast cereal, Malt O Meal and oatmeal which worked fine till we got to a town with a radiator shop. Yuu want something that will conform to the irregular hole and be held in placed by the water trying to get out. Egg white, oatmeal, Wheaties, Cornflakes, something that gets soft and won't hurt the water pump but will plug the hole.

Ever look at the radiator stop leaks? Dome of those have fibers as well as granular stuff.

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

Egon, I mentioned that in a previous post where I first mentioned cereal, I think. It helps reduce the area of the hole and lets the cereal or whatever bridge the gap better, especially under pressure. Just pinching the hole will not usually stop the leak, just slow it, especially under pressure. Of course, a DIY repair soldering the hole closed is way easier if you pinch the bad spot together first. I know guys who had pinched and soldered so many tubes in their old radiators that it reduced cooling to the point of easy overheating.

Pat

I keep waiting for my ford 850 to overheat / need a new radiator. mine has had 'fan contact' in the past ans the previous owner has about 1/3 o fthe radiator core soldered off!! Never has got hot for me though.. go figure..

Soundguy

 

[patrick_g]

Soundguy, It sounds like either you have a faulty gauge or the vehicle started out with lots of reserve cooling capability.

I had a Lincoln Versailles (main rival of the Cadillac Seville) that overheated in desert or pulling steep grades in the mountains. Cleaning the radiator did not help as the problem was inadequate cooling as designed and built. I nearly baked myself turning off the A/C and running the heater to get additional cooling (with all windows open of course.) I bought a custom radiator with a lot more capacity and more rows of core and then the car would climb a steep grade in the desert at high speed with A/C on and never heat up more than during gentle driving.

Pat

 

[Olmike]

I had A radiator shop back in the 80's- 90s's.I couldn't believe all the stuff people would pour in thier radiators. The worst was red pepper,That stuff would smell like bad soup & burn my eyes when heat was put to it.The worst stuff on the outside was JB weld.That stuff is real bad when you burn it off & try to get it clean enough to solder.

 

[patrick_g]

Olmike, I don't know about Kansas but in Baja not improvising a way to keep a vehicle going is not just an inconvenience but can be quite life threatening.

Since you probably have more experience with improvised radiator repairs that any of the rest of us maybe you could comment on the best methods based on a compromise between effectiveness and ease of undoing at the radiator shop to permit proper repairs.

Pat