Antifreeze "bad" for engine bearings?

[irwin]

In short if the collant leak is allowed to continue it's going to nuke the bearings in no time. It takes a extremely small amount of coolant to destroy the plating of bearings.

This is the fact...now I've had some good results with a "block sealant" product..NAPA sells one..follow the directions completely, cross your fingers and keep your eye on the oil. The product purpose is for "repair is more costly than machine is worth" type patch.

Block sealants aren't "stop leak, add to coolant" type sealers. You have to get the coolant flushed out, so once again follow directions.

The worse type of internal coolant leak is this one, coolant in oil. Hopefully it's minor enough to address with a block sealant.

Like others have said, nothing to lose if no one will fix it properly.

Good luck.........

 

[Oleozz]

I presume the answer is yes so let me clarify the question...

We've got an International 866 (or 886?)

Regardless.... seems it's leaked its water/antifreeze into the crank. Discovered it a couple weeks ago.


I cut two fields over this last weekend and can't tell AT ALL that the water level has dropped. So the leak from the radiator to the engine crank seems to be more of a pinhole variety instead of a royal flush



OR.... is antifreeze indeed caustic to bearings?

The pinhole variety is a killer. The system is under pressure and even if the hole is small it will be forced into the cylinder.
I just went throught this with my 1066 IH. I did all the normal things to stop the leak but before long the tractor started to overheat and blow steam like crazy. A major overhaul was needed to get it back in shape.
Water filters are important on these tractors, also timely antifreeze checks with test strips.

 

[cowboy357]

I,ll agree with Irwin, allthough bars leak is Very good for Minor leaks in the Cooling system . The Block sealent is the best CHANCE for a More Permanent fix . I,ve Used KW block sealent with great results . Heres a link to it. Best of luck.

Radiator Additives - Permanent Metallic Block and Radiator Seal (16 oz.)

 

[Richard]

Thanks for the comments.

One side note, after replacing oil and water (without antifreeze for the moment), when I cut the field as per above comment, I did so with the radiator cap hooked on.

What I mean by that is, it wasn't TIGHTEND down, sealed, but it was at the 'safety catch' stop (or what ever it's called).

My logic was exactly as stated above.... reduce temp, reduce pressure and maybe reduce throughput of water into problem area.

I'll mention the stop leak idea to bro in law and father in law. It's FIL's tractor. BIL might take it to an auction this coming weekend (or next weekend as I reflect). None the less, he might simply get rid of it and bring his IH 986 with cab over for his father.

Weather permitting, I'll cut a different field this weekend to give another sample for water usage.

 

[scott_vt]

One point ---

The coolant system will develop pressure as it heats up. That's what it is supposed to do. If you have a leak, using a radiator cap that does not build pressure will slow the leak down dramatically. If you have an old cap, you can tear out the seal. Or drill a 1/32nd hole in the top. Small enough to let out pressure, but not so large that crud gets in.

I would check the condition of the oil every HOUR. If it turns into a milkshake, time to change it.

jb

Good Afternoon jb,
Thats a very good point, and as Richard stated earlier he is trying to stretch out the longevity of this tractor without a major overhaul. Some of those stop leak products are pretty good at what they are intended for. The only problem is that if the leak is coming around the o-rings at the bottom of the cylinders, I would think that they wont seal as easily as a pinhole in the radiator. Im presuming that the larger IH tractors use the large o-rings the same way my Super A does. I remember laying on my creeper looking up at my cylinder sleeves for leaks when I had my oilpan off.

As John states, keeping a close eye on the coolant level and oil should give some temporary piece of mind.

 

[Richard]

I remember laying on my creeper looking up at my cylinder sleeves for leaks when I had my oilpan off.

I'm not a mechanic BUT I'm mechanically inclined.... so...

Is this to suggest the possilibty that if I removed the oil pan, it would be possible to look up and perhaps see an issue with a gasket or even perhaps something funky in a cylinder (presuming piston is on TDC side of stroke)


?

 

[scott_vt]

I'm not a mechanic BUT I'm mechanically inclined.... so...

Is this to suggest the possilibty that if I removed the oil pan, it would be possible to look up and perhaps see an issue with a gasket or even perhaps something funky in a cylinder (presuming piston is on TDC side of stroke)


?

Good Afternoon Richard,
Absolutely yes ! In your last thread about engine diagnosis, maybe you missed it but RickB suggested this or something similar. Remove the oilpan and pressurize the coolant system. If the 0-rings are leaking at the botton of the cylinder walls you will be seeing green drops of anti freeze. To go one step further, as JB stated, you may also have what is called cavitation where the liners actually have pin holes on the periphery allowing coolant into the cylinders ! Obviously this is a more severe problem, because you would need new sleeves to repair it ! Good luck with the diagnosis !

BTW it doesnt matter where #1 piston is durring this type of test, your just checking your o-rings for potential leaks !

 

[Soundguy]

I'm not a mechanic BUT I'm mechanically inclined.... so...

Is this to suggest the possilibty that if I removed the oil pan, it would be possible to look up and perhaps see an issue with a gasket or even perhaps something funky in a cylinder (presuming piston is on TDC side of stroke)


?

Pump up some compression on the cooling system then look up underneath with the pan off.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Good In your last thread about engine diagnosis, maybe you missed it but RickB suggested this or something similar.!

Yep.. here's a link to Ricks good advice.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...diagnosis-question-water-oil.html#post1510000

soundguy

 

[Richard]

Anyone know what these parts are?

Looks to me like the radiator is connected to what appears to be what I'd call a "muffler". There is a drain on the bottom of this as you can just see between the frame & unit.

Then you have the connection point at the back of it that goes to a "conditioner"???? (what's up with that?)

It's a CarQwest filter number 89071 if that tells anyone anything.

Then as you see, it goes from the filter to the top right.

I'm curious as to what this contraption does.

My brother in law called last night....said someone he talked to said he thought this machine had an oil cooler. He suggested THIS was it and the canister (muffler looking thing) was the heat exchanger. His contention was, it's possible that this is another place where oil/water contamination might be taking place.

As I look at this thing, I don't see any place where oil can enter it UNLESS it is simply an open port at the engine block.

I'm still a bit perplexed as to how this works if it is an oil cooler. I don't understand why there are no connectors on the right side of it. It looks like it simply slides onto those stubs (or perhaps, is part of that assembley to the right and is all one unit)

This person went on to suggest that either this "muffler" part or the oil filter itself has an anode, much like your water heater. The anode is sacraficial and helps keep the internals of the engine from being eaten up.

I've done a google search on this filter part number but don't see anything yet explaining the possiblity of it having any kind of anode.

Anyone know about this?

Edit: by "connectors" on the right side of the part, what I mean to say is something akin to a hoseclamp. Meaning, it looks to me like it simply slips together and there's nothing there to tighten the two together.