Having A Leak

[Crossy]

OK, now I've got your attention

I have an older vehicle and we have a small water leak, more of a seep actually from a core plug.

Now, thinks I, I'll just do what I would in the UK, bung in a tin of Holts Radweld or Barrs Leaks or something similar.

Can I locate either here in LOS, nope. The missus has no idea what I want, my local car bits man just looks blank (even with a picture of a tin of the stuff).

HELP, need a source of same, BKK area. Anyone seen it??

Maybe I should go back to the bullock cart.....

[Jai Dee]

OK, now I've got your attention

Good one Crossy.

[Thetyim]

Crossy, I have been looking for Barrs leak for eleven years, a really good product but I think not available here.

By the way I've got a seal thats leaking, any suggestions ?

[mijan24]

OK, now I've got your attention

I have an older vehicle and we have a small water leak, more of a seep actually from a core plug.

Now, thinks I, I'll just do what I would in the UK, bung in a tin of Holts Radweld or Barrs Leaks or something similar.

Can I locate either here in LOS, nope. The missus has no idea what I want, my local car bits man just looks blank (even with a picture of a tin of the stuff).

HELP, need a source of same, BKK area. Anyone seen it??

Maybe I should go back to the bullock cart.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

By core plug I assume you mean welsh plug - why not replace it?? If it's visible a very simple job.

[tuky]

I have the perfect solution.

leaking core plug

leaking core plug sealant

[Monkeypants]

Hi Crossy, I will be in LOS next week, if you want me to bring some stuff let me know

[COBBER]

Eventualy those sealants will give way and you will have another leak.

As suggested better to raplace the welsh plug. The last thing you want is to be stranded in a remote place and have another leak.

[Thetyim]

Cobber, you obviously ain't familiar with Barrs Leak.

It's an anaerobic sealant that will remain in the coolant for three years and then do it's job when you get a leak.

[COBBER]

Cobber, you obviously ain't familiar with Barrs Leak.

It's an anaerobic sealant that will remain in the coolant for three years and then do it's job when you get a leak.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thetyim, Sory but ive never been a fan of these types of sealants. I still think its better to fix it properly when its such a simple task.

[mijan24]

Cobber, you obviously ain't familiar with Barrs Leak.

It's an anaerobic sealant that will remain in the coolant for three years and then do it's job when you get a leak.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cobber, you obviously ain't familiar with Barrs Leak.

It's an anaerobic sealant that will remain in the coolant for three years and then do it's job when you get a leak.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thetyim, Sory but ive never been a fan of these types of sealants. I still think its better to fix it properly when its such a simple task.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Must agree with Cobber - Having stripped engines and cooling systems after Barrs & other brands have been used and not flushed out - All gunked up less efficient cooling resulting in higher operating temperatures hence increased wear rates.

Great to get you out of a tight spot - but flush system thoroughly ASAP and rectify original problem.

There are a myriad of quick remedies - crack an egg into the cooling system, add pepper to the cooling system - to get you to a facility where repair/rectification can be carried out.

[Thetyim]

Thats the reason I have always used Barrs.

It doesn't gunk up the system like other brands.

It has a corrosion inhibitor to stop the gunk.

By the way Mijan it's a WELCH plug not a welsh plug.

Also called a core plug, freeze plug or soft plug.

Having re-read Croosys post I would agree it would be better to replace the plug. I thought he wanted Barrs as a future precaution not a remedy for the existing leak.

[chownah]

You might try putting a steel drum on the roof and filling it with water that would drip through a hose into your radiator...adjusted to refill at the same rate as the leak is exiting. This is what they do in Vietnam...and it looks really cool with the big tank on top...sort of macho...you could paint the drum to look like a can of Chang Beer.....coooooolllll!!!

Does the Thai language have a word equivalent to 'macho'?

[richard10365]

I watched Myth Busters last month and they put an egg in the radiator to stop a leak. It worked.

Edited November 1, 2005 by richard10365

[Crossy]

Well, I've had a good giggle

I too am not a fan of radiator sealants and I ought to replace the plug, trouble is it's one of the awkward ones.

It's not pissing out, I only suspected the plug because of some deposits around it, must have been seeping for ages. We're using about a litre of water every couple of hundred k's.

I've been topping up every few days, just got pissed off with constantly doing so and looked for the easy solution. I would have thought that Thailand LOB (Land of Bodges) would be the ideal market for these quick fixes

Time to visit the man.

If anyone does spot Radweld or similar it's still worth mentioning, a tin in the boot (trunk) could be a lifesaver.

[edd]

The right way is to replace the core plug; they are a very low cost item and mostly easy to fit.

If for any reason you can not either, get hold of one or it would require the removal of the engine to fit it, then I have used epoxy resin on the out side as a temporary repair.

It requires thorough cleaning of the area and a completely dry surface.

But let me stress that this is not the right way to do it.

If a core plug fails you loose all the water very quickly and the temp. Sensor will have nothing to take a reading off so for a while will read low/cool.

Not until the heat of the now vastly over heated engine passes the heat through the body of the sensor will the temperature warning light starts to register, by this time it is far to later for your engine.

So don’t do it, it is not worth it.

[COBBER]

Crossy, just a suggestion mate. If its the plug at the back of the engine block next to the firewall, it might be easier to change it from inside the cabin, rather than taking out the whole engine. Years ago i had this problem and what i did was pulled back the carpet in the cabin and made a small hole , just big enough to change the plug. Changed the plug and then just rivited a small plate to cover the hole.