Coolant wicking through gaskets,

[SOHC]

Having trouble again with coolant wicking through gaskets, put new head gaskets in the Ford and all around the edge I can see small beads of coolant, its not a problem if I use water but as soon as I put antifreeze in it starts,

Is there a product thats safe to use to seal the cooling system? I dont want to take it apart again, the coolant is not entering the combustion chamber or other way round.

[tortron]

Holden always put sealant pellets  in for leaks like that

 

I get it in my sidevalve morrie headgasket too

 

[Doug Hill]

Try water and water wetter, should do it. But it's a fairly fine line between coolant being too thin and water not leaking. 

Otherwise hylomar blue FTW

[SOHC]

21 minutes ago, tortron said:

Holden always put sealant pellets  in for leaks like that

 

I get it in my sidevalve morrie headgasket too

 

GM have a special product that is in the form of pellets

[piazzanoob]

59 minutes ago, SOHC said:

Having trouble again with coolant wicking through gaskets, put new head gaskets in the Ford and all around the edge I can see small beads of coolant, its not a problem if I use water but as soon as I put antifreeze in it starts,

Is there a product thats safe to use to seal the cooling system? I dont want to take it apart again, the coolant is not entering the combustion chamber or other way round.

after fitting new head gaskets its a big no no to put antifreeze in straight away.

normally the process is do some miles and heat cycles like 500 miles and retorque heads when hot then fit antifreeze.

have the heads been machined? and block checked with straight edge? 

also copper spray is a good thing to put on the gaskets to help seal.

but if you don't want to strip it again i would drain all coolant and just add water and do some miles and retorque heads then add sealant pellets then coolant 

[SOHC]

8 hours ago, piazzanoob said:

after fitting new head gaskets its a big no no to put antifreeze in straight away.

normally the process is do some miles and heat cycles like 500 miles and retorque heads when hot then fit antifreeze.

have the heads been machined? and block checked with straight edge? 

also copper spray is a good thing to put on the gaskets to help seal.

but if you don't want to strip it again i would drain all coolant and just add water and do some miles and retorque heads then add sealant pellets then coolant 

Engine was reconditioned and block was decked and heads planed gaskets fitted with copper spray, I did about 3 months driving with just water, I retorque heads about 8 times,  its only a very small leak like its damp round the gaskets.

[cletus]

23 hours ago, Doug Hill said:

Try water and water wetter, should do it. But it's a fairly fine line between coolant being too thin and water not leaking. 

Otherwise hylomar blue FTW

Water wetter is awesome, 

 

 

for finding places to leak from.

I tried it in my car once and ended up with lots of tiny weeps from frost plugs and gaskets  

[SOHC]

Rang a couple shops and they sed after rebuilding any side valve they run a sealer in it. I got a sodium silicate / copper one made by ABRO, it gets drained out after 15 mins it recommends.  

[SOHC]

Ran the Abro through the system as the instructions sed but took the thermostats out and had to put a rag over the radiator, then let it cool down for few hours and flushed it out, I have filled it with water now for a few days and no seepage, 

Few shops now sed they run a sealer through every old engine they do as it stops problems.