Got a crack in my header tank and its leaking

[ringo]

Hi,

I've just discovered water leaking from the top of my header tank. There is a crack just near to the filler cap about 20mm long and just bigger than a hairline - and when hot the water just dribbles out.

I wouldnt mind bodging it up so i can get home on Thursday - and then fitting a new one when i get home.

Two questions:
1) Anyone know what sort of adhesive/sealant/bodging material i can use to fill the crack for it to have any hope of working for a 90 mile journey?
2) When i buy the header tank (like this one http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php?p ... t&Itemid=6), do i need to buy anything else (like the water level sensor) or will everything just go off mine onto this one?

Ah well, not the end of the world....

Appreciate your help guys,

Ringo

[jamesc76]

I had a crack in mine and temp fixed it with JB quick weld, think Halfords sell it, its a 2 pack mix stuff really good stuff!

[jed the spread]

When i have had them split before i just swapped the stuff over apart from one time years ago when i bought one from JK that had made in italy stamped on it and i had to use plumbers tape to seal round the sender because it was really thin and ""pooh"".

jed

[Ian Hulley]

Be really carefull Rich, I tried everything to fix one about 5 years ago and even melting the bottle and blending it together ... the temperature, water and pressure together just cracked everything.

I siliconed the level sender in place to prevent the seeping that happened on the 2nd new JK one .... Brickwerks weren't around back then.

Ian.

[ringo]

Thanks guys.

I'll try that quick weld and get the BW header ordered....

Ringo

[jamesc76]

My quick weld one lasted from Ballykelly Northern Ireland to Newqauy via Nottingham each way!

[Simon Baxter]

Italian ones are probably "Topran" from GSF, they fit and work although are a little thin, if you get them hot or if your fan isn't working and they get a bit hot they have a tendancy to make the filler neck oval, then the cap won't fit as it should.
I've had excellent sucess with the Meyle ones, nice and thick plastic as are the Febi ones that JK sell (I think) we float between Febi and Meyle depending on what we can get at the time.
The Febi ones we have had recently have clearly had the VW part numbers ground off, so 99% sure they are OEM wherever they source them from.

[mioba]

Hi there
Had exactly the same problem last year when driving back to Munich from Italy.
Normally they will leak a when under pressure and hot, so just make sure your expansion reservour is full and your engine isnt getting too hot, keep the heating on full if it gets hot, just incase the temp fix doesnt hold.

The original tanks are still availabale from VW, well in Germany. I paid about 24 EUR including a new cap, about 17 Eur without.

Use the same sensor as before it sinply unscrews. You might want to get a new rubber ring for the sensor when you refit.

goood luck!

[ringo]

Thanks guys - i bodged the crack up with glue and it got me home without leaking.

Hopefully the new one will be in tomorrow night ready for the weekend trip

Ringo