Testing antifreeze concentration

[jamesc76]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ATC-Engine-Co ... 41938385cd

I have one of theses, 50/50 mix is minus 32 deg c

[itchyfeet]

You could replace the antifreeze for about that money

[ghost123uk]

where is it leaking John?

My DG has a very slight drip from it's head seal. It only needs topping up, about 1/2 to 1 Ltr, about once a month.

It will have to get done at some point, but I ain't got anywhere suitable to do it since we moved house. Likely get Andrew at Campershack to do it sometime this year. Shame because otherwise it's a cracking engine, fairly low mileage VW recon, nice and quiet and uses no oil at all.

I am pretty sure the seal got damaged by an over pressurisation incident a few years ago caused by a blocked coolant pipe coupled with a dodgy dalek cap. At that time it blew up two coolant hoses before I discovered why (the first one I put down to age related failure).

[itchyfeet]

Sorry I really must read posts properly.
hard one to call, always a risk doing head seals so tempting to live with it, 1L a month at 50% isn't going to cost much just annoying.
Took me 6 years to stop mine leaking a similar amount there were so many small leaks to find, it may be that the head is just one of them .
Probably looses an egg cup full or so a month now.
I had a crack in the thermostat housing, a leaky coolant tower/ junction, small leak in rad, cracked head, weep in metal pipe, head seals.

[ghost123uk]

On that subject, there was a DIY DG re-seal thread entitled summat like "Water pouring out - it lives" (it's the one I nicked my pic of a blocked l/h coolant pipe came from) that covered the subject in much detail. It seems to have got pruned at some point, which is a shame as it was 100% worthy of wiki entry. I just don't have the facilities to do it now. If I had a warm, well lit garage, and preferably a vehicle lift, it would be much easier (and cheaper).

After reading silver bullets thread on re-sealing DGs, compared to folk who say it's ok to do it "in situ" and without changing the lower O rings
When the time comes, and it will, I know which option I would go for

[itchyfeet]

Problem if the leak gets too bad is it draws air back in the leak point on cool down and not back from top up tank, this means you have air in the system which promotes corrosion, if the leak is head seals you get air just where you don't want it.
is yours still refilling from top up tank or do you have to fill at darlek cap?

[ghost123uk]

It's a bit odd in so much as it is a bit intermittent. Some days, on going out to the van and having a look, you can see a drip on the lowest part of a c/case and signs of a few drips on the floor, other days there is no sign It is definitely the r/h seal on the centre underside, as when I removed the tin ware (and therefore J tubes ), cleaned up and then peered up there, you could see a small bead of coolant appear from the seal.

It still uses the top up tank OK by the way.

K-seal fixed it for years and I might even consider trying some of the new "K-Seal Ultimate", though it is not cheap. On the other hand they offer a money back guarantee so if I have to take it somewhere later for a re-seal, I can get my £40 back off them. (I emailed them and they assured me the guarantee was pretty much no quibble on production of a receipt for a re-seal (or a "new" engine )

I don't think my seals are old and perished, I am pretty sure from what I saw and heard in the first month of use that this (Genuine VW Recon) was not even run in when I got it. I checked it over, you know, oil condition, plugs, inside rocker cover, end float etc and it appeared to be VERY clean. It had been bought and fitted to a van that never got finished and years later was broken for spares just before I got it.

[Abyss]

I've used a product called ct1 miracle seal; worked a treat, clogged nothing

[CovKid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7tVy_HONdA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[NicBeeee]

It's a bit odd in so much as it is a bit intermittent. Some days, on going out to the van and having a look, you can see a drip on the lowest part of a c/case and signs of a few drips on the floor, other days there is no sign

I wonder if it is temperature related, warmer weather and less of a cold wind might help seal it up through expansion, weather has been a little erratic lately.

[ghost123uk]

It's a bit odd in so much as it is a bit intermittent. Some days, on going out to the van and having a look, you can see a drip on the lowest part of a c/case and signs of a few drips on the floor, other days there is no sign

I wonder if it is temperature related, warmer weather and less of a cold wind might help seal it up through expansion, weather has been a little erratic lately.

I did wonder about that, but it's academic only as at some point it's going to have to get a re-seal, unless this new type K-Seal "Ultimate" works a miracle!