Club 80-90 Forums

Hi
I have a 1983 watercooled 1.9 T25.
Coolant is leaking from the water jacket gasket when the engine is stone cold.
Collecting about 200ml over a week. Have looked for leaks elsewhere that could be running - nothing obvious.
No visible signs of leaking when engine running. Engine starts first time and is running smoothly. Oil is clean.
Just keep topping her coolant up at the moment.

Is there a 'dirty' in situ repair available, or am I looking at the inevitable?
Should it be dealt with immediately, or do I have a stay of execution?

I've got exactly the same symptoms and I've been fearing the worst. However, it's well worth have a really good look around for the exact source of the leak.

I was all down in the dumps until I spotted the tiniest trace of coolant underneath the flange on the right side head (pipe to the upper bleed rail). I've been keeping an eye on it and it's definitely dripping from there, onto the tinware below, running along the tinware from front to back before finally dripping to the ground from the rear RHS of the sump - making it look like it's coming from the water jacket seal and nowhere near it's true source.

Fingers crossed, I've been lucky and that's all it is. It was difficult to spot though because there's nothing at all until it's stone cold - usually overnight.

Stick some k-seal in it.Its only a temporary measure.But i have known it to cure a leak for a couple of years.

Chimpsta wrote: Is there a 'dirty' in situ repair available, or am I looking at the inevitable?
Should it be dealt with immediately, or do I have a stay of execution?

Yes, you're looking at the inevitable.

See Rob's answer for the dirty fix/stay of execution.

IF the engine's had anti-freeze swapped from new and been looked after and if the exhaust has been off recently there's a chance it will split successfully but you're opening a can of worms.

Ian

when you do do the inevitable you'll find the mating surfaces of the jacket and head to be pitted.
clean the surfaces and use chemical metal to fill the pits only, making sure the mating surface is clean.

this will ensure that the new seal does not fail again so quickly

this is what will greet you.


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