My Merc is USING a LOT of coolant -- so MUCH so that I've resorted to ONLY water in the radiator! There's NO evidence of external leakage -- NO steam in the exhaust -- NO missing - and NO hard starting but the water disappears!!! I'm STUMPED!!?? Never have I had an experience like this before and I've had a LOT of Y blocks -- Any suggestions fellas?
Sounds like you may have a head gasket that is leaking into a cylinder while she's running. You won't necessarily see any steam while it's running. Maybe try some Bars Leak.
Like 41hemi said, it's leaking into one or more cylinders and the water is being eliminated (some would say burned) in the combustion process, Look at the plugs and I'll bet that the ones in the affected cylinders will have pretty white porcelain. Re-torque the heads and add the Bars leak. I hope you'll get lucky but hairline crack in the cylinder walls and decks can cause the same problem. Good luck!
You don't always see it in the exhaust. Get or borrow one of those block testing tubes that has the fluid that changes colour when combustion chamber gases are in the cooling system.
Have you cracked open the drain plug in the oil pan? Water first indicates head gasket gone or crack somewhere. You might check the dipstick to see if the oil level is rising also.
not gainin oil, no "milk" -- not over fillin radiator -- really aFRAID it's a cracked head [ don't have anuther ] twice, in the past several years, the left driver's side head gasket has blown between center 2 cylinders and I discovered a tiny crack using iron filings and a magnet - so this is likely - but I've never had an engine *consume* water w-out some outward sign before -- hence my askance past 3 "runs" I've stopped @ halfway point to check and radiator's been down 1/2 to 3/4 gallon cooling system holds 5 total NO external leakage and NO steam out exhaust this just *may* be the final straw for this "camel" --- thanks for yer input guys -- preciate it
As someone else suggested, checking the coolant for exhaust fumes is really simple. Put the tube in the radiator and the liquid will change colors if exhaust is present. This wont tell you if it is a gasket or a crack, but it will point you in the right direction. I wonder if the crack you found, could be repaired?
Might try a pint or so of sodium salicylate, also known as egg-keep or waterglass. It'll plug leaks in gaskets, heads, blocks without the large particles products such as Bars Leaks has (those also usually contain sodium salicylate in smaller amounts). If it works to stop your leak, you want drain the coolant system afterwards, and let it sit while hot, then refill after a wait period. You can leave it in, but if a hose ever bursts, it really makes a mess that can't really be totally cleaned up; I learned that the hard way one time. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
If you decide to try the waterglass repair, make damn sure the coolant leak isn't getting into the crankcase or leaking in thru an engine oil or transmission cooler! "Liquid glass" (sodium silicate) is added to the system through the radiator, and allowed to circulate. Sodium silicate is suspended in the coolant until it reaches the cylinder head. At 100–105°C, sodium silicate loses water molecules to form a glass seal with a remelt temperature above 810°C. A sodium silicate repair can last two years or longer. The repair occurs rapidly, and symptoms disappear instantly. This repair only works when the sodium silicate reaches its "conversion" temperature at 100–105°C. Contamination of engine oil is a serious possibility in situations in which a coolant-to-oil leak is present. Sodium silicate (glass particulate) contamination of lubricants is detrimental to their function. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_silicate
too late never got to *try* the "liquid glass" engine beGAN to miss AND knock [ sounds like a rod ] got louder and LOUDER as i headed for home -- *THIS* toDAY -- IS the end for ME -- [ my "mission" that is ] The Doors - The End (original) Doors song The End full and uncensored YOUTUBE.COM homas Weller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ugiIPbgJ4s Downtown Drove downtown today to find a chemical co… YOUTUBE.COM Thomas Weller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqseMuIaM6c At the Coronado Bridge Hdqtrs -- some friendly CalTrans fellas YOUTUBE.COM Thomas Weller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGjAtDI7obI determining the rest of the course of the day -- YOUTUBE.COM Thomas Weller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vQrc7fhDj4 hobblin home, i spot this fella -- look closely, on the RS, in the shade, as I pass w traffic arranged so i *can't* stop… YOUTUBE.COM Thomas Weller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LHTdPnqLsc MJPG0018 YOUTUBE.COM Thomas Weller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJUb_Q0tagY MJPG0019 YOUTUBE.COM Thomas Weller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FUv1-GRd6E MJPG *note* for those who care -- I'll be fillin in the details of my *last* day's "adventures" soon too depressed just now "one can not sincerely help another without helping oneself in the bargain"
My "liquid glass" arrived today from Amazon [ had already ordered it ] gonna TRY it tomorrow -- [ at this point I feel like I've got nothing to lose ] It's been a week since I've been out "On the Road" We'll see -----
Thought it had a rod knock... Sounds like the Doors sang it. How about just go for a cruise don't you have more cars?
Took the Merc out to warm her up prior to installin a quart of silicone silicate in the cooling system hopin for a possible "fix" for her cracked head? blown head gasket? Installed the silicone silicate and took her out on the I-8 EB towards Alpine to circulate the concoction -- ALmost TO Alpine, some ignorant fool cuts RIGHT in FRONT of me @ 70 mph+ to take the offramp I'm takin :O NObody beHIND me but this MORon HAS to cut in FRONT of me! LESS then a car length!! IDIOT!!!!!!! SOOOO -- I'm coming back WB and passing Lake Jennings Rd [ in traffic ] and I'm IN the #1 lane moving WITH the flow of traffic -- A car comes up behind me and gets closer and closer to my tail -- I flash my brake lites x3 rapidly ----- NO reaction I hit my rear-facin strobes and emergency lights --- NO reaction I have no ability to move to the right hand lane due to traffic unTILL passing the Greenfield DR overpass -- when I DO -- Car behind me comes up beSIDE me and the women IN it have their cellphones UP and videoin me! :O Well, I don't mind the attention, BUT, please PAY attention to HOW close you FOLLOW on the freeway! TOO many accidents are CAUSED by followin TOO close! The FREEway is NOT supposed to BE a DOGpark!!!!! tomorrow morning will be a decision -- one of three things -- either the crack-leak will be cured, there will be no change, OR, the engine will BE seized --
I went through this when I first put my 51 Vicky together. Fresh motor, Everything under the hood related to Water new or rebuilt. I couldn't keep water in it. With a pressure pump on Rad pressure held. Drive home lost a gallon of water again. Stock Rad was recored. I told them to change the fill neck so I could run a standard 16 lb cap on it, and it came home from shop with one on it. I was convinced I had a crack in a head. Didn't want to tear down a motor over new paint. Had another good running motor on the floor so did a motor swap. Instantly had same issue, I know this motor had no issue when running in my Merc. 51 Ford rad's stock used a 1" deep 4lb cap. Neck dia same as latter pressure cap but instead of 1" deep they are 3/4" deep. The Mutton Heads at the Rad shop put a short cap on my stock 1/4" deeper neck. I was simply pushing water out the over flow tube and only at highway speeds. Stant makes a change over cap. A $12.oo rad cap fixed my water loss issue. You would think when I drove back to the Rad shop for the test and they used the correct adapter on the pressure pump then put a new style cap on the Rad the F---ing light might have come on. Blind Faith can cause you a ton of grief. The Wizzard
Look at your plugs too. One cylinder taking a bit of water would have a cleaner combustion chamber and plug.
NOT "cured" NO "change" but at least it's not seized [ still can move it around under it's own power, but with a pronounced miss ] -- but, unless or until a new engine magically appears, it looks like my iconic "ghostbusters" cars are finished [ all THREE ] -- maybe it's just *time* to quit --
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