cleaning block w/o head on

1930artdeco

1930artdeco

Well-known member
Here is what is happening. I am slowly losing water and I think I know where it is going. I am not losing it out of the over flow tube as I have a nail in it to prevent that or at least really slow it down. It is also not leaking out of the pump as it is dry underneath the pump. So that leaves me with a crack in the block on an exhaust valve.

I understand she will find her own level but last weekend I added more than the usual 2-3 cups. We were also going through the Oakland hills which meant lots of up and downs on a warm day in the high 80's. So if I have to pull the head to verify what should I use to clean the block with as long as the head is off?

Mike
 
I would connect a hose to the overflow tube and run the hose into a gallon jug hanging from the radiator support rod. This way you will know if any coolant is going out the overflow.

I'd use Evaporust to clean the block.
 
I would first check the oil level to see if it has gone up and then drain a cup of oil from the pan to see what color the oil may be at this time. If the oil level is up and/or the oil in the bottom of the pan is milky looking you will know where the coolant is going.
 
A note of caution...It sounds to me like you are jumping to conclusions. I agree with Tom's version of troubleshooting the problem. Although if it was me, I would connect a hose to radiator overflow and run it into the cab, so I can watch in real time what is happening.
 
There are tests that can be done ,, combustion gas in cooling system checker, leak down ..
more observation and diagnosis. Checking the oil is easy for discoloration and any coolant will come out first when cracking the drain plug..
Slow down and think things through
 
I would not add the 2-3 cups and drive it see if it stays. That was the first mistake I made when I bought my Model A, trying to keep it too full.
 
If it is crack into the exhaust valves you won't see it in the oil, but you should see a white exhaust from your tailpipe if you run antifreeze in your cooling system.
 
Thanks, guys. When I swapped manifold gaskets I swore I saw rust in the exhaust port and then coupled with losing a good amount of water on this last trip I got real nervous. But I will do some more testing to see if I really have a problem or I am just paranoid. Probably the latter.

Mike
 
If you have a deck crack into an exhaust port, water / coolant will seep through, and collect in the exhaust manifold, possibly in the cylinder if the engine comes to rest with the exhaust valve open.

Next time you go to start the car, the engine might meet resistance of collected water in cylinder, and when the engine does start, you will have a LOT of white "smoke", and possibly even water droplets blowing out the exhaust if you blip the throttle.

If you're really paranoid, drain and reserve your 50/50 coolant, and refill with plain water until you've got this sorted-out, that way if there is an internal leak, would won't be exposing your babbitt to anti-freeze ( which will destroy the babbitt ).

If you pull the head, and want to clean the block to look for cracks, you can scrape any carbon off the deck with a stiff, sharp putty knife, then go over the area between the exhaust seats and the cylinder bores with a scotch-bright pad and some carb cleaner, until the metal is bright.

Wipe clean with more carb cleaner and some paper towels.

If there are any deck cracks serious enough to leak coolant, they should be visible to the naked eye...

Good luck !

Frank
 
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