Coolant leak on XFlow Inlet Manifold

[Alex Sideburns]

A bad morning on the driveway...

 

After being unused for 5 or 6 years I am getting my Xflow engined seven back on the road. I realised in this process that the inlet manifold appeared to have been leaking coolant fluid into the inlet ports from where the coolant flows through the inlet manifold to the heater elbow. Having taken some time to clear all the rust and having had both the inlet manifold and the head skimmed on its inlet face I have reassembled using Hylomar Blue on the gasket and around the central stud close to where the coolant flows.

 

Imagine my disappointment when rebalancing the carbs. and setting the idle mixture when i heard a hissing noise and spotted that the coolant fluid had started to drip from around this stud...a little while later I realised that the engine was overheating and began to spew steam and coolant fluid from the header tank...I think the overheating may be unrelated to the stud leak as the car had been stood idling on the drive without the fan running during the tuning process.

 

I had noticed white exhaust (steam pressumably?) when starting the engine so presumably the coolant is still managing to leak into the engine from the inlet manifold. The steaming stops when the engine has run for a short while.

 

I had also noticed occassional spitting/popping through the carbs that may be the fluid entering the cylinders?

 

I am now looking at removing the inlet manifold and reassembling with a fresh gasket.

 

Has anyone out there experienced a similar difficluty and if so how did you fix it?

 

[Roger King]

That stud screws into the cylinder head, but the hole isn't blind. This means that water can leak up the stud threads. Cure is simple. Remove stud and refit with a thread sealant, allowing it to cure before filling with water.

 

Don't use Hylomar on the gasket, but a smear of silicone sealant on both the head and manifold side, but only around the water passage.

 

Edited by - Roger King on 5 Dec 2010 19:34:18

[Alex Sideburns]

Thanks Roger for your instant reply-you're just the person who I needed to read my post!!

 

Is threadlock the same as thread sealant or should I be looking for something different-and if so does it go by a brand name?

 

Thanks

 

 

[Graham Perry]

Did any of that coolant go into the sump ? Presumably you changed the oil ?

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Thread sealant isn't the same as thread lock.

 

 

[Roger King]

Thread sealant isn't the same as thread lock, but in a case like this a thread lock should do the job just fine. Loctite is the most obvious brand, but there are others.

[Terry Field]

Alexander

 

Whereabouts are you in W.Sussex?

 

 

Terry

 

1700XF - Team Lotus with flares.