Gasket failure or what

[F69]

At the beginning of this year I replaced my old water pump with a new one and fitted the gasket supplied. ( it was very thin, like baking paper )

I haven't driven many miles until end of May when I went to France 500 miles all told, and needed a quick refill of the radiator when the temp guage went red and I found I was 5-6 pints short of water, which I put down to a large air pocket I hadn't sorted out when refilling the radiator etc when changing the water pump. Anyway, today I found water dripping out of the water pump, so whipped it off and to my astonishment there is no trace of the thin paper gasket.

Is it possible for these to totally disintegrate. I kid thee not, there was sod all left of it, so the metal face of the pump was next to the engine body, metal on metal. I must now try to find a decent gasket and fit before Sunday am as I have a show to attend. Just hope a gasket isn't as rare as hens teeth.

God I love this car!!!

[jonlar]

Hi Richard, I have made a gasket (albeit a long time ago) from a cereal packet, soaked in oil or greased both sides - you used to be able to buy various grades of gasket card, but haven't seen that for years.

Edited June 8, 2007 by jonlar

[IanR]

Hi Richard,

In the short term, ie before Sunday, then use Jonlars solution, he has the experiene to make it work, make it out of cardboard, better still and older gasket that is bigger and can be cut ot size. I guess grease will work but I would recommend using Wellseal here or any known gasket goo, grease, will wash away but probably not before Sunday. Good one Jon I bet you have done the nylon stocking trick as well. Does it work with tights I wonder??

 

Cheers

[jonlar]

Yes Ian, but you've got to wind them round several times, but kept jumping out of the pulley - Black 40 Denier stockings would be my choice! The throttle cable broke on my 1971 Hillman Imp, got over that with a piece of string and the back screen slightly open. Talk about hand controls.

[john.r.davies]

Good old brown wrapping paper makes good gaskets.

No oil, but a light smear of hylomar on each side.

 

You know how to cut out a gasket with a ball pein hammer?

 

John

[F69]

Many thanks for the replies.

Now 9am and am off to try my local motor factors, but if that fails then thickish cardboard soaked in oil plus a smearing of hylomar, and see what happens.

[Richard Crawley]

Richard, go with John's brown wrapping paper; with a little vinegar it was, after all, good enough for Jack! I use the rounded end of a spanner; just twist it around in the holes & rub it around the edges of the casting. Depending on how sharp the casting edges are you may need some minimal trimming with scissors. I used to make all my gaskets this way in my early motor bike/old banger days & still make the odd non critical one this way now. I would also echo the ‘no oil’, just a light smear of Hylomar; it'll last just as long as a manufactured gasket.

Edited June 9, 2007 by Richard Crawley

[Guest ron]

Richard, I've a NOS water pump as a spare in it's box, the gasket with it looks like 1/32" 'Klingerite'.

I've had good success in the dim and distant past with Jon's method of using cereal packet card!

Ron

[marks]

Hi

I would take half a dozen eggs with you as well!!!! If it leaks crack them in the rad. If it doesnt at least you will have brecky!!! Used to live near Klingers at Sidcup many moons ago.

 

Mark (ex pat) now doing it tough in the sun!!!

[john.r.davies]

Hi

I would take half a dozen eggs with you as well!!!! If it leaks crack them in the rad. If it doesnt at least you will have brecky!!! Used to live near Klingers at Sidcup many moons ago.

 

Mark (ex pat) now doing it tough in the sun!!!

 

Mark,

Have you ever done this?

Has anyone ever done it?

 

Or is it another dangerous (to engines) urban myth?

 

Call the Mythbusters!

 

John

[Guest ron]

John, I've done it when I was a skint apprentice, it works on minor leaks if you only use the egg white, but I wouldn't recommend it, certainly not for leaky water pumps! The coolant needs to be cold when you put it in or the rather obvious happens!

Ron

Edited June 10, 2007 by ron

[jonlar]

I've never tried this one, and wouldn't really fancy putting anything in that's going to clog or set - things such as Barseal dog poo type, are I think resin based and they only set when reaching the outside - OK for dire emergencies, but not ideal, used some on our old Pug 309 - hot, wet feet from the heater - stopped it leaking (and heating!).

 

On a card gasket, soaking in oil or grease in effect waterproofs the cornflake gasket, makes them fractionally thicker and easier to get an effective seal, with no later water permeating through the car and destroying it.

Edited June 10, 2007 by jonlar

[PJM]

 

Have you ever done this?

Has anyone ever done it?

 

My friend and I did exactly this but in dire circumstances. We used 32 egg whites whilst serving in the Falklands. Because we could come under attack at any time we were unable too shut down one of the diesel generators to fix a cylinder head leak. So after much discussion my mate put 16 egg whites in the coolant system. He didn't tell me but when he handed over the watch he said he had tried some and if it looked any better after say half an hour to try some more. So off I go to take a look and the leak had reduced but not stopped so I bash in some more (the chefs had them in powder form in portions of 16).

 

The generator continued to run from May 2nd through to September 17th when we returned to Portsmouth. I swear it heaved a sigh of relief when we eventually shut it down. All the heads were pulled and the cylinder 'O' ring seals replaced (wet liners), new head gaskets and a top overhaul completed the work. The cooling system was given a good flush through and there were no long term effects to the engine.

 

Having said all that the water needs to be cold when the mix is added and the cooling pipes we are talking here are 2 to 4 inches diameter!

 

I dont think any leak stopper should be considered as a long term repair.

[john.r.davies]

Wow!

pjm, what a story!

The ever resourceful British!

I am educated by that, but I don't think I'll raid the larder next time there is a leaky gasket, not unless I'm under fire or about to be.

 

John

[marks]

Yep, see I'm not the only silly pom to put eggs in the rad. With my first car, mini, in 1969 I decided to "clean" the rad. I soon learnt that you dont use a wire brush!!!. Picture bank holiday weekend girlfriend wants to go to Margate, rad leaking like a size. A relative who had served in Germany told me about the eggs. Bingo drove all the way from Dartford to Margate and back. I reckon its a plot by the MOD to save on costly repairs, or the sappers to get rid off egg powder!!!

 

Have a good one.

 

Mark

[F69]

Hi Richard,

 

Sorry to hear you are having problems again with a water leak. The gasket should not be as thin as you describe. Try to get an original gasket (part no 138792) and use blue hylomar gasket sealant to assist with the sealing. Make sure the water pump bolts are tightened up using the correct torque setting.

 

Top up the water using anti corrosion inhibitor, and allow the engine to tick over with the rad cap off to allow any air to escape. Put the heater on warm, and give the engine at least 5 mins to get the water circulating. Replace rad cap!

 

Good luck, hope my old car is still giving you plenty of enjoyment.

 

Hi Paul,

Yes I am still getting plenty of enjoyment out of your old six, in fact most of what goes wrong is usually down to my cackhandedness. I've sorted out the water pump gasket. Cardboard from an empty Kellogs Crunchy Nut packet, cut to fit the water pump, generously spread with Hylomar and PROBLEM SOLVED. 100 mile run on Sunday and the joint is as dry as the Gobi desert.