Big, Little or No Problem ?

[TR4 AJJ]

Thank you Gentlemen,

 

I will try all the above. Just to say, the water only appears overnight. There's nothing there during running but i suspect anything that escapes is evaporating with the engine heat.

 

Andy

[tim hunt]

350 miles in 4 hours Andy - you must know some VERY good Spanish B roads!!

 

Tim

[TR4 AJJ]

350 miles in 4 hours Andy - you must know some VERY good Spanish B roads!!

 

Tim

I failed to mention that my car is a hybrid TR4A / DeLorean

[PYU940F]

Hi

Go in your TR for the trip, that route begs for it. If it breaks down, well, that's just part of the experience! I will bet a £ to a p that it does not. Forget Marco's comments, they are Teutonic, that's why we love them.

Do as all suggest:

1/ Re-torque the head to 105 ft lbs

2/ Put K-seal in as a belt and braces exercise.

3/ Relax and enjoy the trip and tell us about it when you get back.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[TR4 AJJ]

Hi

Go in your TR for the trip, that route begs for it. If it breaks down, well, that's just part of the experience! I will bet a £ to a p that it does not. Forget Marco's comments, they are Teutonic, that's why we love them.

Do as all suggest:

1/ Re-torque the head to 105 ft lbs

2/ Put K-seal in as a belt and braces exercise.

3/ Relax and enjoy the trip and tell us about it when you get back.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

 

Thanks Simon,

 

That is basically the plan.

 

We've done a few road-trips now in various new & classic cars and have had the misfortune to have to send one car back on a low-loader and complete the trip in a hire-car. This wasn't a mechanical issue, just an Italian Lady who decided to remove the rear end .....

 

Don't worry, I will inevitably bore you all to death with photos ! Good & Bad days !!

[shuggie159]

Yes. Good luck with the trip.

 

I too am sure as long as you keep your eye on the water level, you'll have a fantastic uneventful tour.

 

As has previously been mentioned, I too had a similar problem on pot 3 or 4, 30 years or so ago.

 

Mine was obviously a vertical crack in the thread of the spark plug hole. In my case coolant only leaked externally. From memory 'Bars Leaks' was only a short term fix. I eventually replaced the head with a doner part (they were cheap as chips then).

 

These days I would anticipate that a similar problem could be solved by brazing and re-cutting the spark plug thread. I guess it's not an area under any particular stresses.

[Motorsport Mickey]

Don't confuse Barrs leaks with K Seal in it's efficacy, K Seal is far superior but only for small gauge cracks and hairlines, which is why I'm happy using it permanently in the system, it doesn't "grow" and clog narrow gauge waterways.

 

Mick Richards

[Z320]

Forget Marco's comments, they are Teutonic that's why we love them.

 

:hug:

 

additional I am an engineer and it's difficult for me "to jump over my shaddow"

(is there an adequate english saying for that?)

Edited March 27, 2018 by Z320

[Bleednipple]

 

Mine was obviously a vertical crack in the thread of the spark plug hole. In my case coolant only leaked externally. From memory 'Bars Leaks' was only a short term fix. I eventually replaced the head with a doner part (they were cheap as chips then).

 

Sounds familiar. My car's PO told me that the head developed a crack at number 4 plug. It was repaired ceramically and seems to have held up fine (just has a long-reach plug now for that cylinder). So if you do find you have a crack, it might not mean a new head. So don't despair and enjoy your road trip.

 

Nigel

[TR4 AJJ]

Yes. Good luck with the trip.

 

I too am sure as long as you keep your eye on the water level, you'll have a fantastic uneventful tour.

 

As has previously been mentioned, I too had a similar problem on pot 3 or 4, 30 years or so ago.

 

Mine was obviously a vertical crack in the thread of the spark plug hole. In my case coolant only leaked externally. From memory 'Bars Leaks' was only a short term fix. I eventually replaced the head with a doner part (they were cheap as chips then).

 

These days I would anticipate that a similar problem could be solved by brazing and re-cutting the spark plug thread. I guess it's not an area under any particular stresses.

 

Well worse case, it's a replacement head. Not something I'm considering before the trip but may have to after. After further inspection, it looks like the water is coming out of the spark plug threads. If it was a domestic heating system, I'd just wrap PTFE tape around the thread .....

 

 

Don't confuse Barrs leaks with K Seal in it's efficacy, K Seal is far superior but only for small gauge cracks and hairlines, which is why I'm happy using it permanently in the system, it doesn't "grow" and clog narrow gauge waterways.

 

Mick Richards

 

My only concern now is if someone, in an attempt to cover this issue, has already used K-Seal or something similar already. I assume there's a limit of how much of this stuff should go in. The water has an orange tint to it, which I always assumed was an antifreeze additive.

 

 

 

Sounds familiar. My car's PO told me that the head developed a crack at number 4 plug. It was repaired ceramically and seems to have held up fine (just has a long-reach plug now for that cylinder). So if you do find you have a crack, it might not mean a new head. So don't despair and enjoy your road trip.

 

Nigel

 

I don't think the problem will stop the road trip. It certainly isn't loosing much water.

[stuart]

You could tell if Kseal has been used as its will show fine copper particles under the rad cap, you cant miss them. Reddish water could be antifreeze or could be someone has been using Radweld which isnt nice or it could be that antifreeze hasnt been used enough and its rust.

Stuart.

[Bleednipple]

You could tell if Kseal has been used as its will show fine copper particles under the rad cap, you cant miss them. Reddish water could be antifreeze or could be someone has been using Radweld which isnt nice or it could be that antifreeze hasnt been used enough and its rust.

Stuart.

 

From memory, Radweld (yep, horrid, but we all used it back in the day - after trying and failing with the old egg white trick) is a definite red tint, not the orange that AJJ reports. Simply rust is much more likely I would say.

 

If it were me, the next step would deffo be to throw some Kseal in, shouldn't hurt and could just fix it.

[TR4 AJJ]

The rad is brand new and only fitted by the garage who serviced it for sale. As the water in the reserve pot off the rad is also orange, I think it's a type of antifreeze, albeit most are blue ?

 

The water in the rad and reserve pot are all very clean and although it's orange, it's not rusty / dirty ... if that makes sense. There's certainly no particles on the rad cap but that is new with the rad, so possibly why.

 

I'm going to add K-seal at the weekend and give it a good long drive ... we'll see

[Bleednipple]

The rad is brand new and only fitted by the garage who serviced it for sale. As the water in the reserve pot off the rad is also orange, I think it's a type of antifreeze, albeit most are blue ?

 

The water in the rad and reserve pot are all very clean and although it's orange, it's not rusty / dirty ... if that makes sense. There's certainly no particles on the rad cap but that is new with the rad, so possibly why.

 

I'm going to add K-seal at the weekend and give it a good long drive ... we'll see

 

Sounds like they put Irn Bru in there then. Lucky that TRs are Made in Coventry Frae Girders.

 

Best of luck and enjoy.

[TR4 AJJ]

 

Sounds like they put Irn Bru in there then. Lucky that TRs are Made in Coventry Frae Girders.

 

Best of luck and enjoy.

 

Well, as we're driving through some of France's wine regions, we could just top up the rad with some Bordeaux

Edited March 28, 2018 by TR4 AJJ

[peejay4A]

Orange water in the radiator could be antifreeze and if so it's likely to be the wrong type for our engines. It could also be rust or the remains of a radiator sealant. If you have any doubt about it then I would drain the lot out, fill with a Bluecol antifreeze mix and bung in a bottle of K-seal.

[TorontoTim]

If appropriate, I'd give the garage a call and ask them what they put in it.

[ChrisR-4A]

Orange water in the radiator could be antifreeze and if so it's likely to be the wrong type for our engines. It could also be rust or the remains of a radiator sealant. If you have any doubt about it then I would drain the lot out, fill with a Bluecol antifreeze mix and bung in a bottle of K-seal.

 

+1 I haven't seen a red/orange antifreeze which is suitable for our engines.

In case there's something in there which won't mix with KSeal replace it anyway before you go even if you don't add the KSeal at the same time.

Chris

Edited March 28, 2018 by potts4a

[Alfie14]

"K Seal" l can only talk from experience. I have had my TR4A for 6 years and came with the water residue problem, it never caused any problems just annoying. I had the engine rebult last year and there where no problems found on the head, after running the engine in for 250 miles the head was re torqued but the water residue was still there. It was rebuild engineers who told me about the weak point push rod tubes/plug and suggested the "K Seal".

 

A year on no problems or water residue, engine performs as new.

Andy

[TR4 AJJ]

"K Seal" l can only talk from experience. I have had my TR4A for 6 years and came with the water residue problem, it never caused any problems just annoying. I had the engine rebult last year and there where no problems found on the head, after running the engine in for 250 miles the head was re torqued but the water residue was still there. It was rebuild engineers who told me about the weak point push rod tubes/plug and suggested the "K Seal".

 

A year on no problems or water residue, engine performs as new.

Andy

 

This is a very reassuring post - thank you

 

Andy

[TR4 AJJ]

Hi,

 

Disappointingly, the K-Seal hasn't worked (yet). I replaced the coolant, using Blucol and a pot of K-Seal but from what I can see so far, the water is still gathering there, albeit a tiny amount. I drove it for about 40 minutes, so it was run up to full temperature.

 

It was apparent that the original coolant in there, with Red Antifreeze, was very fresh. The classic car garage I bought the car from had said they'd changed the rad, so they clearly changed the coolant too. I think the car ran slightly cooler on the Red Antifreeze, if that's possible. It's not running hot now, but just slightly higher than previously. It used to sit on the 70° line but now it's much closer, or sometimes even on, the 90° line. I'm pretty sure that where it's supposed to be so I'm not concerned.

 

I'm not losing any significant amount of coolant so I still plan to do the road trip next week. My only concern is that so far I've only driven it in sub 10° Outside temperatures, whereas the forecast for where we going is highs of 24°. I'm not sure if this will make any difference. My gut feeling is this 1300 mile, 14 day trip, will do the car the world of good. It's sat around not used for too long IMHO.

 

On a positive note, by managing the choke better, I have hugely reduced the initial amount of soot / smoke on start up. I was clearly giving it 'too much'. The car is running a bit rich and ideally, I'd liked to have that tuned better before I go but my TR super-mechanic friend is crazy busy at the moment, so it'll have to wait.

[RogerH]

Hi Andy,

have you got SU carbs - if so it is easy(ish) to adjust the mixture.

 

There is a big brass nut underneath the carb body (see attached pic). Screw this in to weaken the mixture. Looking from underneath turn the nut clockwise.

 

Clean the plugs.

Turn the nut one flat in.

Run engine at 2500 for 60 seconds and kill the ignition without reducing the revs.

Check colour of plugs

If you get to a brownish colour then stop. Check the plugs after long runs and adjust the nut - one flat at a time.

 

Roger

 

 

 

[TR4 AJJ]

Thanks Roger,

 

They are SUs but I have tried tuning these carbs before on my Spitfire with little success. The car is running pretty well and Im not sure Id risk diy tuning a few days before my trip. Id rather take it running a little bit rich, than have an issue with it days before.

 

Thanks for the info though

[Motorsport Mickey]

You're not a man of excess are you Andy ...40 minutes running ...40 minutes !

 

"You stand a very good chance it will seal your problem area up wherever it is, go again for your 2-3 hour drive and following your now normal procedure check for water. Remember there will be a small residue which has ALLREADY passed through wherever the crack or passage is and so you may expect to see that, otherwise I'd hope the problem will now be stopped...go on holiday"

 

Mick Richards

[TR4 AJJ]

Mick, have seen the price of petrol ????

 

Actually, I was out for 2 hours .... but it included a long lunch .... for an hour and twenty minutes in a nice looking pub we happened to come across .... And then it started raining really hard and I thought the car might melt ...