Radweld...

[camel_landy]

My car has just had a new rad & silicone hoses... How do the collective feel to popping some radweld into the cooling system as a preventative measure??

/DISCUSS ON

[Big Al.]

I would seriously suggest that you do not!

HTH.

[camel_landy]

Big Al. said:

I would seriously suggest that you do not!

HTH.

I hear you...

Is there any reasoning behind that??

M

[Gazzab]

Why would you want to?! If you have a leak then fix it would be my advice. This has been discussed before by the way.

[Big Al.]

It's like liquid sludge why on earth would you want that circling around an engine and clogging it up?

Remember it is a possible cure to a leak situation, it's not definite it will work even if you put it in.

So wait till it leaks and get it sorted, using alternative methods if you can IMHO.

[camel_landy]

Gazzab said:

Why would you want to?! If you have a leak then fix it would be my advice.

If there is a problem, my personal preference is to find it & fix it. However, I know that some engines get radweld dropped in at the factory to help while it settles down (2x opposite views!). The AJP is a new engine to me so I'm just curious...

Gazzab said:

This has been discussed before by the way.

I thought it probably might have been but I'm still trying to get the hang of the search function!!??!!

M

[camel_landy]

Big Al. said:

It's like liquid sludge why on earth would you want that circling around an engine and clogging it up?

Coz in theory it should be fairly inert until exposed to air...

Also, while on the subject, are there any links to discussions on anti-freeze???

M

[Big Al.]

Try these:-
Anti freeze

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/search4.asp?h=0...

Radweld

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/search4.asp?h=0...

HTH.

[MPoxon]

Big Al. said:

I would seriously suggest that you do not!

HTH.

I would personally only ever use radweld if I was really desperate. Great stuff to cure a leak but you do need to perform a full system flush once the leak is fixed as it can clog things up somewhat.

[ridds]

I'd rather use an egg white.

Please don't put Radweld in an AJP.

[camel_landy]

Big Al. said:

Try these:-
Anti freeze

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/search4.asp?h=0...

Radweld

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/search4.asp?h=0...

HTH.

Ta muchly, I'll have a read.

I don't mind dealing with awkward engines, such as the Triumph Stag V8 but I do like to know why...

M

[camel_landy]

OK... I've had a read through the links and whilst there's a lot of personal opinion there's no-one giving a reasoned, technical argument???

Is there one?

M

[camel_landy]

Skeksisss said:

From my experience with a Rover V8 engined car (not TVR) avoid like the plague.
It cost me an engine rebuild (800 miles on a new engine) because I couldn't be bothered to do a proper repair on a leak repaired at the roadside using Radweld.

Reason Radweld is blamed is that the block and heads were new castings. The heads were gummed up in areas by a thick stodgy product - almost certainly Radweld.

Hmmm... Interesting. I've had Radweld floating around in a Rover V8 for years without problems. In fact, radweld used to be dropped in at the factory on Discoveries.

M

[Gazzab]

I would say its fine in a cheap old car where you dont want to spend money fixing a problem but not in a Cerb surely?
for me it is a risk based decision - putting it in might fix a leak but it could reduce the efficiency of your rad, it could create blockages where you dont want them etc... which in turn could be very expensive. The chance of this happening might be low but the impact of it happening is high.

[FUBAR]

FUBAR's book of mechanical knowledge. Volume 2: Chapter 3: Page 177

"lob a couple of raw eggs in there, that should do the trick"

[camel_landy]

FUBAR said:

FUBAR's book of mechanical knowledge. Volume 2: Chapter 3: Page 177

"lob a couple of raw eggs in there, that should do the trick"

Hahaha... What's the ISBN? I'll get onto Amazon & order a copy.

[Tanguero]

Scarily the Jaguar factory not only used to put 2 bottles of "Barrs Leaks" (same sort of stuff as Radweld) in the cooling system of all its V12 XJSs but it was a mandated service additive whenever the cooling system was drained!

[Big Al.]

From what I can read here the OP seems content with using it, then let it be so.

Why the need to convince him any further, after all it's his engine.

[FarmyardPants]

What are the opinions on other coolant additives? Water pump lubricator (have had good results with that in the past with squeaky water pumps, not needed it for the cerb tho) and wetter? What do people recommend, if anything? My cooling system seems to work fine so not looking to fix it, just curious..

[Byker28i]

I tried Water wetter - didn't make a lot of difference and it turned out it cost £150 to get the radiator rebuilt into a higher spec one anyway.

I really wouldn't put radweld in because
1. Why unless you had a leak and were desperate to get home
2. It's a performance/race engine. I wouldn't want to risk blocking any waterways
3. If you do get air in the system it's a sod to get out sometimes. I wouldn't want radweld blockages where the highest point is, by the bleed points.