Radiator top has crack and spill under pressure can I use cold weld??

[Soravia]

I just got my S-13 KA out and driving and now the top of the radiator has a line of crack on front. I never noticed it since we never ran the engine out on the road. Is there something I can use to fix it for now till I get a new replacement? Can I use cold weld? The top looks like plastic (I'm not sure). I'm not going to be driving it but it needs to drive reliably (even if slow) from A to B when it gets parts or repairs such as alignment.

Thanks

[Morph]

How bad is it leaking? How big is the crack? Got pics? If its not overheating you should be able to patch it for the time being.

[Soravia]

I haven't got pics but it's 2-3 inches long straight line right in front of the IN pipe at top. I think it was originally a plastic bond seam (not sure).

I just sanded the plastic and put up some cold-Weld underwater type thing. Metallic Epoxy that requires kneading. If that thing doesn't stick, which I don't think it does. I'll glue it on the plastic with something after it hardens to a mold.

[Soravia]

I think I fixed the radiator top plastic crack. Snading it and covering with a 1mm thick amount of Cold-weld (steel mixed) did the job. I haven't seen any leak. I put on a replacement resovior tank (generic replacement) too.

But now I see white smoke coming out of the exhaust at regular pace, not too much but quite a bit. Is my head gasket blown? How much does it typically cost on labor? Do you think I might be able to do it one person? I have place, equipment and people who can guide me but I'll have to do it during after hours.

[Chezedik]

They make a special patch for this, it is 7 bux and available at virtually any parts store. If this doesn't fix it, ask for the radiator (plastic) tank repair kit.

[Soravia]

The one I used was Cargo SteelMix and came in a tube.

[Chezedik]

As long as it holds, call it good.

[Morph]

Replacing the hg isn't too hard. I did it on my sr in my grandparents garage, took me about 2 weeks of an hour or two here and there. Just keep track of everything and use the fsm, helps a lot.

[Soravia]

It wasn't smoking anymore this morning and noon when I drove around for a few minutes. I saw some smoke when I first started the engine this evening but I don't think it was anything other than the engine not starting smoothly.The guy at the warehouse also said there's no white stuff in the oil so it should be fine.That really takes a load off my chest.I saw another very tiny leak next to the crack I fixed so I sanded it and put a generous amount of Cargo SteelMix over it. It should be fixed by tomorrow morning. Next step is to replace the Thermostat this Sunday.

If it needs something like gasket or ring I think I'll just replace it myself. It's better for money ^_^. Thanks for the advise.
Modified by Soravia at 7:20 PM 4/30/2007

[Soravia]

I think I figured out the smoke. It comes out only after the engine got hot enough. I have a cone air-filter that's sitting right off the stock air-pipe in the engine compartment. (Stock housing got busted). It might be getting hot and drawing less air than needed. I have an OBX knock-off w/o heat shield too. (has wraps on it though)

[Chezedik]

Do what?!?!

[Soravia]

The oil is clean (just like when I put it in 100 miles ago) there's no white stuff and black for oil burning. there's no oil in the tube that runs from valve cover to the air intake. The ERG is gone and all those tiny hoses are tied up. I also have the other hole into the air intake from the box behind radiator on passenger side plugged up.The smoke comes out only after the engine has ran for a while. So I'm assuming it's the air intake?

[Chezedik]

I have been doing a lot with cars and have NEVER seen an intake smoke, unless you have something really weird going on, I wouldn't count it.

EDIT: unless you mean smoke from the crankcase tube.

[Soravia]

No the smoke comes out of the exhaust. I just can't figure it out since it's not oil nor coolent. So I'm blaming that my intake has issues. ^_^; I don't really know though. I had an oil eating Excel before and this is nothing like it.

[Chezedik]

I still don't understand what you mean by intake, do you maybe mean intake mani?

[Soravia]

Yes, the air intake manifold and the air duct going to it. Can there be something getting into it and causing the engine to smoke after a while?Right now I have very few things connected on my car. No A/C, no ERG. The Oxygen Sensor has been replaced. The feed back pipe from exhaust to the back of the engine is also cut off and the hole on down pipes are welded. Do I need to close it? I think it's still left open.

[Chezedik]

If it is not oil and not coolant (i.e. not blue smoke or sweet smelling white smoke) is it maybe a nasty smelling black smoke. That is, you are running too rich? Especially removing the EGR, there may be times where you are running richer (proportionately) than you were before.

If you have a hole in the exhaust it can cause an overly rich condition if it is close enough to the O2 sensor. This is because between cyl pulses the exhaust pulses will pass over it, and through the venturi effect will cause a lower than atmospheric pressure, which will allow air into that hole. This will trick the O2 into thinking you are running lean, and richening the mixture. Depending on the size of the hole, it may be so little that it will not throw a code for EGO.

[Soravia]

2 holes in my exhaust are welded shut. (If the shop did it properly). The smoke DOES smell like crap. I'll try if closing the pipe that goes back into back of engine helps.The thing is it takes a while for this to happen so it's hard to work on it unless the car has been driven hard for 20 mins or so.

[Chezedik]

Okay, sounds like you are running rich. It seems likely that the ECU is running on the tables rather than looking for lambda correction (ignoring the O2 sensor). This happens when the car runs at WOT, or pretty close to it. It sounds equally likely that the cat has been poisoned with sulfur and is either overheating (possible misfire or other overfueling issue) or is close to clogging and is getting hot for that reason.

Long story short, you can pop the cat, and the nasty smell will go away, but it will then smell like fuel. Or you can find the cause of the overfueling, looking specifically for ignition related misfires and replacing the cat.

[Soravia]

Don't tell anyone but I have no Catalyst Converter. ^_^;

[S3t0_S13]

bit late but u can try taking the tobacco out of a a cigarettes and dropping a few leaves into your radiator while its running, if the holes are that size, the tobacco leaf will expand and cover the hole, shiznt, i ran like that for a few weeks, with at least 5-6 holes in my raddy, kept fillin water in, but that fixed it till i got my KOYO , o ya, and make sure 2 teh flush that crap out

i know........redneck fix ftw

[Chezedik]

Well if you have no cat, then I am guessing you are smelling fuel? Or how would you describe the smell?

BTW, I think I have heard something similar to tobacco. I thought it was coffee grounds. In an case, Bars Leak makes a product for it.

[S3t0_S13]

coffee ground huh??

well u can drink your radiator fluid after you flush it!

[Soravia]

It smells slimiar to that smell you get from the heat-wraps on the exhaust. Only now that the smell is not from the engine bay but the exhaust.Is there anyway I can check if my CO2 sensor isn't working? Maybe the new one got fried when we were adjusting Timing (that was one long hell)Or maybe I just suck at hooking the wires back. I'm sure I plugged into the original plug with bell rubber connector.

Tomorrow evening I'll go to ACE and get PVC hoses to take my cone air-filter out of the engine bay. The thing also has a hole in it that was supposed to go to ERG unit. I've already washed the air-filter so it shouldn't be the cause.
Modified by Soravia at 8:45 PM 5/4/2007

[Chezedik]

Do you have a multimeter? If you do, then you can do two tests. First, set it for min/max (VAC) and check minimum and maximum voltages to check and make sure that the O2 is jumping across it's band (about .25-.65v, that is why they are called narrowband). Or the ECU is purported to have a test that will tell you if it is running rich or lean, and if it stays pegged, you either have a mechanical failure or a bad O2. But I prefer the first method, as it tests the sensor and not the rest of the system.

Adjusting timing is not likely to cause an O2 failure. You can overtighten it or run pig rich to coat it in carbon. Or it will just wear out over time. You can also drop it. Not much else you can do to ruin it.

It doesn't matter if you have the original plug, it was just to keep moisture out. I usually use a universal sensor and wire it in, since it is the same thing with a different connector.

What has a hole that is supposed to go to the EGR, the exhaust mani? If that is not plugged that will cause a serious over-rich condition.

Finally, washing the air filter absolutely could be the cause. Use some air intake cleaner (not carb cleaner) on the hot wire of the MAFS. Sometimes (and don't feel bad, it is INCREDIBLY common) people will over-oil the K&Ns and that oil will coat the hot wire of the MAF and cause it to read incorrectly or fail. I have even killed an MAF that way myself.

Check that stuff and get back to us.

[Soravia]

I haven't got a Multi-Meter so I'll have to wait until later.I did change the air filter though, since the ones I had were probably busted long before I got them, and I made it worse.I still hear the pop noise from down pipe especially around the 2nd gear up switch. (around 2,000 - 3,000 rev) Sometimes the car will jerk from the engine not accelerating. I haven't got around to making smoke yet. I need to drive up for a while to make them come out.

This is the engine bay of my car. 100% Getto.

This is the location of the pipe I cut off during engine swap.



Close up shot.

[Chezedik]

That pipe, is that for the EGR? I hope that you have at least removed the vacuum line going to it? You need to get a block off plate.

Any and all unnecessary/unused vacuum lines should be removed, and capped or blocked off.

You need to find a stock coolant reservior. I am surprised this has not already caused you an overheating problem.

Your header wrap job looks nice, though.

[Soravia]

Do I just block that pipe or do I put in an EGR Block Off Plate from ebay, which requires me to remove the unit.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...wItem

[Chezedik]

Yeah, you can use that with a gasket, and you are good. That will fix it for you, and will fix the intake mani leak that it causes.

[Soravia]

OK, I got the block-off plate in today and tried to remove the EGR top unit from intake manifold.It's a 2 piece and I managed to remove only the top piece. the bottom piece (which gets feed back from exhaust) has three bolt and only 2 would come out. The inner bolt is so much inside the intake manifold I couldn't get to it even with twist rachet or small 12mm wrench. Got any idea how it can be removed w/o taking off the intake manifold?

I managed to block all the vaccum hoses by using caps. I block them at the front as well. One larger hose up the front was sucking in air like crazy.As for the pipe back from exhaust which has been cut open, I taped it with masking tape and it holds.

The engine having 'Hiccups' under acceleration seems to have lessened, not really sure yet since I don't want to drive my loud car at night while cops are prowling the streets. I felt a bit 'Hiccup' on shift up to 3rd while at 2K rev. Maybe it was low rpm. I'll try to drive some more tomorrow and see how it is.

Off topic, I got 2 new KUMHO 195/55/15 Ecsta Sport tires for $50 a piece (no tax) for my girl's Cavalier. Tirerack sells them for $62 a piece + S&Hhttp://www.tirerack.com/tires/...ing=Y