I knew I should have........ Please Don't make my mistake.

[DadofThree]

I knew I should have done it, but I didn't! Stupid me!!

Well. I knew I should have put gasket sealant when replacing the freeze plugs! I didn't at the time that I did it, but I did read about it while the motor was still in the stand. But I had just painted it (my pathetic excuse). I'm sure it will be fine, blah, blah, blah!

I pressure tested the cooling system today, and ready to give it a drive this week!! But instead, I found a water spot under the motor. It's coming from the freeze plugs that I replaced and didn't put sealant with the plug. Now I need to redo, all because of my laziness. It looks like I'm going to need to pull the motor to do it correct! One of them are between the motor mount bolts into the block.

Please don't do what I did. Take the extra step everytime you have the chance. Learn from my mistake. I feel like such a dumba$$. Frustrated with myself and embarrassed.

What's your "I knew I should have" that we can learn from you?

Dave

[Gumball]

Or you could just add a couple of the stop-leak tablets to the cooling system. I have a friend who builds very expensive race engines for vintage cars and he says that every engine gets a couple of them when it's on the dyno to ensure no leaks.

Some will say that using them is a half-a$$ way to seal the engine, but I trust this guy and have seen his engines at work on the track.

[NAZ]

I'm not a fan of "mechanic in a can" solutions and most are nothing but snake oil. However, there are very good stop leak products out there that do work and I've never experienced any issues with using the better brands. I used to race motorcycles and have bought a couple of new race bikes that came from the factory with a special mixture of radiator stop leak you were to use before the first start. Looked like Bar's Leak but was supposed to be something special the factory teams used. So I'm with Gumball on this one -- use a good stop leak / head gasket sealer and save yourself some trouble.

[UnhipPopano]

Dave, I must have missed something. Are you claiming these titles based on a long history of repeating the same mistakes or ignoring the leaks?

[mikeinatlanta]

Or you could just add a couple of the stop-leak tablets to the cooling system. I have a friend who builds very expensive race engines for vintage cars and he says that every engine gets a couple of them when it's on the dyno to ensure no leaks.

Some will say that using them is a half-a$$ way to seal the engine, but I trust this guy and have seen his engines at work on the track.

Ditto

As far as should have? For me, should have capped hp at 500.

[CraigS]

I will be a 3rd on a stop leak. Unfortunately I don't have enough experience in the last 10 yrs to offer a recommendation. But back in the day my brother and I and a lot of our friends used them extensively on our old worn out rides.

[DadofThree]

Thank you for the replies. I also posted this on the "other forum" and the recommendations were the same. I'll post update when i have one.

[FormulaGod]

Please don't do what I did. Take the extra step everytime you have the chance.
Dave

Not an extra step, a required step!

[first time builder]

Interesting read:
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/i...topic=303258.0

I purchased a crate GM engine about 12 yrs ago and came with Tabs inside engine behind water pump.
Kenny

[R Thomas]

Posts like this one that disclose errors made in prep are among the most valuable ones in the site. Thanks for bringing this up as anyone using a rebuilt or used motor should learn and benefit from it. Best of luck with going forward and in case you haven't pulled the motor there are freeze plugs that use O-rings and nut to tighten that would go in under your motor mount. They are a stop gap so if you just want a bit of testing and will be able to pull the motor later like when the body goes to paint that might save you the extra work in the short term. I wouldn't use them as a permanent fix but in a stop gap situation may be ok.

[turbomacncheese]

Didn't you see the thread where I cleaned and painted bent lateral links? Never got passed shocks in my previous suspension wrenching and I thought they just had a special "Subaru Curve."