Using K&W Block Seal To Repair Your Car Engine
Your engine is under a lot of pressure and heat. The combustion process of air/fuel is intensive and causes your engine block or radiator to develop leaks. When this happens, you will have the coolant sipping to the engine or leaks in the radiator will cause your engine to overheat constantly.
If the problem is not solved immediately, you will incur serious repairs or in the worst-case scenario complete engine failure. One of the first symptoms of your coolant leaking is a thick white smoke from your exhaust.
The smoke has a sweaty smell due to the coolant leakages. You may also experience bubbles in your radiator or a milky substance covering your dipstick or oil cap.
To Help Block Some of These Leaks We Have the K & W Block Seal
How to Use K&W Block Seal
You may be wondering what is K&W block seal? This is a chemical compound that when used for your engine block and radiator leaks acts as a permanent bond. The material can be used for iron and aluminum block leaks.
K&W block seal should not be added to your oil or fuel system. While draining the anti-freeze and radiator liquid, ensure you follow safe disposal practices prescribed by local authorities.
To get started read the instructions on the product surface.
- First, drain your car’s anti-freeze as the sodium silicate compounds found in K&W can react with your anti-freeze liquid.
- Remove the radiator cap and thermostat but leave the thermostat housing. Switch on your engine and let it idle for a few minutes; once done drain the liquid in the radiator.
- Your radiator system is now empty of water but you need to ensure there is not anti-freeze compounds left in the system. Refill your radiator again and let the engine run for a few minutes. This clears out the remaining anti-freeze liquid from the system.
- The point is to ensure the radiator water has a clear color devoid of anti-freeze compounds.
- Before pouring the contents of K&W to your engine block, you may want to disable the fuel injection to cylinders contaminated with a whitish substance.
- Shake the K&W block seal well, and mix it with three quartz of warm water. The mixture is then added to the radiator, top off the remainder with some water.
- Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes.
- You will need to monitor the temperature gauge on your dashboard closely. If the engine temperature keeps rising then you need to turn it off, let it cool and restart the engine again.
- Let the engine continue running for around 30 to 40 minutes. Do not rev it.
- You can let the K&W block seal to remain in your cooling system for the next 24 hours before you flush it out.
- Reinstall some of the components you had removed, like the radiator cap, and refill your coolant reservoir with fresh liquid.
- Next, drive the car while being on the lookout for any potential leaks. If your engine temperature gauge keeps rising, then know your leaks are large and may need mechanical help.
Symptoms of Engine Block Cracks
Engine overheating
One of the benefits of using anti-freeze as a coolant as opposed to water is that it has a high boiling point and won’t freeze when exposed to extreme cold weather. The engine combustion process produces a lot of heat.
Most of it is dissipated through the exhaust system while the rest is through the cooling system. Cool anti-freeze liquid will first flow from the radiator to the engine block hence cooling it. It will return to the radiator hot.
The radiator has a system of air vents that will cool this hot coolant and re-circulating it to the engine block. This process is continuous hence keeping the engine operating at optimal temperatures.
When you have an anti-freeze leak, the coolant cannot do its job effectively, leading to overheating. When not solved immediately, engine overheating will destroy most of your parts and may lead to an overhaul.
Check For Engine Smoke
When you have a crack in the engine block, you will see smoke coming out of your exhaust system. The type of smoke determines the source of the problem. Most of the time we see white smoke from the exhaust it is the normal condensation.
However, if the smoke persists as you continue driving the car and has a sweet smell, then the antifreeze will leak to the engine block. Oil can also leak into the combustion chambers leading to a bluish smoke.
Poor Engine Performance
If your car is constantly overheating, you will see a reduction in engine performance. The crack in the engine will most probably lead to low compression, which affects performance. You can have your engine checked by a certified mechanic, and they can either recommend repairs.
Anti-Freeze and Coolant Mixing
Lastly, if your engine is cracked, the coolant may leak to the oil system. If you find that your oil reservoir has a milky substance, then it is an indication of the anti-freeze leaking. Contaminated oil causes more engine problems as it loses its lubrication properties.
Make Sure to Check for Radiator Leaks
The other problem that the K&W Block seal solves is radiator leaks. One of the leading causes of radiator leaks is corrosion of the metallic parts. If you suspect that your radiator is leaking one of the first places to check is the coolant level.
If you notice that the coolant level drops drastically once you have had a refill, then know you have leaks in your radiator. Most coolants are either pink, orange or green in color.
You need to check underneath the car for signs of a colored liquid. The puddle should be a bright color. Coolant contains some toxic chemicals, and you should not handle it casually. The liquid can also harm the environment.
The radiator comprises small air vents used to cool down the coolant as it flows into it from the engine block. However, due to the fact it’s metallic it is subject to corrosion.
To spot signs of leaks from a corroded radiator clean it fast, then start the engine. If the leak is significant, you should see some bubbles coming from the leak. The radiator hoses are made from rubber. As you know rubber cracks when exposed to high temperatures.
You can spot leaks on the radiator hoses where it bulges or splits. You should also carefully check the connecting clamps for any signs of looseness. The clamps often get lost due to engine vibrations. Fixing your radiator leaks is a sure way to prevent your engine from overheating.
Should you repair a leaky radiator?
Check out what Scotty has to say below.
Questions & Answers
Clean The Engine Bay
Before you do any work on your engine block, it is wise to clean the whole engine bay so that you have a good idea of where the oil or coolant is coming from. Plus, it also makes it easier to work on a clean engine than on an engine full of old oil and coolant.
Conclusion
Engine cracks and radiator leaks can be catastrophic to your engine. The radiator plays a vital role in heat dissipation. It does this by circulating anti-freeze through the engine block and dissipating this heat to the radiator fins.
Here it is cooled and re-circulated back to the engine block. When the engine block has a crack the anti-freeze finds its way with the exhaust gases, and you will notice your car producing more white smoke. Engine and radiator leaks can be sealed with the famous K&W Block seal.
