"Stop Leak" Coolant Additive. Which one?

[Fix4Dirt]

coolant has a higher density than air, so it will find the lowest point possible (providing it doesnt have to flow up), thus displacing the air that was previously there and taking the space up, and the air will come out of the fill. similairly to if you fill a cup halfway with water and drop... say... a bolt in, the bolt sinks to the bottom, the water level rises, and some of the air at the top of the cup is now displaced and is no longer in the cup. the change in that is the vol of the bolt. if you put 100ml of coolant, 100ml worth of air will leave. and imo even if it aint the main culprit of this leak, its still a leak/crack, which imo i would change, is there a PYP near you? i forgot hwo much mine charged for a rad, but it wasnt bad. just flush it out

 

[98FordLove]

coolant has a higher density than air, so it will find the lowest point possible (providing it doesnt have to flow up), thus displacing the air that was previously there and taking the space up, and the air will come out of the fill. similairly to if you fill a cup halfway with water and drop... say... a bolt in, the bolt sinks to the bottom, the water level rises, and some of the air at the top of the cup is now displaced and is no longer in the cup. the change in that is the vol of the bolt. if you put 100ml of coolant, 100ml worth of air will leave. and imo even if it aint the main culprit of this leak, its still a leak/crack, which imo i would change, is there a PYP near you? i forgot hwo much mine charged for a rad, but it wasnt bad. just flush it out

Thanks. Oh I get it now. So coolant will get to the bottom over air because it's heavier. I never knew that air from a cooling system can still escape without having to remove the rad cap. But I think you mean small air bubbles. Huge air pockets I can't see how they would be able to escape if the rad cap wasn't taken off. So for smaller air bubbles the rad just releases the air into the overflow res. Never heard of PYP but I'm in Canada and will see if we have any. That one rad from that online store I posted I inquired. For $162 that's a good price as long as the rad is decent quality.

Darn I should have considered getting the rad change last week when I had the belt done and front crank done since the rad was already out. I would imagine it's not a big job to replace anyway.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Thanks. Oh I get it now. So coolant will get to the bottom over air because it's heavier. I never knew that air from a cooling system can still escape without having to remove the rad cap. But I think you mean small air bubbles. Huge air pockets I can't see how they would be able to escape if the rad cap wasn't taken off. So for smaller air bubbles the rad just releases the air into the overflow res. Never heard of PYP but I'm in Canada and will see if we have any. That one rad from that online store I posted I inquired. For $162 that's a good price as long as the rad is decent quality.

Darn I should have considered getting the rad change last week when I had the belt done and front crank done since the rad was already out. I would imagine it's not a big job to replace anyway.

thats my understanding at least. air finds the highest point to vent from, so i assume if the overflow tank cap is open, it would come out. or the rad cap, either or. PYP is a pick your part, or any interchangable junkyard. and for 162, yeah cant beat it cause its new. iirc radiators were 70 usd at my local PYP, and then flush it with some water and chemical for another 10 bucks, for a 80 usd total. but it aint new. i would advise new, but if money is tight, i get it, used aint suepr bad too.

 

[98FordLove]

thats my understanding at least. air finds the highest point to vent from, so i assume if the overflow tank cap is open, it would come out. or the rad cap, either or. PYP is a pick your part, or any interchangable junkyard. and for 162, yeah cant beat it cause its new. iirc radiators were 70 usd at my local PYP, and then flush it with some water and chemical for another 10 bucks, for a 80 usd total. but it aint new. i would advise new, but if money is tight, i get it, used aint suepr bad too.

I see. Aren't overflow tanks usually sealed though? We have a pick and pull but it's like 40min drive from me and you have to go pull it. I figure if I'm paying a mech to do this I may be better just buying new third party. Im wondering if I could just get someone to fix the crack too with JB weld if I can't get a hold of the $162 on I posted or if it's junk.

We have a bunch of places that sell rebuilt alternators and starters and I've with them before and had good things to say about them. Will see if there's a place who sells rebuilt rads.

 

[Lee's Automotive]

I see. Aren't overflow tanks usually sealed though? We have a pick and pull but it's like 40min drive from me and you have to go pull it. I figure if I'm paying a mech to do this I may be better just buying new third party. Im wondering if I could just get someone to fix the crack too with JB weld if I can't get a hold of the $162 on I posted or if it's junk.

We have a bunch of places that sell rebuilt alternators and starters and I've with them before and had good things to say about them. Will see if there's a place who sells rebuilt rads.

Honestly just replace it yourself it's way easier and cheaper in the long run

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I see. Aren't overflow tanks usually sealed though? We have a pick and pull but it's like 40min drive from me and you have to go pull it. I figure if I'm paying a mech to do this I may be better just buying new third party. Im wondering if I could just get someone to fix the crack too with JB weld if I can't get a hold of the $162 on I posted or if it's junk.

We have a bunch of places that sell rebuilt alternators and starters and I've with them before and had good things to say about them. Will see if there's a place who sells rebuilt rads.

overflow is sealed, but you do have to eventauyll open it up to let stuff out, and also wherever you pour it in will let some air out, just like chugging soda pop, air fills the space once occupied by pop. if in theory it was completely sealed, then yes it wouldnt leave the system,, but it also wouldnt really accept coolant either if it couldnt be displaced

 

[98FordLove]

overflow is sealed, but you do have to eventauyll open it up to let stuff out, and also wherever you pour it in will let some air out, just like chugging soda pop, air fills the space once occupied by pop. if in theory it was completely sealed, then yes it wouldnt leave the system,, but it also wouldnt really accept coolant either if it couldnt be displaced

Thanks. Is there a such thing as filling the rad neck too high with coolant? Because sometimes I pop the rad cap off and coolant comes overowing from out of it. Basically you should be able to see the coolant level when you pop the cap off right?

 

[98FordLove]

Rock auto may be the best place to get one. About $290cdn with shipping shipping is more than half the cost of the rad itself. I called a local store and they wanted $989 lol. Ya.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Thanks. Is there a such thing as filling the rad neck too high with coolant? Because sometimes I pop the rad cap off and coolant comes overowing from out of it. Basically you should be able to see the coolant level when you pop the cap off right?

ive always filled mine into the resevoir, never paid attention to where it is in the rad. i just pop the cap off as a vent (my new one has this pressure release thing, so now i just lift the flap), and fill to the line in the resevoir. prety sure the manual said to add it straight too the tank, not the rad itself.

 

[98FordLove]

ive always filled mine into the resevoir, never paid attention to where it is in the rad. i just pop the cap off as a vent (my new one has this pressure release thing, so now i just lift the flap), and fill to the line in the resevoir. prety sure the manual said to add it straight too the tank, not the rad itself.

Oh interesting, try that. I didn't know that coolant from the res goes into the rad as quick. I'm worried I'm going to wear out my rad cap and cause it to go bad sooner than it should be from all the removing I'm doing on it.

What res cap do you have? Mine is a flap too. I checked mine and notice a few bubbles. maybe my head's are leaking. Is this normal? There was a bit of scalebuild on the inside of the flap too.

iAlso I don't even know where the max line is.
think I have too much? I never see this level drop, I wonder if my pipe to it is clogged. Going by my other car the level should drop when you run the car and it will increase when you shut off?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

mine looks like this. it should be up to the cold fill line providing the motor is cold. if its running and theres bubbles, thatmay point to head gasket.

 

[98FordLove]

View attachment 429888mine looks like this. it should be up to the cold fill line providing the motor is cold. if its running and theres bubbles, thatmay point to head gasket.

That's nice. Never seen one like that. So you basically don't have to unscrew it each time, should save wear. I let the truck run for 15mins with the res lid open and no more bubbles in the res. So it likely have tiny air bubbles in the system. I always thought that the best way to check coolant level is from the rad neck and when cold?

 

[98FordLove]

I found it. I wonder why it would say to not add to the rad but instead go the res. Any ideas why?

My level in the res never ever changes, not even by a mm.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

ill be honest, im not entirely sure. probably something to do with precisionn and the fact that the rad being full does not indicate the resi is full, as the level in there shoudl fluctuate with heat, providing the the system is operating correctly and excess can be sent to the resi, and taken out as needed. i kind of wonder if the cap is bad on yours if it doesnt change, some of the symptoms are consistent. from a quick google Symptoms of a bad radiator cap [How to test and Fixes] | Rx Mechanic

 

[98FordLove]

ill be honest, im not entirely sure. probably something to do with precisionn and the fact that the rad being full does not indicate the resi is full, as the level in there shoudl fluctuate with heat, providing the the system is operating correctly and excess can be sent to the resi, and taken out as needed. i kind of wonder if the cap is bad on yours if it doesnt change, some of the symptoms are consistent. from a quick google Symptoms of a bad radiator cap [How to test and Fixes] | Rx Mechanic

I could get another cap and one like yours but I got this new cap a year ago thinking that was my easy cheap folix but it wasn't. But thats not to say that the one I have now is any good. All this removing of the rad cap I'm going to make it eventually go bad. It's not normal for anyone to pop their rad cap off daily lol.

Does your cap need to be unscrewed to open it up or does it stay latched onto the res? It looks like it's for the rad though. And I think 16PSI is what's required for these trucks.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I could get another cap and one like yours but I got this new cap a year ago thinking that was my easy cheap folix but it wasn't. But thats not to say that the one I have now is any good. All this removing of the rad cap I'm going to make it eventually go bad. It's not normal for anyone to pop their rad cap off daily lol.

Does your cap need to be unscrewed to open it up or does it stay latched onto the res? It looks like it's for the rad though. And I think 16PSI is what's required for these trucks.

lol! to open the vent latch thing, it doesnt need to be opened, just flip it up! its for the rad, the res just has that lid. not sure what the spec is, i ust got it on rockauto when i ordered a blowr motor and other stuff.

 

[98FordLove]

lol! to open the vent latch thing, it doesnt need to be opened, just flip it up! its for the rad, the res just has that lid. not sure what the spec is, i ust got it on rockauto when i ordered a blowr motor and other stuff.

Oh I thought that was going on the res. That makes sense, I'll order one thanks. $20 Canadian can't beat it. At least it won't wear out as fast as standard caps. Smart design. I just don't get how my coolant level never drops or goes up in my res when I have the truck on and off. I know for sure it's not blocked because I remember putting in leftover k seal in the res over a year ago and after a couple drives the content color changed so it did mix with the rad.

I know last year when I first discovered that I had a coolant leak, I got to a point where it ran on. O coolant and the rad and the res we're both bone dry. I ended up putting a whole jug of coolant in it. But then I discovered k seal and it patched it right away.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

usually a stuck coolant level has somethin to do with the rad cap... i think? not allowing it to flow back anf forth. but interesting that it still mixed, without it rising or lowering.

 

[Lee's Automotive]

usually a stuck coolant level has somethin to do with the rad cap... i think? not allowing it to flow back anf forth. but interesting that it still mixed, without it rising or lowering.

Did they have that cap from factory?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Did they have that cap from factory?

i dont think so? iirc they just came with the standard cap looking ones, not the cap with latch looking ones i phrased that horribly