Re: Suspected engine problem
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:14 am
Pepper is better. You know, the cheap stuff that comes in a small plastic cylinder that you buy in a corner store that looks like a fine powder? Unlike "Barr's Leak" that takes a few seconds to find and plug the hole and lasts maybe one trip ~ fine pepper stops the coolant leak immediately and might even last for six trips. Never tried it on something like a bullet hole, mind.I doubt it would be any use on anything as large as a bullet-hole, but egg will work to stop leaks in a coolant system, this is an EXTREMELY short term solution though, more just a way to get you out of the bush and to a mechanic, not a long term solution in the least.
Firstly, I am a painter.
If I were to find a crack in an engine block I would recommend pulling the engine and stripping it down to the block. I would take various solvents to clean the surface of the block. I would then start by priming the block with a durable paint that would hold to the block. Next I would use a good ground colour made up of Raw Sienna; Venetian Red; Raw Umber with maybe a little Green to "knock it back" a little. By now I have established exactly where the crack is on the block. Knowing this I would take a deep Charcoal Grey and trace the crack with a fine brush and embellish the crack with more lines, making sure never to have the lines running in either 90 degrees, 45 degrees, or horizontal; sufficiently covering the block surface but without too many lines ~ and let it dry. Having achieved this I would then create a palette of Raw Umber; a light Brick Red; the original Ground Colour and clear extended Alkyd Glaze. I would use a small roller to spread the Clear Glaze out in small areas and taking a Sea Sponge, lightly dipping it into the various colours on my palette and create a "drifting pattern", contrary to the direction of the above painted lines. As the new pattern is "setting up" but before it gets "tacky" I would caressingly apply a Badger Brush to lightly blend the various coloured patterns, now on the engine block ~ then let it dry. I would repeat this procedure, creating a sense of depth. Next; I would go back over the original lines, that can now be seen like ghosts underneath the last two pattern procedures, with a Dagger Tool, using the Charcoal Grey with the Clear Alkyd Glaze so it lightly skips, leaving gaps in places and causing irregularities in the width of the new lines I am painting and again caressing the lines with a Badger Brush in one direction. This is called "Veining". Once this has dried I would give it a few coats of Clear Satin Exterior Urethane ~ letting them dry between coats and lightly sanding between coats. Having made a plywood base to mount the engine block onto, with small holes drilled under each of the four cylinders, I would add an earth base about two inches deep, followed by an inch of manure and then fill the rest of the cylinders to the top with earth. Then I would plant four of my favourite flowers, one in each of the cylinders. Now I have a unique piece of living art sitting on my garden wall!
Next, go through and catalogue the usable engine parts to use as spares for the new engine that is now already on order.
Falco.