1938 Fargo Pickup.

Someguy

we can only hope expert advice is correct. I think we all have regretted this at some stage.

I always use Wynns Radiator stop leak. It looks just like green watery anti-freeze and not full of solids or a thick liquid. I have had wonderful results on quite big leaks but on disassembly you would never know there had been anything in the system ie no coating or sludge. I am sure there are other products just as good.

I am always pretty wary when told "that is a common problem". They built millions of these flat six engines over a 30 year period and certainly would not have been just rolling out product year after year with a "common problem". A new weeping plug only has one cause, bad fitting or if the hole is a bit corroded or irregular wrong sealant.

Anyhow the horse has bolted on you so do your best to clean it out. Having had many of those Dodge engines I know they can take a lot of misuse and still come up smiling.

You do really nice work, I wish my rough efforts looked half as neat and clean..

Lang

I appreciate your concern guys, I had some red flags also when I was told it was a common problem.

We have (in cold climates) block heater elements that o ring seal and bolt into a frost plug opening in the block.
I am most likely going to do this as the repair. I left the truck out in -20 and it had no issues, firing up ice cold.

Can't wait to see that option before and after installing. I have heard of these block heaters and even a mat to go under the battery but never seen them. Might be because where I live it just not get that cold very often.

cobbadog wrote:

Might be because where I live it just not get that cold very often.

I have seen 2 light frosts in the last 2 years and had to go down into the gully to see them, I have never experienced snow and no desire to do so.

SomeGuy, thanks for showing the tail light bracket, it has given me an idea on how to mount my lights. (I bought an unfinished project and never saw the original set up).

If you go way back in the forum thread there was the restoration of a Dennis fir engine in Darwin. It had a heater element in the sump - this design was not so much about frost protection but to keep the engine and oil warm so that on a call the firies could go top speed from the get go.

Same with a lot of standby generators in hospitals. already at operating temp can go straight to full load no warm up needed,carted asphalt to strenghten brisbane runway when 747 s first come to brisbane and the fire trucks were plugged in with a cord with a chain on it, so that they just jumped in drove away and it pulled out the socket. it kept water at temp, warmed the oil kept batteries charged they told me, also carted asphalt to ammberly when f 111 s came to town different story there not allowed away from trucks , trucks searhed for cameras when you went in, there was a jet engine on a stand think it was for a f 111 couldnt get over how big it was , but very young and impreshinable then lol

Here are a few things we have to deal with in the cold. Even my old Volkswagen has a block heater.

KelOz is right, the plant I work at has a main standby generator that is at operating temp regardless of outside temp.
(last Month it hit -37 for a couple days and the generator was hot to the touch).

I call winter 'putting life on pause for 5 months, it sucks more as I get older.

Years ago, on a trip to Adelaide main Fire Station, the appliances there were plugged in to the back wall with what looked like heavy duty suzie coils with a steel wire leash on them. They told us that they too, were to keep the engines at temperature and they just pulled out when the appliance drove out the door and recoiled.

I'm glad I live in a slightly warmer climate. I have never seen a vehicle with a block heater. I would rather have a ME cooler for hot weather. Have air conditioning in the house and the two "modern" cars. Am thinking about fitting it to restored oldies as well!

Am re-assembling motor of my Ute and will fit taps to water hoses of heater because being a Pommy designed vehicle there is no way to stop hot water flowing through the heater. I do not need that when temperature is in the thirties (plus 30 Celcius for those of you who see snow)