Engine on my Case 580C Backhoe puked

[Tom]

While I was using my backhoe to prepare a garden yesterday I noticed that the coolant temp was a bit high. After I parked I found a copious amount of grey goo oozing from the front main seal. Radiator is empty and the crank case is full of grey goo. This engine had been rebuilt about 100 hours ago (and about 3 years) before I bought it. A leaking liner was the reason for the rebuild and it looks like it is doing it again.

My question, has anyone used a product like barz leaks or some such coolant stop leak to fix this kind of problem with any success. I am really stuck for $ right now and am still trying to complete our home and a good temp fix would save my bacon.

[M61hops]

Bummer!  I don't have personal experience with stop leak in these motors but if you want to try and save it you should flush the crankcase with clean oil pronto as anti-freeze eats bearing metal fast.  You could try 3 times the normal dose of stop-leak and fill the cooling system with plain rain water and don't let the system build up any pressure.  You've got nothing to lose.  Good luck!  Leland

[tiger]

Hi:
I've had good luck with a product called ALUMASEAL. It is aluminum filings placed in coolant system, it collects at the leak point and seals it up! On two  occasions lasted a couple of years. One was a Peugeot diesel the other a IH Scout I used fresh anti freez when I used it. I just found a tube, Alumaseal Corporation Scotsdale Arizona USA. Instructions Pour into radiator after engine is cool, add coolant to proper level and drive. This tube must be 10 years old, It was available at any auto parts store, gas station ,ect.
Good Luck, I hope this helps.
 Tiger sends

[Tom]

m61hops, Thanks for the heads up on the anti-freeze. I'll drain and flush asap!

Tiger, the Alumaseal worked on my IH Scout too. In my case it was a new freeze plug that had a small drip. Been good for 8 years now. My experiances with Alumaseal for radiators and some other parts has not been so good.

I've also had good luck with Bars leaks, put it in an old forklift that had water in the exhaust manifold and crankcase. It sealed it right up and it was still smoking along years later. I'm thinking this might be the best product, but if anyone has used something better for this type of leak please let me know.

[M61hops]

Hi again Tom; Alumaseal is about the only stop leak I've ever used mostly because it is not supposed to clog heater cores and other small passages, it's always worked well for me.  That being it's reputation I'm not sure if it's the best for this application.  This is one of those situations where I'd really like to hear from someone who has actually had this exact experience and hear what worked for them.  Maybe a more gloppy sealer like Barrs leaks would seal better for an application like this?  Or how about egg whites?  Lets hope somebody with years of field experience (such as mobile bob has had) has solved this problem in his 580?                        Leland

[blacksea7]

Tom,
I'd bet your sleeved engine lost the O ring at the base of the liner... dry liners can't leak.. at any rate, there's one fix.. take it apart and start over... What a bummer... not enough hours to warrant this issue... someone screwed up and I'd bet the case wasn't bored and sleeved down below and water pits from, the previous issue were the cause.

[oliver90owner]

I go with  Blacksea7. It would be too expensive any other way if it continues to leak.  May already be too late for the crank bearings but the crank may be OK as long as it is checked out/put right NOW.  I would suggest you remove the sump pan, refill with water, presurise the cooling system and look for the leak.  As blacksea7 says - probably a liner seal.

Yesterdays tractors forums is a good place for info on this engine.

Regards, RAB

[Tom]

I treated it a while back with Bars Leaks block sealer. It has a fiber material in it and sealed it right up. So far so good no leaks for about a month now. I drained the oil and replaced the filter. So far so good.

[blacksea7]

Bars... I wonder how many leaks have been plugged by this stuff....... in all honesty, it's about as good as it gets without a major tear down... and here I am, taught and trained to do it right... forgot about the stuff.

[MeanListerGreen]

My car started leaking coolant out of the front of the engine some where, so I went to the parts store and looked at the various stop leaks.  Bars has several from cheap to expensive.  I chose one in between.  It was a complicated application.  It was not compatable with anti freeze so I had to drain and flush the system.  Then mix the solution in a gallon of water and dump in the radiator, fill, then run the car to operating temp with the heater on, let cool, repeat, etc.  Took most of the day to complete the process.  A week later coolant is running out of the front of the engine again.  I got some Aluma Seal, dumped it in the resevoir when cold, no leaks for a week then it was back.  I'm going to get about 5 more tubes of Aluma Seal and dump them all in.  If that doesn't work then I'll pull the head and try and see where the leak is.  I just hate to spend all that money on fuel driving my truck while my car is out of service.  My experience with the stop leaks is that the $1.99 one worked as long as the $10.00 one and was much more simple to apply.

[oliver90owner]

I just hate to spend all that money on fuel driving my truck

It will cost a great deal more if you destroy the engine.

RAB

[Tom]

You've probably got a leaking freeze plug and in that case only replacing it will work.