water leak

[stan_deezy]

I always carry a bottle of Radweld in the car (well, at the moment it's Halfrauds own stuff so Radweld in a different bottle then!).

The instructions go on about shaking the bottle really well and pouring into the radiator.

It also says "not suitable for Rover 825/827" and I do know that this was because the channels in the matrix in those cars are a lot smaller than normal. Some Jags also had the same problem.

Would I use it? Yes, if I was really, really, really stuck.

Why do I carry it around? Cos it was a pressie 

[Veedubgt18v]

would be better if it was cos it was a cossie..........

[stan_deezy]

would be better if it was cos it was a cossie..........

 

[Veedubgt18v]

i know its a ford buti wouldnt say no to an original tickford rs with rwd

[rubjonny]

Agreed with above, nothing wrong with radweld, people just can't read the instructions 

Yeah just because you had no problems anyone who did is obviously too stupid to follow instructions properly

I will add that it did a good job of plugging the leaks on my rad for a few months, so gave me time to get a new one.  Unfortunatly the side effect was a cold car, though it was in the summer so not all bad.

I wouldn't recommend it myself, as topping up your water for a bit then replacing the rad is alot easier than replacing the heater matrix.  Not as if a good second had rad even costs a great deal!

Edit: forgot to add the real reason I wouldn't recommend it: when I took the head off I found most of the water channels thru the head gasket were clogged up with radweld   It doesn't help that although the coolant channels in the block are quite large, the holes thru the gasket are much smaller!  After I replaced it the engine ran much cooler and heated up faster

[AudiA8Quattro]

Agreed with above, nothing wrong with radweld, people just can't read the instructions 

Yeah just because you had no problems anyone who did is obviously too stupid to follow instructions properly

I will add that it did a good job of plugging the leaks on my rad for a few months, so gave me time to get a new one.  Unfortunatly the side effect was a cold car, though it was in the summer so not all bad.

I wouldn't recommend it myself, as topping up your water for a bit then replacing the rad is alot easier than replacing the heater matrix.  Not as if a good second had rad even costs a great deal!

Edit: forgot to add the real reason I wouldn't recommend it: when I took the head off I found most of the water channels thru the head gasket were clogged up with radweld :cry:  It doesn't help that although the coolant channels in the block are quite large, the holes thru the gasket are much smaller!  After I replaced it the engine ran much cooler and heated up faster

I've used radweld in dozens of cars, never has a problem. So i must be doing something right 
If most of your water channels were clogged with radweld, how many bottles of it did you put in the coolant system? because one bottle certainly WON'T do that 

[rubjonny]

Just the one mate, though cant vouch for what happened before I got it.  My point is theres no need to imply anyone who has had problems doing this is stupid, simply because nothing went wrong when you tried it.
The fact that so many people have had issues suggests that maybe it isn't such a great idea to use radweld in a MK2 Golf, possibly because of the already fragile design of the heater matrix, who knows.

[AudiA8Quattro]

Its hardly a case of me just trying it mate though is it? i've used the stuff for years 
and yes i do believe lots of people have problems because they don't use it right, for example i always set the heater to hot when using the stuff, and never had a problem with the matrix.

[VeeDubGTI16v]

it is a bit of a bodge fix really

[AudiA8Quattro]

Its fine, but only for very small leaks, anything more and fix the problem!