aCiD

To open, yes I do have a cracked IM, just a hairline veritcally up the front of the thermostat housing (yields a very slow rate of leakage). What I'm more concerned about immediately is after removing and reattaching the 90 degree elbow that connects the top rad hose to the tstat housing, coolant has now begun to leak out around that seal.

The reason I ask is I _need_ to drive exactly 340km tomorrow in order to get the IM replaced. So I was looking for tips to repair that elbow -> tstat housing seal just long enough to make tha trip, then everything is coming off...

I know all the inherent risks with driving with leakage, etc etc... I just need some temporary solutions to this subsequent leak, so I can go get it all repaired for good!

Thanks for any suggestions!

Q: Is the only seal there the o-ring over the tstat?

97targa

You can JB weld the crack and suse silicone for the seal! Make sure both are completely dry before fluid goes through! Overnight for drying time. Make sure you don't JB weld the housing elbow to the IM...lol

aCiD

I've used some mixed plastic epoxy for the hairline crack, it has sealed that up about 90%.

What type of silicone should I be using for the seal?

Problem: I have to do the work at like 11am tomorrow, and have to leave by about 1pm! (I could push it to 2pm) Stupid schedule of a student.....

Thank you for the ideas!

LetThePoniesRunFree

340 km? Oh, NM.

Remove the t-stat housing, lay down a bead of any name brand high-temp silicone sealant and reinstall. A little silicone goes a long way. Apply conservitively. Let it cure over night before you fire the car back up.

If you weren't replacing the manifold I wouldn't have suggested such a hack job, but it should last long enough to get you 340 km. Just make damn sure the silicone is dry before you fire the car back up. You don't want any uncured, (or cured for that matter), silicone running through your cooling system.

aCiD

Yea, I'm Canadian eh :P (211 miles)

So... is there any silicone that will dry sufficiently in 2 hours is my new problem... and it's not looking good from your guys' comments... expletive.

If I hadn't had class today from 8am in Detroit, until 9pm in Ontario I woulda been able to do this crap during the day today!

CobraStangGT16

Ok I used JB weld to drive to the shop to get the intake.

the night before, I drained some coolant to get it out of the elbow/tstat housing....applied some JB weld beween the tstat and the heads, let it dry and ran it to the shop. BARELY leaked...but it did.

Just make DOUBLY sure it's all dry before applying it...or else it wont do anything.

aCiD

Well wish me luck, I'm going to go begin my endeavour to repair and make it home in one piece!

I'll post later (hopefully) with how everything turns out.

Thanks.

BlackMage

lol i just had to throw this out there

aCiD

lol, definitely what I'll be saying the whole way.

CobraStangGT16

LMFAO...

Then Paul Walker slaps his laptop and yells "SHUTUP!" Then somehow, his floor pan comes loose and startes shoooting sparks....