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Fordson Tractors Discussion Forum

Sodium Silicate

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Ian

09-06-2004 15:40:01




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I have a 1955 FMD and the radiator has a leak or 2 in it. I know there are lots of products out there which you bung in the cooling system and they will plug up the radiator. But from what i understand these are normally always short term fixes to a long term problem. However sodium silicate seems to be a permant solution. From what i understand it turns to glass on contact with air or something, and can be used to seal radiators head gaskets engine blocks etc on a permanent basis. Anyway i understand too that you can wreck engines using too much of this stuff and i dont really want to run it through my engine anyway. I have the radiator off the tractor and want to run a small amount of it through the radiator but am unsure the best way of doing this. I don't even know how much sodium silicate to use as it doesn't say on the bottle. The stuff i got is called Seal-Up its got copper bits floating in it to make it much stronger when it hardens. Any advice would be appreciated. Perhaps theres a better way to fix my radiator >_<

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Woolman

09-07-2004 19:37:09




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 Re: Sodium Silicate in reply to Ian, 09-06-2004 15:40:01  
Ian, I am no expert on this, but if I were in your shoes, especially since the radiator is off the tractor, I'd take it to a radiator shop and have it fixed permanently.



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Ian

09-08-2004 01:45:37




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 Re: Sodium Silicate in reply to Woolman, 09-07-2004 19:37:09  
how much would this cost .. I think repairing it my soldering it my require cutting large chunks out of it.

The leak isn't a massive one.



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Woolman

09-09-2004 19:46:01




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 Re: Sodium Silicate in reply to Ian, 09-08-2004 01:45:37  
I've gotten radiators repaired for less than $100, but of course it depends on a number of circumstances. It seems a small amount in order to have it done right, but unfortunately one can't do everything. Call around and get some quotes.



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neilarmo

09-10-2004 08:56:40




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 Re: Sodium Silicate in reply to Woolman, 09-09-2004 19:46:01  
Yes, get the radiator re-cored, with a new matrix soldered onto the old top and bottom tanks, looks like new and sorted properly.

Neil



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Ian

09-10-2004 12:13:52




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 Re: Sodium Silicate in reply to neilarmo, 09-10-2004 08:56:40  
Thanks Niel,
i had never heard of getting a radiator re-cored before. I flipped it over today and realised that it had been repaired by soldering before. Some of the bars had been cut out and the ends solded. Might try leaving it full of water with some sodium silcate and if that fails might as well get it re-cored assuming its not too expensive.



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Wayne in illinois

09-13-2004 14:00:19




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 Re: Sodium Silicate in reply to Ian, 09-10-2004 12:13:52  
Ian, I have used sodium silcate with great results as far as sealing head gaskets ect .I forget now what size jar that came in where i bought it .It has to be used with water and it is better to have it circulating though whatever you are trying to seal .It can have no anti-freeze what so ever in the system while the it is being circulated .

I have had great luck with it however i wouldn't recommend just pouring it in the radiator and letting it sit as it will plug it up .It needs to flow though the radiator when it is being used .
Good luck with it whatever you decide to do to fix it .
Sincerely Wayne

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Ian

09-14-2004 12:36:53




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 Re: Sodium Silicate - results in reply to Wayne in illinois , 09-13-2004 14:00:19  
After toying with the idea for a while. I got a funnel and filled the radiator with hot water from a tap. Poured about 3 ounces of sodium silicate into the radiator. The hot water helps it circulate through the radiator and i flushed a bit more hot water through it. Left it with the stuff in for about 4 hours maybe. I drained the radiator later and left it to stand for a night. Next day filled it up with hot water again and no leaks, and it all seems to be fine. It all feels warm all over so i assume its not bunged it up. I dont see how such a dilute amount could possibly bung up the radiator. I left a siliar concentration of solution in a glass for a day to see what sort of crystalisation would accur in it to try and simulate what affects it might have in a radiator as to whether it would bug it up or not. Very small crystals did form but they were so small they could have never bunged anything up. I am pretty pleased with the results i got from using this. I am not sure if i could recommend flushing it through the entire cooling system of a vehicle as its supposed to bung in thermostats ? and other things but for this it worked fine. Its supposed to be a permanent fix and as strong as a mechical wield so only time will tell. I used product called Seal-up which has small copper bits in it to re-inforce the seal and to help conduct heat i think. Some tractor places sell it.

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