Non standard coolant leak.

[Carolyn]

There's also a strong chance of it getting a smear of Dirko grey and shoved back on as is for the time being..

I've found a plastic bit - and I bet I've got a good gasket.  By the time you've unbolted it - might as well do it properly?

[Call the midlife!]

There's also a strong chance of it getting a smear of Dirko grey and shoved back on as is for the time being..

I've found a plastic bit - and I bet I've got a good gasket.  By the time you've unbolted it - might as well do it properly?

Without a doubt, I was just imagining your expression reading the Dirko bodge..😃

I can get new for around £12 or see what you have for donations but there's no massive rush, I'm off work next week so would be doing it at a convenient point.

[Carolyn]

There's also a strong chance of it getting a smear of Dirko grey and shoved back on as is for the time being..

I've found a plastic bit - and I bet I've got a good gasket.  By the time you've unbolted it - might as well do it properly?

Without a doubt, I was just imagining your expression reading the Dirko bodge..😃

I can get new for around £12 or see what you have for donations but there's no massive rush, I'm off work next week so would be doing it at a convenient point.

I've got a couple of gaskets as well, so no bother to send you the bits... 

[Call the midlife!]

There's also a strong chance of it getting a smear of Dirko grey and shoved back on as is for the time being..

I've found a plastic bit - and I bet I've got a good gasket.  By the time you've unbolted it - might as well do it properly?

Without a doubt, I was just imagining your expression reading the Dirko bodge..😃

I can get new for around £12 or see what you have for donations but there's no massive rush, I'm off work next week so would be doing it at a convenient point.

I've got a couple of gaskets as well, so no bother to send you the bits... 

I'll pm you my address again with thanks in abundance..👍🏻

[Call the midlife!]

Had time to look at the leaking flange today, total pain of a job lying on my back in a puddle of coolant...
See attached photos for the part causing the leak, no ideas what caused it to do what it did, it was fitted new at the rebuild and only had OAT through it so bit of a weird one.
Compared to the new seal @Carolyn kindly sent me, together with a spare flange just in case, the failed one seems slightly larger and softer.
Just in the process of refilling and then bleeding but no standing leaks it seems.

[Carolyn]

That's weird. Looks like some sort of contamination...

[Call the midlife!]

That's weird. Looks like some sort of contamination...

All I can think is maybe some residue from cleaning the mating surfaces with brake cleaner at the time of rebuild.

It's academic as well as it's still bloody weeping from the flange so I've given in for today.
I'll maybe try the flange you sent tomorrow, when I saw the state of the seal I chose the path of least resistance as I couldn't get the hose clip undone and I'm soaked to the skin in coolant so need to get cleaned and dry now.

[Carolyn]

Yes -it's a bloody pain of a job at the best of times. I feel your pain.

When you next get it apart - check the sealing surface on the block, especially where the seal actually sits.   Also, I meant to remind you to make sure the actual thermostat is the right way up - small hole to the top.

[Call the midlife!]

Have you been looking at my internet search history?? 😆 I had to Google it to check where the little valve went, there's every chance it might not have been the right way up previously.
I ran my finger round the port while I had the stat out and all felt as I expected it to but without a scope of any kind I can't see it directly, tried with my mirror on a stick but it's too big and clumsy.
I've a feeling it's going to stay as it is now until the engine comes out again, wrecked my neck trying to get it done today, unless the boy has a look at it at some point but I'm not sure it's worth the effort in the long run.

[Joesson]

That's weird. Looks like some sort of contamination...

All I can think is maybe some residue from cleaning the mating surfaces with brake cleaner at the time of rebuild.

It's academic as well as it's still bloody weeping from the flange so I've given in for today.
I'll maybe try the flange you sent tomorrow, when I saw the state of the seal I chose the path of least resistance as I couldn't get the hose clip undone and I'm soaked to the skin in coolant so need to get cleaned and dry now.

You could be right there :

Chlorinated brake cleaner containing tetrachloroethylene will on exposure to high temperatures (above 500 °F (260 °C)) or strong UV light decompose into phosgene and hydrogen chloride, both of which are dangerous when inhaled. Rubber and some types of plastics are decomposed by brake cleaners by removing binding components.
Wikipedia

[Call the midlife!]

That's weird. Looks like some sort of contamination...

All I can think is maybe some residue from cleaning the mating surfaces with brake cleaner at the time of rebuild.

It's academic as well as it's still bloody weeping from the flange so I've given in for today.
I'll maybe try the flange you sent tomorrow, when I saw the state of the seal I chose the path of least resistance as I couldn't get the hose clip undone and I'm soaked to the skin in coolant so need to get cleaned and dry now.

You could be right there :

Chlorinated brake cleaner containing tetrachloroethylene will on exposure to high temperatures (above 500 °F (260 °C)) or strong UV light decompose into phosgene and hydrogen chloride, both of which are dangerous when inhaled. Rubber and some types of plastics are decomposed by brake cleaners by removing binding components.
Wikipedia

I'll have a look at the ingredients but it doesn't really get that hot or sunny under the lid 😆

The fact it was still weeping with the new seal doesn't fill me with confidence either, see how my neck and abs are feeling in the morning and I'll maybe have another go at it.

[Joesson]

That's weird. Looks like some sort of contamination...

All I can think is maybe some residue from cleaning the mating surfaces with brake cleaner at the time of rebuild.

It's academic as well as it's still bloody weeping from the flange so I've given in for today.
I'll maybe try the flange you sent tomorrow, when I saw the state of the seal I chose the path of least resistance as I couldn't get the hose clip undone and I'm soaked to the skin in coolant so need to get cleaned and dry now.

You could be right there :

Chlorinated brake cleaner containing tetrachloroethylene will on exposure to high temperatures (above 500 °F (260 °C)) or strong UV light decompose into phosgene and hydrogen chloride, both of which are dangerous when inhaled. Rubber and some types of plastics are decomposed by brake cleaners by removing binding components.
Wikipedia

I'll have a look at the ingredients but it doesn't really get that hot or sunny under the lid 😆

The fact it was still weeping with the new seal doesn't fill me with confidence either, see how my neck and abs are feeling in the morning and I'll maybe have another go at it.

My understanding is that heat is required to "decompose" into gases. The tetrachloride would act on rubber in its liquid form. Not that this helps directly but it may help with understanding what went wrong.

[Call the midlife!]

That's weird. Looks like some sort of contamination...

All I can think is maybe some residue from cleaning the mating surfaces with brake cleaner at the time of rebuild.

It's academic as well as it's still bloody weeping from the flange so I've given in for today.
I'll maybe try the flange you sent tomorrow, when I saw the state of the seal I chose the path of least resistance as I couldn't get the hose clip undone and I'm soaked to the skin in coolant so need to get cleaned and dry now.

You could be right there :

Chlorinated brake cleaner containing tetrachloroethylene will on exposure to high temperatures (above 500 °F (260 °C)) or strong UV light decompose into phosgene and hydrogen chloride, both of which are dangerous when inhaled. Rubber and some types of plastics are decomposed by brake cleaners by removing binding components.
Wikipedia

I'll have a look at the ingredients but it doesn't really get that hot or sunny under the lid 😆

The fact it was still weeping with the new seal doesn't fill me with confidence either, see how my neck and abs are feeling in the morning and I'll maybe have another go at it.

My understanding is that heat is required to "decompose" into gases. The tetrachloride would act on rubber in its liquid form. Not that this helps directly but it may help with understanding what went wrong.

I use the big cans of stuff from Boyeseseseseseseses as it's about £3/can and evaporates quite quickly and I'm sure the block was stood for days before the stat and flange went on but it's an avenue to go down before the next rebuild.

[Call the midlife!]

Swapped the flanges over today for the one replacement one, even though the original is flat and true and shows no signs of damage.
Made sure the stat was the right way up and the seal sat nicely seated, nipped the replacement flange up and replaced the pipe, after half an hour of wrestling with the spring clip.
Still leaking...

[Carolyn]

Then, perhaps it isn't coming from the thermostat gasket - but from above, where the fill/bypass pipe fastens to the top of the housing.

It is immediately above the thermostat and a leak may well find its way round the plastic and drip off the bottom?

Time to pull the engine and do all the jobs needed?

[Call the midlife!]

I considered that but can't feel any wetness above the housing when it's dripping and no dripping when the housing was off and the pipe clamped and I'd dried everything off.
The original seal being damaged also pointed to the leak coming from the housing.
I'm sure I can see the housing flex against the engine if I manipulate it and weirdly the more I tighten the screws the more the coolant leaks out.
I'm getting better at working on it though, developing a fairly good technique 😆
My neck muscles aren't happy though.

[Call the midlife!]

Just thinking back to the bypass pipe, the coolant diverts through that until the stat opens up at temperature if I'm thinking rightly?
So once it's drained down there wouldn't be any coolant leaking from it with the stat out of the engine anyway would there?
Might have another look at it tomorrow and see, it does seem to seep directly from the flange but also appears at the fastening point which made me wonder if the block was cracked there.
Can't see anything with my mirror or feel any cracks with my fingernail, what seems like a casting line maybe but can't get my mirror in the gap to see it.

[Carolyn]

The pipe is always full.

However, the fact that you can feel play and it gets worse when you tighten it, I'd say the problem is a less-than flat surface on the metal or gunk on the surface or around the base of one of the studs?  Something is preventing the spigot from sitting flat.

[Call the midlife!]

The pipe is always full.

However, the fact that you can feel play and it gets worse when you tighten it, I'd say the problem is a less-than flat surface on the metal or gunk on the surface or around the base of one of the studs?  Something is preventing the spigot from sitting flat.

Agreed, I gave it all a good rub around and scratch with my fingers but could probably have had the wire brush/wet and dry at it.

It's not so much play, more like a small flexing as I can see movement in the residue of coolant around the edges, if you see what I mean?
I'll maybe have another go tomorrow as I'd rather try and sort it before pulling the engine out as it's probably easier to tell if it's leaking or not in situ.

[Carolyn]

Has d another thought:

Perhaps the thermostat itself is not straight?

[Call the midlife!]

I'll have a look today, sod's law I only binned the one I removed on the rebuild a fortnight ago 😆
I thought the seal sealed to the edges and of the opening and face of the flange but I suppose a bit of deviation in the stat won't help.

[Call the midlife!]

I'm going out on a limb as I've not yet run it up to temp and bled it but I'm confident I've sorted it.
Basically I'm a bit of a blinkered knobhead at times, because the old seal was pretty much hanging out of the aperture when I pulled the flange off and I was looking at an exploded diagram I've previously been fitting the stat in the hole, following it with the seal and then the flange.
This morning I looked at buying a new stat and saw images of ones with the seal running around the rim of them, closer look at the seal I was using and bingo, it's got a notch around it for the stat.
So fit seal to stat, fit stat (right way up) fit flange and Bob is your mothers brother!
I never saw the notch in the seal when I first fitted it on Thursday and was confident I was doing it as per the diagram.
I can't remember how I fitted it on the rebuild 18 months or more ago, it's possible it came already sleeved onto the stat or I just got lucky and fitted it right.
So that's a fair bit of time and effort wasted but you live and learn and I'm now a dab hand at the procedure and have an amazing six pack!
Thanks as always, feel free to shake your heads and laugh, I don't mind 🤓
Donation to club funds for the parts and input from @Carolyn and everyone else.
Cheers!

[Joesson]

@Call the midlife!
Pleased to hear it's sorted now. You have "confessed" to a chain of events that I'd wager many of us have followed similarly  at some point or other, but you have done it with an audience!
Perhaps you could treat yourself to one or several from another "six pack" to celebrate.

[Call the midlife!]

Don't worry, I've put 4 IPAs in the fridge for later!
I could've styled it out with a loose mounting post or something but what's the point? Nobody learns if we all get it right first time, the blinkers were well and truly on with this one though.
Cheers!😆

[Carolyn]

It never occurred to me that you were putting the seal in wrong.

Doh!