• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

TR4/4A Block Water Outlet Valve

Share this page

KVH

KVH

Darth Vader
Silver
Country flag
Offline
I have two TRs. Both water outlet valves in the block were leaking from the "faucet," not from the block where the fitting goes in. I ordered one new once from the usual outlet, and it's now leaking, too. My other one was already fairly new. I cleaned it and reinstalled it--but it's leaking still. So I have both cars leaking fluid.

What's the deal? The antifreeze I'm using? Defective manufacture?

Should I just run some "stop leak" and forget about it.

After sending defective parts back over the past few months I'm beginning to imagine the difficulty the distributors must be having with reliable suppliers. You would have been surprised to see my steering tube bushings a while back. The internal nylon inserts were so loose they just fell out.

Anyway, advice on stop leak for the valves please? Too cheap a fix?
 
Yes...the new valves are defective. They are machined, but not ground. This leaves circular machining marks on the metal parts that prevents them from sealing.

A work around until better valves are available is to take the valve apart and lap the cone into the housing. Then reassemble using a thick grease or plumber's sealant. I trie lapping unitl the machine marks were removed, but then the cone becomes too small for the housing...so only lap until the cone and housing mate completely around, but not until the machine marks are gone.
 
KVH said:
I have two TRs. Both water outlet valves in the block were leaking from the "faucet," not from the block where the fitting goes in. I ordered one new once from the usual outlet, and it's now leaking, too. My other one was already fairly new. I cleaned it and reinstalled it--but it's leaking still. So I have both cars leaking fluid.

What's the deal? The antifreeze I'm using? Defective manufacture?

Should I just run some "stop leak" and forget about it.

After sending defective parts back over the past few months I'm beginning to imagine the difficulty the distributors must be having with reliable suppliers. You would have been surprised to see my steering tube bushings a while back. The internal nylon inserts were so loose they just fell out.

Anyway, advice on stop leak for the valves please? Too cheap a fix?
Click to expand...

I hate stop leak. Especially after I had to replace my engine in my V8 4Runner because someone used it and caused a plug somewhere in the coolant lines causing my small radiator tube to pop off at highway speed which then drained all the coolant, overheated the engine and blew it out in the middle of Nevada on the Extraterrestrial Highway.
 

Attachments

  • 20170828_173414.jpg
    20170828_173414.jpg
    87.4 KB · Views: 216
If you want to keep the valve for looks:

Remove it from the block and drill/tap the inlet (threaded) end of the valve assembly for a brass machine screw, Allen-head screw, or 1/8" pipe plug. Thread the screw or pipe plug in (with sealant), and replace the valve assembly into the block (with a copper washer, and perhaps a little sealant on the washer as well). The valve will look completely stock, but you'll have to remember to unscrew the whole valve assembly when you want to drain out the block. But how often do any of us actually do that - maybe once per year?
 
It looks as though I shall take off my "new" valve and replace the old one which I still have lying about. I won't be any messier to operate than a leaky new one. But hard to get at with the car on the ground.
 
After messing with the one on my MG TD, I finally just cut it off and plugged it with a screw. You can easily drain the block other ways, and it's just not worth the trouble. I could also remove the screw for drainage, if I wanted.
 
Huh, I installed a new one this past summer using thread sealant. No issues.

Bob
 
It's not leaking there. It's leaking right out of the spout. I called the distributor. They've had two defect recalls over the past 7 years, one in 2016 when I ordered mine.
 
I see, what a PITA. That's exactly why I prefer to rebuild the original part where I can. The OEM quality is almost always is better than this "new" aftermarket stuff. I would have reused mine but the valve was frozen and the little handle sheared right off when I applied too much torque trying to open it. No choice but to replace it.
Bob
 
What I did (learned from Don E) take your valve out-- fillthe end with sealant-- let that dry, and put it back in for originality. When youwant to drain the system remove the whole unit.





I seriously try and avoid stop leak also. If you need it, then something is wrong and you have to think through the problem seriously. I fix a low pressure block leak once, and I was glad to use it, but on a radiator deal or heater deal, I 99% fix the problem.

I have friend that toasted a nice BMW with it, and he could not even find a shop that wanted to fix it, and he has the money. One shop finally did put a junkyard motor in for 6K.
 
Yes my both my old and new block water outlet taps leak.
I think that I'll block the end with hotwater compatible sealant and put it back for originality sake.
 
Can I just fill mine with ultra black gasket sealant, let it dry and put it back in? I'd think so.
 
I changed the tap for a modern ball type valve which I can fit a 1/4 inch hose on the end to direct the coolant away from the block and chassis. Because it's tucked away under the manifold you have to be looking for it to see it's not the original type valve.

Graham
 
The "sealant" was a waste of 24 hours. Like some above suggested, coolant just leaked out the bottom spring fitting. In other words, the problem wasn't just the seal at the ball valve. My fix was to just plug it with a pipe threaded plug the same size. If I own the car another 20 years I probably won't pull that plug more than twice. No big deal, but very nice to not be leaking on the floor each night. I now own three new, defective valves.
 
Back
Top