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My 1978 Dodge van, 318 cu engine developed a water leak today.

If you are familiar with those 318 Dodge engines.A hole about one quarter inch or a little larger, topside about three inches behind where the water pump bolts on there.There is a bolt that holds the airconditioner bracket and right below that bolt, there is another bolt that holds the power steering pump on there.The hole in the block is near where the cylinder head bolts on to the block, the hole is a little bit to the right of the bolt that holds the airconditioner bracket.I think I can get to the hole good enough to throughly clean the area.

Does anybody know of a product I can use to seal the hole that lets the water leak out of there and do auto parts stores sell such a product? I was thinking something like a high heat epoxy resin, or similar product. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin
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What went there, or is it a corrosion hole, Cuhulin?

I have heard good things about JW Weld, but have never used it..and probably wont.

Reply to
HLS

If the block has rotted so bad that it has a hole in it, I would wonder what is going to fail next.

With the problems you have had I would be VERY tempted to drive it to the scrap yard and leave it there. Go buy a newer car and enjoy the trip to the vet and the store...

Reply to
Steve W.

The block isn't rotted out. He may have a frost plug that is rotted or he may have a gasket leaking or the temp gauge may have come unscrewed or the block could be cracked. There may be a lot of things that are rotted out on this vehicle and those things are going to be dust before the block is rotted out.

-jim

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Reply to
jim

From his description it is not a freeze plug, or a gasket.

The freeze plugs are farther down the side of the block. The bolt for the A/C bracket is well above the freeze plug and below the gasket surface. Temperature senders are in the intake manifold.

Could it be a crack? Maybe, but they usually don't appear overnight in the summer!

Reply to
Steve W.

I wasn't able to decipher the description. But realistically whatever he is describing it is not a hole caused by rotting out unless it is a frost plug or gasket. It could be a gasket that was blown out by pressure. Or if it is a drilled hole and then it probably had something in the hole at one time like a drilled thru bolt or temp sender. The point is - It makes a lot more sense to assume the OP's description is faulty than to assume the block has rotted out.

Farther down from what? The entire block is farther down from "topside" where he said the hole is located.

Which gasket do you mean? He said "The hole in the block is near where the cylinder head bolts on to the block"

Does he know the difference between intake manifold and block?

For all I know it may have started leaking 6 months ago.

-jim

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Reply to
jim

I am not too good at describing thingys like that.It is a hole caused by corrosion.If anybody can dig up an online picture or photo of the front end of a 1978 Dodge 318 cu inch engine, I will try to point it out.

Soon as I can bum a ride with somebody to take me to an auto parts store so I can buy some J B Weld, I will patch that water leak.I have a sandblaster, I will sand blast the area and then mix up some J B Weld and get her done.

There are a few auto parts stores within a few miles of doggy's couch.I don't want to run my van's engine HOT, that could cause some real damage. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

Sorry, that should have been JB Weld, as everybody knows. My bad

Reply to
HLS

Back in the wintertime of 1972 - 1973, I went to night time welding classes on the G.I.Bill at a nearby juinior college.

I can weld anything but the crack of Dawn, and she was a good auld gal. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

Sounds like you're describing a hole in the timing chain case cover. 318 timing cases are a dime a dozen at salvage yards, just replace the whole thing. They're also prone to corrode behind the water pump impeller (granted, it takes 300,000 miles or so...) and develop pinholes that weep coolant into the oil. Best to replace it before that happens.

If I'm wrong and you're actually describing a hole in the BLOCK... well... complete 318s are a dime a dozen at salvage yards. Probably the

3rd most common engine in North America after the Chevy 350 and Ford 302.
Reply to
Steve

Timing chain case cover? Yep, I think you are right.I reckon that is what that engine part is called.Thing is though, I need to try and get by for a while with a J B Weld patch because I have to finish up with hauling off the rest of my old scrap junk metal to the scrap iron yard and also tear down my big old rotten shed in my back yard and haul that crap to the dump.I will phone the auto junk yards around here for a good timing chain case cover.If I can locate one, I will put it on when I have more time.I hardly ever drive anywhere anymore.I am going to use my old van untill the wheels fall off. cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

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