Sodium Silicate or water glass
used to stop the leak

Introduction:

Many automotive engines may lose their coolant by any one of several means. It may have a blown head gasket, a warped head, a cracked block, a leaking freeze plug, a heating core leak, a radiator leak or a lost pet cock.

The engine will overheat rapidly as the coolant disappears. Additionally, coolant within the crankcase leads to rapid corrosion and coolant within a cylinder prevents ignition. For all of these reasons, coolant leaks must be repaired.

Repairing these sources of leaks may be quite expensive. That's why cooling system sealants based on sodium silicate or watergalss have been marketed with the objective of stopping the leak without incurring the substantial expense of automotive repairs.

How does it work?

The alchemists called sodium silicate "water glass" since it turns to glass when dried. When added to coolant
, first it is sucked into a crack by the intake suction, then the exhaust blast dries some of it out and turns it to glass, making the leak smaller. This continues with each stroke, the leak getting smaller and smaller as concentric layers of glass are laid down, until the leak stops leaking. 

Is there any guarantee that it works?

Waterglass treatment may stop some leaks in a cooling system. Although there is no guarantee that it will work, many people try it as their first attempt or as a temporary solution. There are claims that some antifreezes (such as Genuine MOPAR antifreeze, recommended in Chrysler owners manuals) contain a small amount of sodium silicate to stop internal leaks as they develop.

Please note that use or incorrect use of waterglass may cause additional complications as well.

Here are the major complications:

1. The fix is not permanents. Some claim that it may only last a year or so, provided that you don't take it on the highway and heat it up.

2. They often clog up the heater cores, so it is best to disconnect the heater when treating the car, and for a period following treatment.

3. It is very important to flush all of the antifreeze out before treating, and flush all of the waterglass out before replacing the antifreeze. (You may reuse the old antifreeze for a few hundred miles, then flush and replace it and reconnect the heater.)

4. I believe that you should drive the car hard during treatment, to get the the crack to shift in any way it can to fully fill it in. However, I first drive gently to mostly seal the crack, then vent any gas in the head, then put the pedal to the metal to finish the job.

How to use watergalss to seal the leaks?

Bellow are two recipes or instructions I put together based on many information I have collected online and my personal experience with sodium silicate or waterglass. There is absolutelty no guarantee that any of them will work for you, but you are welcome to try them at your own risk.

Both recipes are only for the liquid sodium silicate grades 40 also known as grade N. Both grades are available at ChemicalStore.com under the product codes of SSN.

ORDER SODIUM SILICATE ONLINE

Method 1: Simple Method. Keep the antifreeze

1. Calculate the amount of sodium silicate you need based on the coolant capacity of the car. The cooling system of a modern car has 10 to 20 quart coolant capacity. The amount of sodium silicate you need is about 2.5% up to 5% of the total amount of coolant. For example if the coolant capacity is 20 quarts, you only need 1/2 quarts up to 1 quart of sodium silicate.

2. Start the engine and let it warm up before the sodium silicate is added. Then remove the radiator cap and add the amount of liquid sodium silicate you have calculated. The engine continues to run until the leak is sealed.

In many cases, leaks can be detected when the engine is running. Visible vapor may come from the exhaust. A warped head or broken block may allow coolant to leave the block in a visible stream or drops. Sealing takes about ten minutes and may usually be visibly confirmed by the absence of the vapor or liquid previously noticed.

After the leaking stops, the engine should be stopped and allowed to cool. The sealant has now formed a permanent barrier and the leak is cured.

Method 2: Advanced Method. Remove the anti-freeze

1. Calculate the amount of sodium silicate you need based on the coolant capacity of the car. The cooling system of a modern car has 10 to 20 quart coolant capacity. The amount of sodium silicate you need is about 2.5% up to 5% of the total amount of coolant. For example if the coolant capacity is 20 quarts, you only need 1/2 quarts up to 1 quart of sodium silicate.

2. Empty (and save) the entire antifreeze/coolant liquid from the radiator/cooling system.

3. Disconnect the heater.

4. Fill up the radiator/cooling system up to about 90% with regular water.

5. Start the engine and let it warm up before the sodium silicate is added. Then remove the radiator cap and add the amount of liquid sodium silicate you have calculated. The engine continues to run until the leak is sealed.

6. Let the engine run an additional 1 to 4 hours. Then drive it at high speed for another 30 minutes.

7. Empty the water/sodium silicate solution from the entire cooling system and re-fill the cooling system with anti-freeze you removed in step 2.

8. After about 200 miles driving, replace the anti-freeze with new anti-freeze.

Disclaimer: The information here are provided AS/IS. There are no warrantees or guarantees for accuracy or applicability of these information. You may read or use them at your own risk. Copy and redistribution allowed only without any change or omission.

Where to buy? Most pictures are linked to the pricing and online store for fast and convenient ordering Our products are available at the following online stores. For large orders please call in advance and verify the availability, wholesale discounts and shipping options. If you cannot find any product in the online store of your choice, please use the search option of the store or call (973)777-3113 for further assistance.   All orders will be shipped from our warehouse in United States (USA). We ship worldwide to most countries including U.S., Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany, France, Netherlands, and many other countries.

DC Motors

Order Sodium Silicate Grade 42

Order Sodium Silicate Grade 40