3 weeks ago, following a pressure flush of radiator and block then the addition of green stuff my mini showed signs of a blown head gasket. Blown to coolant, pressure in the radiator when cold and starting on 3 cyls then clearing.
Due to the need to drive it i proceeded with caution, watching the guage and topping up with water every drive as required.
Gradually the requirement for extra water reduced and now it is "fixed". no need for excessive top ups and no rough starts.
I'm thinking to leave it how it is till i have a temporary replacement, then do the head done up to the spec i want with plenty of time.

Has anyone else had issues with the addition of coolant causing leaks?

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Dean Hutton's first car was a Mini.

No problems with coolant here, but is it possible with the pressure flush, i take this to presume pressurised air was used in addition to water, that excessive pressure built up in the block causing a small leak at the headgasket. Just a possible theory, if the headgasket was ok at 13psi or whatever your cap is, and then you pumped 100psi into the block, perhaps this caused the issue. Unless you restricted the pressure when you flushed it.


If it was my car, i would just see if retensioning the head fixed the problem, but as you say its no longer leaking. I would see if the oil needed a change and if not drive away.

I've always run coolant in my car, as far as I know it's never caused a leak.

About this time last year though I took a weekend trip to Daylesford, in torrential rain. Just before setting off for home, I checked the oil level and found mayo under the cap, and what appeared to be fine bubbles in the radiator. I figured I'd done a gasket.

I bought a new one and procrastinated putting it on... during which time the mayo and bubbles cleared up. Since then the car's gone to Brisbane and back with nothing more than an oil change or several...

If it's not showing symptoms of a blown gasket now, leave it alone I say

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

so how much pepper did you have to use ?

Yep. Coolant is thinner than water and can leak where water sometimes won't.

[quote]About this time last year though I took a weekend trip to Daylesford, in torrential rain. Just before setting off for home, I checked the oil level and found mayo under the cap, and what appeared to be fine bubbles in the radiator. I figured I'd done a gasket.

I bought a new one and procrastinated putting it on... during which time the mayo and bubbles cleared up. Since then the car's gone to Brisbane and back with nothing more than an oil change or several... [quote]


I have an A+ engine in my van and i get this everytime it rains, the water hits the block and runs into the dipstick hole (i think) i have tried putting a perspex screen behind the grill, but that just pushes the water up onto the bulkhead and it runs into the cabin and i get wet feet.


Oh and i think run it till you can whip the head off and work it. (its a good reason to tell the MRS) and i also have had no dramas using coolant as opposed water.

Cheers
Richie

I had the same problem, and did have green mayo in the rocker cover, BUT it has stopped as well?

Along the way I have bene told in the colder moister climate you might get considerable moisture in via the crackcase breathing fresh air, and when the moisture settles it end up in the rocker area, hence why your oil looks ok but you still get some mayo on the rocker cap.

Unsure how true or otherwise this is, made some sense to me.

And Tombo, 'if it ain't broke....'

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Cool stuff!!

BEER will fix it Tombo, you know that

The beer and cider have fixed


Hell yeah, being a mechanic has taught me that, i should spend the money somewhere else

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Dean Hutton's first car was a Mini.