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An important issue is surfacing with increasing regularity among our fraternity. This is the matter of external water leaks around the water jacket side plate, water pump seals, etc.
The reason for my concern in this area is that water is so much more aggressive and corrosive on the outside of the engine than it is on the inside of cooling jackets, due to the presence of unlimited amounts of oxygen in the air surrounding the engine.
Even a small trickle of water from a leaky water pump seal can, in less than a year's time, cause deep scaling in and around the engine mount in that corner of the engine. Small seeps from around the water jacket side plate will cause deep scaling along the curved outside of the block directly beneath the plate. In fact, each year, we lose at least one otherwise perfectly good block due to the fact that scaling below a water jacket side plate has progressed to the point that we break into the crankcase when we try to remove the scale.
So, point one is obviously to correct any external water immediately upon discovery. Secondly, after you scrape and clean away the scale and rust as well as you can, apply some kind of protective primer, and paint on the surface to prevent future deterioration in the area.
After you clean the surface as thoroughly as possible, there is a product called "SKYCO OSPHO" manufactured by the Skybryte Company that is receiving wide acclaim as being very effective in remediating the effects of rust in cases where it is simply not possible to clean an area completely as you could if you had the opportunity to disassemble the engine. According to the company's web site (http://www.ospho.com/index.html), the product is simply brushed on to the rusty surface prior to applying a regular primer and paint. It's my understanding that the product is sold by Ace Hardware, Home Depot and Lowe's.
The reason for my concern in this area is that water is so much more aggressive and corrosive on the outside of the engine than it is on the inside of cooling jackets, due to the presence of unlimited amounts of oxygen in the air surrounding the engine.
Even a small trickle of water from a leaky water pump seal can, in less than a year's time, cause deep scaling in and around the engine mount in that corner of the engine. Small seeps from around the water jacket side plate will cause deep scaling along the curved outside of the block directly beneath the plate. In fact, each year, we lose at least one otherwise perfectly good block due to the fact that scaling below a water jacket side plate has progressed to the point that we break into the crankcase when we try to remove the scale.
So, point one is obviously to correct any external water immediately upon discovery. Secondly, after you scrape and clean away the scale and rust as well as you can, apply some kind of protective primer, and paint on the surface to prevent future deterioration in the area.
After you clean the surface as thoroughly as possible, there is a product called "SKYCO OSPHO" manufactured by the Skybryte Company that is receiving wide acclaim as being very effective in remediating the effects of rust in cases where it is simply not possible to clean an area completely as you could if you had the opportunity to disassemble the engine. According to the company's web site (http://www.ospho.com/index.html), the product is simply brushed on to the rusty surface prior to applying a regular primer and paint. It's my understanding that the product is sold by Ace Hardware, Home Depot and Lowe's.