R34 Gtt Overheated Due To No Water/coolant, Now Engine Light

[West]

I found the leak... it is in the worst part of the engine bay, right behing the engine. Its the metal bit where you clamp on a thin hose to a bigger hose. No idea how I can fix this or anybody else as it is practicaly unreachable with tools etc. I was able to get my hand in there and touch the crack to stop the leak but how can I actually repair it? Can I just change the whole hose somehow?

Is that what they called a Welsh plug or something like that?

[illusiVe]

is it the water line for the turbo? coming out the back of the block?

[Duncan]

just to clarify re cooloant vs water....

A car does need coolant, the main function of coolant is to raise the boiling point of water. You won't get far with 100% water in your system.

no! and yes you will!

Now someone feel free to correct me if they want. But to my knowledge the coolant actually increases the waters boiling temperature above 100 degrees. (besides other tasks)

no!

The coolant does a few things, but raising the boiling temp is the main one. Radiator cap helps as well.

no! (and yes!)

water transfers heat a little better than coolant but its not a good idea in a RB, alloy head doesnt like corrosive water. the pressure of the system raises the boiling point higher than 100 with straight water and coolant is higher again

almost exactly right, except the last bit

P.S the car doesnt need coolant thats just to stop it rusting.

we have a winner!

how it works is simple.

the system would boil at 100o running straight water at 1 bar. We put higher boiling point radiator caps on the system - under pressure the boiling point is raised. I'm sure there is a scientific rule but my observation is water boils at around 130o with a 1.3bar cap.

water is one of the best things around for absorbing heat without increasing in temp itself - this makes pure water (distilled, not tap) the best readily available option for using as coolant.

all that glycol (the main ingrediant in coolant does) is stop rust, and stop the coolant feezing below zero.