I'm a four hour drive from home and noticed water leaking from the bottom of the jeep. It looks like its leaking from the freeze plug on the back of the cylinder head. I cant do the job here, since my tools are home, but what can i do to patch that rear freeze plug? Just need a temporary fix that will last the drive home.

 

If it isn't pouring out you can try leaving the radiator cap loose and drive it home.
I wouldn't try adding stop leak, that stuff causes more problems than it fixes.

 

I definitely wont put that junk in my engine, but has anyone had any luck putting jbweld or something similar on there to get them by?

 

MarineTex if you can find it. Stuff will harden under water if need be.

 

If it was me and I was that far from home I would take it to a shop. Not worth worrying about it a for 4 hour drive. Wouldn't take them more then a hour to fix

 

x2 You could overheat in no time at all.

 

Is it too bad of a leak for a egg? Or pepper?
http://m.wikihow.com/Seal-a-Leaking-Radiator

 

MarineTEX sounds interesting... But I would use JB weld or any 2 part epoxy that hardens quickly and can handle the heat. I always keep some in my jeep for things like this

 

What year is your XJ? If you have a 2000-2001, DEFINITELY take it to a shop to get it fixed. You don't want to risk cracking your head.

If you have an earlier year, I'd also try one of the remedies above.

 

Use an the egg whites. I've done this I get me by, it actually does work. I would Loosen the radiator cap after the egg has had time to sep into the leak and it should be fine. Just watch it closely and take some extra water jugs with you for the trip home. Or take it to the shop if u have the funds.

 

Find a NAPA that has emergency core plug kits. It's a rubber plug with a bolt that you tighten up and it spreads out, it wedges it self in the the hole. Never use JB Weld or anything like that, you'll just make more work for yourself later when you repair it correctly/

 

That might work for a little bit. Mine blew out the freeze plug on the back of the head, then over a period of time blew out 3 of the rubber plugs.

I found out the hard way that there is a "boss" just inside the hole where a valve stem runs. This will prevent the plug from seating flush on the head. Since it is cocked, it WILL blow out.

Since the head has to come off to really fix this, I eventually jerked the whole darn engine out the rest of the way and rebuilt everything.

 

If we could also get bacon, a couple flapjacks and some OJ in there we'd be all set.

 

If there is a pin-hole type hole, in about anything sometimes you can screw a screw into it to plug it. They actually sell a deal with a screw/rubber washer for the purpose. Hardware store maybe.

XXX^, cap off, or loose enough to not make pressure, check it often.

Ha Ha!, Was Yesterday!

 

Well, the leak ended up being where I suspected it to be, on the freeze plug behind the cylinder head.



I took some sandpaper and roughed it up and cleaned it nicely. Then I took some quick weld putty that you mix mash together to get mixed up and shoved it into the freeze plug.

It took me home with no problem.

It's a 1998, so no issue with a cracked head that I'm aware of, it drives great.