Morris Minor Owners Club

Good afternoon. I'm changing the core plugs on a 1960 Austin B Series engine, and no the basic idea -

Hit one side of the old plug so it spins a bit, remove with long nose pliers, clean hole with wire wool or similar, put domed plug in 'dome side out', then hit with a hammer and suitable round ended device so the plug expands, and bobs your uncle.

BUT - should one smear the pljug / hole with some sort of sealer? If so WHAT sealer? Would this do it for example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/hylomar-Hylot ... 3f1c9cd7e9

Any help really appreciated.

Hylomar would do nicely.Some people don't bother/ some do.I'm a belt and braces man...don't want to have to do the job twice if I can help it, so I'd be smearing on a little Hylomar personally.
Bob

Brilliant, thanks!

I have to say - in this case (and this case only..) I would use Hermatite Red - and carefully wipe away all evidence of the crime after the disc was in place..... Hylomar has it's use - I don't think this is one of them....

I have replaced quite a few core plus over the years and have never had the need to use a sealant. If you must use a sealant use Hermatite RED as BMC says. I would agree that Blue Hylomar is not the most suitable sealer for use with core plugs as it remains soft or as it says on the packet " Remains Plastic". If a sealer is to be used it needs to harden off which is what Hermatite RED does. And as BMC says "clean off the evidence".

I'm a little confused? Both say they are semi hardening products...? Hylotyte red says it is a replacement for Hermitite red?

What IS Hylotyte red for then - I used it to help seel a thermostat housing... was that wrong?

Yes, I'm confused too Hylomar is the company name. Hermatite Red has been withdrawn and replaced by Hylotyte Red. I wonder if the references to Hylomar mean Hylomar Blue, which is non setting?

Dunno about recent acquisitions... I have a long suffering tube of Hylomar (yes - it's soft and blue) had it maybe 30 years now. And a pot of Hermatite red, equally aged - and it does go hard. It should NOT be used on anything around an engine really, with this one exception of sealing core plugs. I agree - when the block was NEW it didn't need any sealant, but now - I would want to use a good smear of the red - bang in the plug - wipe away the evidence and either paint or rub oil over to hide any sign of what's been done....

AHH! Hylomar red is like Hermatite red, It goes semi-hard, it is the new Hermatite red since they ceased production. I have used it on other engine parts as a sealer - as recommended on the packet... with no ill effects so far, no leaks and yet easy to scrape off when something needs to be done / changed.

What would you use Hylomar (read hermitite) red for then if not general engine jobs? And what would Hylomar blue be used for?

You don't need ANY sealant around the engine - clean surfaces and good gaskets are all that is required. The blue hylomar was given to me as a half used tube all these years ago (by an RR engineer) - I think I may have used it on Mini diff output cover gaskets to hold them in place while I fitted the covers (notoriously awkward) - and for nothing else. Similarly - can't say I have used the red Herm anywhere on my cars - it's probably gone hard in the pot.... But I would use it for core plugs in an old block....

Thanks BMC - I'll do that... then maybe I'll leave mine to go hard in the tube

There is nothing worse than an engine with sealant spewing out of the gasket edges.....

Reference my post above. I have been on the Hylomar web site and looked at the description of Hylotyte Red so where I have quoted Hermatite RED substitute Hylotyte RED. It appears that Hylotyte RED is of a slightly different composition though in that it is Non Flamable and Does Not Oxidise. I suspect that when the solvent (flamable element) in Hermatite RED evaporated what was left went hard a bit like paint when the lid is left off. I have never suspected or seen any oxidising with Hermatite RED over many years use. It is a pity Hermatite RED has gone, it was a good product. I also suspect that H&S had a hand it bringing about its demise as anything flamable is now a no no. Most things seem to be water based these days. My opinion regarding the application of Hermatite RED/Hylotyte RED against Blue Hylomar for the sealing of core plugs in my post remains the same.

Hit one side of the old plug so it spins a bit

It's not going to spin, it's against a shoulder. You need to punch or drill a hole in the centre, put a punch through the hole and twist it to spin the plug.

I use Hylomar Blue on gaskets which need to be held in place whilst fitting eg fixing the rocker box gasket to the rocker box whilst it is manoevered into position.

I did wonder what the 'spinning' was all about........ but thought I had better not ask!

The spinning - having never done this before I used the usual you-tube and google technique, and on most cars the freeze / core plugs can be sharply hit on one side causing them to spin like a bottle top - then you just pull them out. I didn't know, when writing, that A and B series engines had a ridge thus preventing that.

For example, so I am not seen as a total cretin, here is a video of one being 'spun' out on a larger BMC engine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... jrpyi0Xx6U#!