Marine Tex - EXhaust and other fixes

[BSWANN@arinc.com]

OK,

I'm not a Marine Tex sales person.  My first experience with is was 
with some boats I had in high school.  You can actually patch a hole 
in the bottom and it will cure under water.

We then had an old Iron duke 4-cyl sea-water  cooled engine leaking 
out a fissure crack which had developed on the side of the block. 
Drained block, Wire brushed, cleaned with acetone saturated rag, 
applied 1/4 inch patch of MT.  No more leak - water skiing the next 
day.

I had used the auto wrap stuff you get from an automotive store(white 
bandage, you get it wet, wrap aand run.  Stuff just didn't cut it.  

I found they sold this black bandage - worked better, leaked eventually, but 
would get me though inspection.  Find and fix your leaks, before inspection - if
they don't find a leak they won't bother.  If they see you did this - you are 
SOL.

When I discovered the cost of AUDI rear muffler assembly and didn't 
want to replace for the cracks which had developed, I tried using the 
above black bandage whch is a fiber glass bandage impregnated with? 
Marine Tex? but like without the catalyst, as the stuff cures with 
heat from the exahust.  Well it worked!

So the technique, not for the timid - clean up the area to be repaired 
as good as you can(wear glasses and dustmask - wire brush, acetone. 
Mix up generous portion of MT.  Prepare to waste some spackling knifes 
or similar appicators.  Prepare to get your hands nasty - I tried 
rubber cloves, they just get in the way.  Clean hands with Acetone 
afterwards, use hand cream to get skin soft again after acetone.

Depending upon the area to be fixed, tubular, large area patch, or a 
more complex joint, like where the tube goes into the muffler, you may 
want to put the bandage on first, or plug the larger hosle with a 
little Tex first then wrap.  A combination of wrap and tex(hotter 
areas use the metal tape first, coat with MT, and then wrap - this is 
how I fixed my after turbo dwon pipe which had separated at the 
weld(note I used a cold weld, two part epoxy like compound in this 
particular application - results to be determined, but I'm optimistic. 
Of course, if I had access to a good TIG welder, and a lift, I would 
not have done this.

Currently the original stock exhaust on my 150K+ '85 4KQ consists of 
exhaust bandage fixes in several areas.  I would replace the exhaust 
system, but it would cost more than the car is worth, and I plan to 
take the car out of service soon.

Anyway, it take some practice, and as you can guess I've had some.  
You can always go over a botched repair with another.

Good luck - sometimes its worth trying this, sometimes its better 
just to go ahead and replace.  You decide what your time is worth.

Disclaimer: It should go without saying - I am not responsible for 
what anyone does with their car.  Your results may vary, etc..

Ben Swann

'85 4ksq - 160kmi + Actually hardly ever do anything to this car but 
change the oil, and it doesn't let the Door Ding Gnomes get it down.  
If anyone in the Maryland area is interested in adopting this car - 
has newer '89 2.3l and runs well(understatement), contact me.  I don't 
plan to give it away for next to nothing, however.

'86 5kcstq - 170Kmi+ Was neglected - now adopted.  (Marine TEX 
repaired Exhaust Downpipe, Marine Tex repaired Radiator nipple, fired 
and test driven - needs rad.fan, brake work, hangers, and replacement 
for vandelized stereo system).

'87 5kcstq Wagon - 138Kmi - Baby seat installed ;) still tracing the 
Boost/fuel pump cut out.


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Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 17:12:41 -0400
From: William Allison lll <wallison@bbn.com> 
Subject: Marine Tex

I would love to hear (err read) any more info on using Marine Tex for 
exhaust leaks.

Bill
86 5ks
Considering Mt. Washington Pilgrimage