How can brass bits get into the engine?

[dasadrew]

After getting my Stag finally sorted and running sweetly after a drama with overheating which was finally traced to the incorrect impellor on the water pump (another story) and due to other bits and bobs which I don't want to go into in much detail here, the heads are off and I'm redoing quite a few areas.

When I let the coolant out, it had an extremely thin "veil" of brass dust floating in it. Difficult to describe, but extremely small particles probably only a few molecules in size which you couldn't actually get hold of, but which gave the coolant a sort of sheen on its surface in the bowl.

Now I'm just refitting the camshafts and I notice on the infamous RH rear bearing that ther is a tiny piece of brass which has more or less been sintered into the aluminium.

The material is definitely brass (and not copper) in colour, and I'm now going through potential sources in my mind:
- Water Pump cage seems not to have chafed anywhere
- I have one of those high temperature senders that LD Parts sold a few years back and that had a coating of this brass "dust" on its nose.
- I have a brand new radiator so maybe some residue from the manufacturing is in there

The brass dust in the water is a new arrival; the brass sliver in the rear camshaft bearing could be new or back in the car's history.

Anyone got any ideas?

Drew

[richardthestag]

not K seal is it? that looks like shiny brass dust

[dasadrew]

On one of the final desperate attempts to get the cooling system working I did add K-Seal !!!

Could it really be that?

Drew

[DJT]

K-Seal does leave a copper or brass film. Give the radiator a good flush whilst it is out and you may get some more lumps out.

[milothedog]

On one of the final desperate attempts to get the cooling system working I did add K-Seal !!!

Could it really be that?

Drew

Agree with Richard, but I think they use copper particles.

Don't worry about it. The way K seal works is it's continually suspended in the coolant and circulates with the flow dealing with leaks as they occur. Works similar to DCA see here.
[ https://www.cumminsfiltration.com/eme/coolantvideos ] that we use to have in the Cummins engines at work to combat wet liner cavitation.

[dasadrew]

Crikey lads - you cannot believe how well I'm going to sleep tonight! Great stuff - thanks!

You might like to know that Julian has also responded to me directly with the same conclusion. Once a Stag helper, always a Stag helper!

Drew

[Ctwidle]

A layer of what appeared to be rust on the Welch plugs in my V prompted a mechanic to suggest changing all the plugs. Turned out to be K-seal particles. Not sure how they got there as my HGF was under the exhaust manifold between 3 and 5. No particles showed up there, only fluorescent dye added to the coolant.
Chris

[Mark Serj]

It could also be part due to copper grease just to add another option......

[dasadrew]

Could hypothetically be an idea Mark. In my particular case I never use copper grease anymore since I discovered ceramic paste, and again, in my particular case, the colour is definitely more brass than copper. Thanks for the idea though. It really does look like it's the K-Seal I used (which incidentally worked very well on a couple of "weeps" I had.

Drew

[richardthestag]

It could also be part due to copper grease just to add another option......

not sure that copper grease dissolves to be honest

Drew it is K-Seal - if you have ever used it in the cooling system it takes quite a bit to clear it all out again

[milothedog]

Could hypothetically be an idea Mark. In my particular case I never use copper grease anymore since I discovered ceramic paste, and again, in my particular case, the colour is definitely more brass than copper. Thanks for the idea though. It really does look like it's the K-Seal I used (which incidentally worked very well on a couple of "weeps" I had.

Drew

Definitely Copper Drew.

"The secret behind K-Seal’s ability to repair a coolant leak is down to its contents: a specially developed blend of chemical ingredients including ceramic microfibres and copper particles. When added to the cooling system the ingredients disperse and flow freely around the system suspended in the coolant. If coolant is leaking from the system, either externally (look for a puddle under the engine) or internally across the head to the cylinders, then K-Seal will follow it through the hole or crack and try to fix the leak."

[dasadrew]

It's a fair cop.... I stand corrected!