What are some uses for Sodium Silicate?
Sodium silicate can be used to seal leaks at the head gasket. A common use is when an alloy cylinder head motor is left sitting for extended periods or the coolant is not changed at proper intervals, electrolysis can “eat out” sections of the head causing the gasket to fail. Rather than pull the head, a jar of “liquid glass” is poured into the radiator and allowed to circulate. The waterglass is injected via the radiator water into the hotspot at the motor. This technique works because at 210–220 °F the sodium silicate loses water molecules to form a very powerful sealant that will not re-melt below 1500 °F.
