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looks like i have to pull the motor back out

chevyCowboy

chevyCowboy

I might be crazy but i ain't dumb
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Springfield Nebraska
I was filliing the motor with antifreeze and after i had put 4 gal into the motor i noticed a puddle under the truck :nonod: :mad2:. upon closer inspection there is coolant leaking from the head gasket on the driver side just above the read freeze plug!:mad2: so it looks like i am going to have to pull the motor and pull that head. im hopeing it is just a defective or damaged head gasket. i dont remember damaging them at all but you never know. the only other possible causes could be a low spot in either the head or the block.

this really sucks:( 9 months iv been working on this damn motor scraping money together to buy the parts and now iv got to go backwords!!!:mad2::mad2:. ok done with my rant

here is a pic its the best i could get its a cell phone camera didnt have my other one with me.
 

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this time around knowing what im doing im hopeing that i can have it out and the head off and problem diagnosed is a couple hours. its just a really big PITA and im ganna mess up the nice paint job i did on it.
 
Look for the source of the leak first. Like the crossover or crossover caps on the rear of the head. Hope it is simpler than a head gasket leak that bad. 2nd look is always worth it.
 
i spent 20 min scouring the engine praying for the leak to be coming from some where else but there is nothing else around there that could be leaking it is not wet above that spot and when the coolant is wiped away it comes back very quickly.
 
Check the outer head studs,it could be running down the side and pooling on the head gasket edge. The graphite gaskets compress a lot, and should fill in any low spots ,unlike Cometics .
 
Rework sucks. Especially if it's your own[I have experience at it]:mad2::mad2:
 
here is a question for you guys. what would it hurt if i finished putting it together and fired it up.
is it possible that the toruque on the head studs some how relaxed? i can easily recheck the tourque on the 4 outer bolts but should i pull the valve cover and recheck them all?
do you think one of those radiator pills would work?

i really dont wanna have to pull the damn thing again but if i have to oh well
 
here are some pics of the heads and the block decks not that is matters to much since i cant put a straight edge on them but maybe one of you will see something i missedDSC00216.jpgDSC00217.jpgDSC00227.jpgDSC00221.jpg
 
If you used TTY bolts it is quit possible some lost their strenght.
When i put my engine together there where some bolts i felt where to spongy right from the batt when i put the initial torque on them,so i swapped them for old ones. I got 14 k on this engine now,no issues.......yet.

It is very important to run a tap trough the treads and run a bolt trough by hand ,so all torques are gonna be equal.
 
Pull the valve cover and re-torque the bolts. Did you lube the threads or use locktight or other sealer on the bottom of the studs where they go into the block? What cyl is this leak by?

Rotate the engine by hand the full 720 degrees before hitting the starter in case you have a hydro lock condition. Who knows how far the leak goes.

Grab the compressed air blow gun and blow on both sides of the leak to see if it is running along the gasket and dropping off there.

As Missy found on my old block there may be a crack there. Myself I would suspect either you left a rag or other debris in place when you put the head on or with these gaskets being difficult to get on over the studs so you may have cracked the gasket on the way on. (What directions to put the gasket on before the studs in...)

Did you pop the precups out before resurfacing the heads?
 
Last edited:
WarWagon said:
Pull the valve cover and re-torque the bolts. Did you lube the threads or use locktight or other sealer on the bottom of the studs where they go into the block? What cyl is this leak by?

Rotate the engine by hand the full 720 degrees before hitting the starter in case you have a hydro lock condition. Who knows how far the leak goes.

Grab the compressed air blow gun and blow on both sides of the leak to see if it is running along the gasket and dropping off there.

As Missy found on my old block there may be a crack there. Myself I would suspect either you left a rag or other debris in place when you put the head on or with these gaskets being difficult to get on over the studs so you may have cracked the gasket on the way on. (What directions to put the gasket on before the studs in...)

Did you pop the precups out before resurfacing the heads?
Click to expand...

yes i did lube the threads on the nut side and yes i used permatex thread sealer on the block side. it is possible that i damaged the gasket i had some difficulty getting them on i think i did that side te wrong way and put it on after i had the studs in. the other side i took the studs back out and reinstalled them after the gasket was on.

how bad would it be to pull the head in the truck. will the studs make it harder?
 
chevyCowboy said:
yes i did lube the threads on the nut side and yes i used permatex thread sealer on the block side. it is possible that i damaged the gasket i had some difficulty getting them on i think i did that side te wrong way and put it on after i had the studs in. the other side i took the studs back out and reinstalled them after the gasket was on.

how bad would it be to pull the head in the truck. will the studs make it harder?
Click to expand...

From what I have heard (I havent done this YET) it is a bear to get the heads over the studs back against the firewall. I have heard that some people, when installing heads on studs, have to put the studs through the heads then install the heads and tighten the studs into the block.

In other words I think it will require pulling the engine.
 
I have to backtrack a bit,when back reading your first post i seen your engine is still in the rebuild finishing stage.I took it the truck had been on the road already a while.
Yes, pull the head back off,there is def something not right there.
 
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