R.B.

Well I finished putting my rebuilt motor in on the weekend. I was priming the oil to get pressure in the system before I ran the engine. I left the coil and sparkplugs out. While I cranked the motor, coolant seemed to be flying out of cylinder #1. I thought maybe one of the hoses wasn't tight over the sparkplug hole but I checked them and they all seem to be tight. There is quite a bit of coolant in the cylinder.

Has anyone run into this after putting their motor together?
Are there any other obvious places to check before I inevitably pull the head off my motor ... again <img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[crying]" />

5 months and counting - I would like to drive this thing before the snow flies!

Thanks,
-R.B.

TurboTim

There are three possible causes for this.

1. You didnt install the head gasket correctly. Did you make sure the sealing surfaces were clean on your block and head? Did you use the proper torque sequence and angles?

2. Your head has a crack in it or is warped.

3. Your block has a crack in it or is warped.

Danno

Uhhh, that would be one SERIOUSLY WARPED head/block for coolant to be squirting into the cylinder (the gasket will compress and mold itself to a certain degree of warpage). I vote for #1...

Olli Snellman

I put my Cents for #1.
Sorry, but most likely you have to pull the head off

Olli
'88 951

R.B.

Thanks guys!

Those 3 possibilities I also thought of. I was just hoping there was a magical #4 that was easy.

Would a leak down test tell me the difference between a cracked block and a pooched head gasket?

I cannot understand what went wrong. I mean everything was wrapped in plastic until assembly and I was over **** about torquing everything down.

When you guys put the head back on, do you do a leak down before you assemble the rest of the engine as a precaution?

-R.B.

Jeremy Martin

pull the head and replace the head gasket. that will 99% assuradly take care of it. if it doesnt, you'll have to pull the head again and pay a machine shop to measure the entire top of the block and the head for warpage and any other faults that might cause this... the reason i say just replace the gasket first is because having a machine shop measure like that will cost a couple hundred, and your problem is probably your head gasket.
and no, a leakdown will only tell you that you have air going into your coolant; something you already know.
also, it's not worth doing a leakdown on a new engine as the rings havent properly set yet.

R.B.

Well the machine shop already shaved the head and checked the block. The gasket was brand new, and I didn't see any flaws in it But .... you never know. As for seating the rings. I did not replace the rings or remove them from cylinder #1. They should still be seated. Considering the amount of fluid I would think you would stil hear some air escaping through a bad gasket over the rings. I think I am still going to leak down test the cylinder to verify 100% that it is leaking, not that I missed something on the outside. I would hate to tear the head off only to find out it was OK.

Thanks for your help and suggestions,

R.B.

R.B.

What if .....
I torqued the head down with a higher rating than needed, then unbolting the head again,(realising the error of my way... Note to self N.m is not ft.lbs) and then re-torquing the nuts correctly.

No I did not get to the equivalent N.m torque in case you are wondering, but I may have gotten a little higher then required.

Could this crush the metal rings on the gasket to the point of letting coolant into my cylinder?

I know, I know me bad

-R.B.

Danno

Uh oh, you may have stretched the head studs! Once they stretch, they are no longer elastic and don't provide any clamping force...

R.B.

Danno, Is there any way to tell if they are stretched?

-R.B.

C5Driver951

There are a couple of things you could do... Pull the head and measure the studs. I think the height was either 142 or 143 mm. Since you have the head off, you can now look at the studs and see if any have stretched. If you release the torque on the headgasket you're supposed to replace it as it's a one torque crush type gasket.

Another possibility is a nut got stripped. This would be a whole lot easier to replace...

Did you make sure the bleed screw for the coolant was installed? Dumb question, but an easy one to miss.

I feel your pain. I had to redo the head on my car the first time because of stretchy studs.

R.B.

Thanks, Yes the coolant bleed screw was the first thing I checked, and then the hoses around. I pressure tested the cylinder and sure enough the leak is on the inside. I replaced the nuts already so they are good to go.

I just ordered a new gasket ($80 Cdn) and 10 studs ($11 Cdn each) should be here on Monday.

I might as well do it right. At least I don't have to pull the motor again! <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" />

-R.B.

Outlaw952

You might have also damaged the head gasket the first time, if you did not set the head down nice and straight on the block. This happened to me on my #4 cylinder. It was work done by the PO's mechanic. You could see where the head gasket had been pinched when they set it down wrong.

michael2e

I think I will have to change studs as well as my head has been on & off twice now and I'm getting pressurization in my cooling system again already. How do you get the studs out and is it worth the extra bucks for Raceware or Garrity studs? Also, for those with O-ringed heads who does a good job with this and what is the going rate? Thanks

R.B.

You get the studs out by using 2 of the head stud nuts, tighten them against each other on the stud and then use the bottom nut to turn out the stud. If the nut still turns without turning the stud tighten the upper nut more against the lower nut.

HTH

-R.B.