Not sure what it is...water seeping through either studs or cometics

[d0n_3d]

I know it is somewhat normal for cometic headgaskets to seep some water for a little while but I'm having water seep through I think some of the head studs on the driver side. The passenger side is completely dry. I used the same permatex blue loctite paste on all head studs and covered all threads. I torqued my GN1 heads according to correct specs on both sides. Everything was definitely clean and flat when I put the headgaskets on.

I've been running the car off and on for a few months now. I haven't traveled more than probably 100 miles though on this new setup. In fact it saw it's first highway miles this past weekend. Should I just be patient and hope everything seals up? I threw in 2 packs of the GM coolant tablets and they haven't seemed to work yet. The water seeping through isn't ALOT but its enough to drip on the header and cause burning and smoke occasionally.

 

[turbofabricator]

How about a re-torque and see what happens. I have Cometics and they sealed up tight. (ported irons, though) No cooling tabs, either. Might also be a cracked GN1 head.

 

[d0n_3d]

I doubt it's a cracked head. This problem didn't start until right after I put the cometics on. I had the heads already checked for cracks. They are not even a couple years old.

I'm going to check the torque on the nuts and see what I can find. I'm also going to do a compression test. This just doesn't make sense. Thanks for the feedback! Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[steve hughes]

I usually have to put 4 tabs in mine to make it stop leaking.

 

[d0n_3d]

4 tabs or 4 packages of tablets??? i've put in 2 packages of 8 tablets so far and it hasn't cured it...

I'm re-torqueing my heads right now. Setting the top 4 nuts to 80 ft/lbs and the bottom 4 to 70 ft/lbs. This is up 5 lbs from previous torque. We'll see if this works. I never did re-torque my heads after I ran the car so maybe this will help.

 

[turbofabricator]

Re-torqueing should help. What is the block finish like? If the block wasn't decked, then that could very well be your problem. Cometics require a very smooth deck finish. IF your block is stock, then they can leak on you.

 

[D's GN]

Did you spray the gaskets with any sealer? I put cometics on 40k shortblock using GN1 heads and have no problems, sprayed them with Permatex copper sealer and retorqued twice. I think the cometics are great, I have pounded on them for two years and they have held up nicely.

 

[turbofabricator]

Did you spray the gaskets with any sealer? I put cometics on 40k shortblock using GN1 heads and have no problems, sprayed them with Permatex copper sealer and retorqued twice. I think the cometics are great, I have pounded on them for two years and they have held up nicely.

I installed mine dry. My block was bored/squared/decked/and had the bell housing face squared to the crank, with a Rottler CNC engine center, though. Same as the heads.

 

[Louie L.]

Don,

Throw 2 more GM cooling tabs in there and forget it. Bars leak also sells the same tabs and in liquid form. I have used every one of those from my TSM 109 to my S2 motor. Give it some time to seal.Its either one or the other with the cometics but they are still the best going out there.

 

[Cme2fly]

Ive had good success with bars leak..

 

[d0n_3d]

My block is indeed stock and never been touched so maybe that's what it is. I guess I need a completely flat deck on the block to run cometics. I re-torqued the head studs last night 5 more lbs over what they were to 80 ft/lbs on the top 4 studs and 70 ft/lbs on the lower 4 studs. We'll see if that helps. If not I'll probably be looking to go back to the Felpro 9441PT gaskets since my block is probably not 100% true. I don't plan on getting the block worked on until something breaks, not to mention the $$$.

Previously I ran a can of K&W block sealer which a friend of mine recommended and even that didn't cure the problem. Isn't that the same stuff as Bars Leaks?

 

[d0n_3d]

Did you spray the gaskets with any sealer? I put cometics on 40k shortblock using GN1 heads and have no problems, sprayed them with Permatex copper sealer and retorqued twice. I think the cometics are great, I have pounded on them for two years and they have held up nicely.

no unfortunately I did not spray them and I am kicking myself for not doing so...I put them on dry like the instructions said to do but I guess again, you need to have a 100% true surface in which mine is probably not...lesson learned!:frown:

 

[vacuum 6]

Not that this will help you but my block was machined, cosmetics and GN1 heads. Mine were weeping too put 3 GM tablets and so far so good.

 

[Louie L.]

Don,
Give em some time before putting your self thru all that work.

 

[vacuum 6]

I used the antifreeze dye to find the leak.

Also I was told on some cars the weeping one day stops.

 

[d0n_3d]

Don,
Give em some time before putting your self thru all that work.

oh i will...I thought originally that it would just take some time for these things to set...almost like new piston rings...hell it may be 1000 miles before the leaking stops...I just hope it doesn't cause damage to the motor while it's leaking? but the leaking seems to be outside, not inside...cause I changed my oil and there was no water in it and no milkshake....so I'm good there...I'll re-torque all the studs anyways since I never did it...that should help too...I want to bring this thing to Bowling Green without issues!!!

 

[turbofabricator]

If you read the instructions with the Cometics, they state the actual RHR (RA)finish required to get them to work right. The ONLY down side to the 9441-pt Fel-Pros (or stock GM) gaskets is that IF they fail, you need to remove the oil pan and clean the graphite off the oil pump pick-up screen. I have seen a few engines FAIL after head gasket replacement because they didn't clean the pick-up screen. The Cometics do work great, but you need to have the block and heads machined to get them to work as designed. I know REAL MEN don't read instructions. The factory machine finish on the block is NOT up to par. Cometic's moto (and mine, too) "We've upped our standards,.........SO UP YOURS!!!!!":biggrin:

 

[Louie L.]

Don, Just keep an eye on the oil just for giggles. The leaking head studsz have nothing to do with the gaskets. And when they leak out of the stud none of it goes inside the motor. When I ran 1007 oring Fel pros on my TSM car the studs leaked. I then built the stage motor with Cometics and guess what..The studs leaked again.

I have found that ARP sealant paste to be the biggest POS stuff around. I built 2 other motors after that with the PST High Temp permatex sealer and that has reduced my stud leaks 100%

 

[S10xGN]

...I have found that ARP sealant paste to be the biggest POS stuff around. I built 2 other motors after that with the PST High Temp permatex sealer and that has reduced my stud leaks 100%

Agreed! I used it on my build and had weepage from the lower studs. GM tabs stopped it OK, but I was nervous for a while...

 

[Tin Man]

My cometics with GN1s leaked as well. I used 1 package of the GM tabs and it stopped leaking immediately.