OOPS! Guess I didn't use enough teflon on the head studs....

[BEATAV8]

My new motor has some coolant seepage dripping from 3 of the outside head studs, and maybe from some of the studs under the valve cover too (don't know yet). I used permatex teflon thread sealant but I must've not used enough to do the job. Guess I really should've layed it on heavy.

Anyways, what do you guys think I should do to fix it?

Pull the heads? (new gaskets.... bummer....)

Pull the studs one at a time and reseal / retorque them individually? (all of them, ofcourse) In sequence.

Try GM sealant tabs and see if that does the trick? (over optimistic?)

 

[frankg]

A couple seal tabs will do it. If not Moroso makes some block seal that will. Frank

 

[BEATAV8]

Anymore votes for seal tabs? I'm thinking it's worth a try, nothing to lose. Just gotta make sure she has fresh clean oil incase there's a leaker under the valve cover.

 

[rob nolan]

Get the GM tabs. Thats what i used in mine and no more leaking.

 

[turbot2112]

i would also try the tabs, easier and cheeper too.

 

[93TY#0475]

i just went through this with my syclone and it definitely set me back on my project...i used white liquid teflon.... as i understand, white teflon brush on sealant isnt the best sealant to use on head studs...i read this on the arp website...i cant stand the idea of tossing in a few gm tabs into my new engine even though most experienced engine builders say to do so...think about using aviation form-a-gasket as a thread sealer next time if possible....i tore my motor down because of the weeping studs and used the aviation form-a-gasket and the problem went away...good luck

 

[BEATAV8]

thanks Servando....

I was told the same thing this morning by the head gasket expert here at International Engine.

He told me the following:

Teflon thread sealer is unreliable. It is meant for pipe threads, not for head bolts or studs. Use either permatex aviation type thread sealant or GM thread sealant.

Remove and re-install the studs individually?? Not a good idea. Removing a bolt causes overload on the gasket at the neighboring bolt locations. It will then fail under heavy firing pressure.

The bars-leak and GM sealer tabs work about 90% of the time. Try it. It may do the trick. But monitor the oil for coolant contamination. (fortunately I have an oil analysis lab here at my disposal)

Sooo..... that's what I'm gonna do.

 

[gnxis]

are they aluminum heads?
you can use alumiseal if iron you can use radiator seal kinda looks like pepper.

 

[S2V6RACER]

#2 permatex sealer that is designed for sealing bolts. My engine builder used "teflon" sealer in a can. I stated to him after my studs leaked that the can says it is for pipe threads. I had to pull the heads on the S2 motor and re-did the studs with the above permatex and guess what? No leaks.


P.S. Bars leak did stop up the leaks the first time around.

 

[Dave Simpkins]

Leaks @ Studs

Fel Pro makes a thread sealant called ?? Gray Bolt Thread Sealant or somthing like that ... anybody tried it ?? Success or no ?

 

[93TY#0475]

Originally posted by MJRWOOD
thanks Servando....

I was told the same thing this morning by the head gasket expert here at International Engine.

He told me the following:

Teflon thread sealer is unreliable. It is meant for pipe threads, not for head bolts or studs. Use either permatex aviation type thread sealant or GM thread sealant.

Remove and re-install the studs individually?? Not a good idea. Removing a bolt causes overload on the gasket at the neighboring bolt locations. It will then fail under heavy firing pressure.

The bars-leak and GM sealer tabs work about 90% of the time. Try it. It may do the trick. But monitor the oil for coolant contamination. (fortunately I have an oil analysis lab here at my disposal)

Sooo..... that's what I'm gonna do.

access to oil analysis?

ironically i just went through the exact issue that you are... please find this link of interest http://www.syty.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=34038&start=60 ...it goes right to the page where i found out....oh and by the way, someone said not to use antifreeze until sure theres no coolant leaks and i now realize why....thats some nasty stuff when you have to drain it out and deal with it falling into the valley and such....

 

[DR BOOST]

when using head studs, use blue loctite. no leaks at all.

with red loctite, you will have a hell of a time getting them outta the block

surej

 

[93TY#0475]

just one more thing i thought i'd add...the worst part about the head studs leaking imo is that the entire bolt hole in the head will trap the coolant that leaked in there for who knows how long...they have to fill up to leak...that's mainly why i tore mine down again...

 

[BEATAV8]

Well folks, after some careful consideration over the weekend I've decided that trying a stop-leak might not be worth the risk. Mainly I'm concerned that it might seal up initially and then start to leak again sometime later, perhaps under the valve cover. If that happened I would not know about it until it was too late. I'm pulling the heads.

 

[Mark E.]

Awwww, come on. Throw a few tabs and drive it. Thats what I did.

 

[BEATAV8]

too late now.... passenger side is done. Used blue loctite this time around. Doing the driver's side tonight. What a PITA!

 

[Louie L.]

The cooling tabs would have done the job with out all the extra work. I run the tabs on my car and others have had success every time. Of course the best way to do its right from the get go, but the tabs will seal it up other wise.

 

[Razor]

I've used the loctite 567 thread sealant and never had any issue. The issue is to let it sit for at least a day before putting water in the motor. So it can set.

It's 20 bucks a tube.. not cheap...

 

[Drac0nic]

Originally posted by gnxis
are they aluminum heads?
you can use alumiseal if iron you can use radiator seal kinda looks like pepper.

I wouldn't try stop leak, I've heard/seen it do some real, real bad stuff to an engine. That Transverse 3.8L I accidentally got had stop leak in it, a few of the coolant passages were blocked, and the head heated up and blew a chunk outa the center of the piston. Also noted was where coolant had obviously been leaking into the cylinder, and that it hadn't been fixed. Just something to consider before you use the stuff, it's not always safe.

 

[Mark E.]

Originally posted by Drac0nic
I wouldn't try stop leak, I've heard/seen it do some real, real bad stuff to an engine. That Transverse 3.8L I accidentally got had stop leak in it, a few of the coolant passages were blocked, and the head heated up and blew a chunk outa the center of the piston. Also noted was where coolant had obviously been leaking into the cylinder, and that it hadn't been fixed. Just something to consider before you use the stuff, it's not always safe.

We are talking about the Barrs leak tablet stuff, not Alumniseal. Brown tablets. Not aluminum flakes.


Mark E.