Rebuilt engine with Bulletproof head gasket leaking water like crazy

[Mastiff]

mr.Spoof, the engine never saw any fluids (except for the oil that was used to lubricate when assembling it) until the buyer put it in and started it. It was stored dry.

I will let the guy know. For you who did not see the first posts, I sold the engine. It's five hours drive from here.

 

[Mastiff]

Darn (moderated by myself...)... The head gaskets were replaced with standards, and the engine was put together again, and exactly the same happened. It's so bad that the hoses to the radiator were close to bursting! He is going to do a compression test during the weekend, I will get you the numbers for that. He did suspect cracked heads, perhaps from too much pressure when they were installed. I know my mechanic neigbour did it from the manual to the Bulletproff gaskets, but if the numbers were mixed up I guess that could crath the heads.

Also the engine may be a rebuilt one since it's painted black, like they did at GM when they overhauled engines themselves. But it should still be as good as new from that.

 

[Jerryl]

Quick check.
Compression and leak down test first.
If compression is low . .

Remove the nuts (1 at a time) and add some (3-4) hardened washers under the ARP washers. You want them about the same size as the ARP washers. Retorque the head. Try again.

 

[Pronto]

Pull the covers and take a picture of the studs. The heads may not be torqued down.

 

[dyermullet]

Mastiff

I think you are not understanding what is being suggested about the head studs. If the studs are too long, as the nuts are torqued they will run out of thread and reach the non threaded part of the stud. When that happens the torque wrench will show the correct torque spec but the gasket will not actually be compressed between the head and the block. Water and compression will both leak.

Installing extra washers under the nut will allow the nut to reach the torque spec without running out of thread.

Before spend anymore time. Tell him to remove rocker arms, use compressed air through spark plug hole to identify if leaks.

If it leaks, add washers under nuts test again with compressed air.

In the past it has been a problem on the buick to have too long of a stud from arp.

 

[ek02]

Studs too long or the wrong heads for that block. He should have made sure the gaskets lined up with all the water passages on the block and heads. He also should have noticed if the studs were too long when he pulled the heads. A long shot would be valve seats leaking if they were ever replaced improperly.

 

[Reapersgbodys]

Norway law different than US???? The guy bought a used motor as is, unfortunately, he has problems with. Kudos to you Mastiff for being a standup guy and helping him get it fixed. Not a lot of people would do that. You were pretty transparent with buyer, unfortunately he's got problems, why no take it back to the guy who did the re-build????

 

[Jerryl]

I don't know the laws related to sales in other countries. IMO, it's not always about the law. It's about doing the right thing.

 

[TurboBuRick]

What a mess

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

Some years ago I was at an EFI meet and there was a GN there getting some tuning done. Things were going well until the engine suddenly filled with water. Boom just like that the chambers, most of them filled.

After some head scratching the owner and builder admitted that the engine came from a JY and was also filled with water then. At the time didn't know why it did it, not sure what became of that engine.

But being here for some time did read a thread where a guy was having issues getting the heads properly seated onto the block. The issue ended up the head bolt holes in the block were not drilled and tapped perpendicular to the deck. Others chimed in that this was found to be true on other blocks.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[Jerryl]

Good point. If the block wasn't
decked perpendicular, that could be an issue. If the deck and the heads were decked enough to try and raise CR, the locating pins may be too long as well, preventing the heads to seating.

 

[Pronto]

Yes thats very possible with the pins.

 

[Mastiff]

The studs were replaced with shorter studs, no change. I had to give up on the motor, it's cracked in the block or the heads, maybe the block since it's three cylinders on one side and one on the other? Oh, and yes. Norway has VERY different laws. I announced it as a working, expertly rebuilt engine, and it turned out to be non working, which means that I have to give him his money back or he could take me to court and win, plus court costs (which are very high here). And I have done so. I could have driven the five hours to get it back and try to get it fixed, but condsiering it took me two years with constant advertising to get an attemptet sale it would be wasting more money. So he's taking off the turbo and carb, and I'm going to try to get some of my money back by eBaying those.

As for the guy who rebuilt it, it's not his fault either. The cracks are internal and not visible, and they probably are from when I bought the engine. It was supposed to be perfect and a crate motor, but I actually think that it was damaged then, and it was rebuilt. Original Buick engines are blue, from what I hear. That one was painted black. And I bought it around 10 years ago, from Michicgan, so no chance to get anything back there either. All inn all, totall loss.

 

[Pronto]

If the heads were ported there's a chance they perforated them.

 

[TurboBuRick]

With water being in so many cylinders it leads me to believe something is wrong in the intake.
I would pull the plenum and pressurize the coolant system then see what the hell is going on.

 

[seedling]

Why don’t you have it checked to see what is wrong, i.e., cracked block, heads, etc? And then let’s figure out what block you have and see if we can’t help you find one cheap?? In that, someone may have one laying around their willing to let go cheap. As long as it’s not a 109 block, it would have to be fairly inexpensive, like $100-$200 tops? Not sure what shipping would cost? However, we could help you arrange shipping and hopefully save you, or at least help you recoup some serious losses? As it’s very unfortunate that you’re losing what sounds like serious money over there (over something that would be very inexpensive over here)?

And who knows maybe your buyer would be interested in the motor still (if he knew the right parts were being arranged for replacement)?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Scarab]

I wish the software still let it move...

its still moving lol

 

[TurboBuRick]

There are very inexpensive smartphone endoscopes available. Google "endoscope" You can put them through the spark plug hole and see inside the cylinder. Pressurise the coolingt syrtem and have a look.
Did you pull plenum and look inside the intake?

 

[jskarateka]

There are very inexpensive smartphone endoscopes available. Google "endoscope" You can put them through the spark plug hole and see inside the cylinder. Pressurise the coolingt syrtem and have a look.
Did you pull plenum and look inside the intake?

X2, This is the one I have:

https://www.ryobitools.com/phoneworks/inspection-scope/

 

[salvageV6]

Do they make one a few hundred miles long? I think the OP has mentioned he's 2.5 hrs. away from the motor one way.

Then again, if it would fit in a Buick trunk I would probably have driven the 5 hours to refund the money and get my parts back, and then have a looksee.