head stud leaking coolant?

[brock1949]

I was taking the AC out of the truck tonight and working on the harness and had to take a valve cover off to easily pull it out of the truck. So i notice a puddle of coolant hanging out in the low spots around the head studs. I was told i needed to put some walnut tablet in the cooling system that i never got to because i only had this engine running about 3 hours.

When i had it running i noticed it leaking a couple drops out of the head studs but never thought it was to bad.. But this doesn't look great it was a decent sized puddle.

Its 2001 vortec heads fully built by a high end local shop that does killer work, cometic head gaskets and ARP bolts. They told me they leak sometimes.. period

so whats the deal?

Thanks in advance !!!

http://brockcarpenter.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b34266a2e4cb

 

[brock1949]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

thats a link to pics of the coolant above,

This is a new engine maybe 2 hours total runtime combined so far.

 

[Robert Lone]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

Pipe dope is your friend....

Go to True Value...

 

[brock1949]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

Also i used the ARP rtv gray looking stuff, that claimed it was the only thing you were supposed to use and that using RTV would mess up torq numbers etc.. I really don't want to waste 200 dollar head gaskets to put 5 dollars in RTV in etc.

 

[brock1949]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

take the head studs out ?

 

[denny]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

I think you can reuse the cometic, but I would take it back to the shop and let them pull the head for free.
If you got do it yourself, just take that one bolt and use the gray rvt.

 

[brock1949]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

well i built it though, so its completly my problem.. Nolan told me to put the gm walnut tablets in when i told him i had some i could see leaking when i started the engine.. any weight to this?

But if i'm going to pull the heads it couldn't be easier that right now all thats left is the intake gasket... core support etc etc its all apart front end it empty

 

[brock1949]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

i'm not 100% sure which ones are leaking i guess.. very front had a small puddle then that big puddle in the back.

also can i take them out one at a time and just re torq them if i do it that way..

there doesn't seem to be any great options here.

 

[blk00z28]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

And your using the studs and not the bolts right?

I'm going to keep an eye on this thread cause I'm wanting to use studs but If there's a chance they will leak I'm not sure now lol. Unless this rtv is the magic cure.

 

[Syclone#2960]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

I was taking the AC out of the truck tonight and working on the harness and had to take a valve cover off to easily pull it out of the truck. So i notice a puddle of coolant hanging out in the low spots around the head studs. I was told i needed to put some walnut tablet in the cooling system that i never got to because i only had this engine running about 3 hours.

When i had it running i noticed it leaking a couple drops out of the head studs but never thought it was to bad.. But this doesn't look great it was a decent sized puddle.

Its 2001 vortec heads fully built by a high end local shop that does killer work, cometic head gaskets and ARP bolts. They told me they leak sometimes.. period

so whats the deal?

Thanks in advance !!!

http://brockcarpenter.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b34266a2e4cb

You should make sure it is the head studs & not the rocker arm studs. Use a radiator pressure tester from autozone & watch for the source of the leaks. It's very common for the studs to leak. Both of my motors did the same shit...I'm going to runs standard ARP bolts instead.

 

[sy445]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

I built my motor with cometics and studs also. It leaked water into the engine on the dyno. I pulled the heads, changed to bolts with lots of sealant and reused the cometics, no problems. You could remove each stud at a time replacing it with a bolt without having to remove the heads

 

[Foot Performance]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

Had a couple Small blocks do this (as far as leak) some I got fixed with pipe dope or other sealant but I have had a few that i had to put bolts back in them

 

[pinellas50]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

The upper bolts go into the water jacket as well? I only gots coolant when I pulled the small, lower bolts. There was no hint of coolant on the uppers when I pulled them.

I'm still learning these motors.

 

[brock1949]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

This engine smoked twice when i started it.. seemed like oil. engine builder said it would first couple times until the rings were set, i was running VR1 race oil and he told me i needed to dump in some non syn rotella and it would stop since i didn't have a tune even remotly close to be able to beat on it.

Is there any weight to the walnut tablets thing from GM? I've heard that several times now.

It doesn't get any easier to change the head gaskets/RTV that right now the whole front end is apart. but it still sucks. plus ARP strait told me to only use the new black/gray stuff they give you with the studs.Said anything else its going to mess up torq numbers and they wouldn't leak anyways. But i didn't do crap to the rocker studs..

 

[brock1949]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

as for the smoking thing that seemed to randomly in the last post i was wondering if there is something i'm missing that could have been making it smoke from coolant in the oil or something.

Thanks everyone

 

[Windedv6]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

The ARP stuff seems to work well with head bolts. But with studs use a pipe dope sealer.

Clean the holes with a thread chaser (not a tap!) and spray in a little break clean to dry them out good. Pipe dope the threads and snug them finger (hand tight). Install the heads and torq them accordingly to ARP spec depending if you are using oil or ARP assembly lube on the upper threads (the specs are different). I personally go 10 lbs over (from APR specs) on the cast heads and cometic gaskets. Important next step...after torqing let everything set 24 hr or at least 12 -15 hrs. Do not retorq! I have done it this way and never had a problem on stock blocks.

Bowtie motors don't have this problem as all the block threads are blind tapped and do not go into the water jacket.

I am a frim believer on using studs on cometic gaskets. They have a stronger clamping force and have more of a pulling effect under pressure than a pull/twist effect that is inherit with the bolts. Cometic's do not need to be retorqed which is good so you aren't messing with the pipe dope after it has been set.

Also when your are running the motor for the first time and bringing it up to temp, don't fill your radiator all the way (so it doesn't run over) and leave the cap off. This is good for a couple of reasons. 1) The water is not under pressure, but engine heat will help cure the pipe dope. 2) You are usually busy enough just trying to get a simple tune in play to get it running.. you don't need to be fighting pressurize water leaks. After it is idleing smoothing and starting easily then put the cap on with the level still low as it will build pressure easier, then check for leaks.

Also it is best to only use water (distilled) when first starting and dealing with a new motor, as it is better for water leaking into the motor than anti freeze. When everything is settled in and no leaks then drain some water out and do your anti freeze mix.

Do your anti feeze mixiture to the minimum ratio for your area if it is a daily driver but enough to protect your self if you truck is going to stay out in cold weather. If you live in the south you still need some anti freeze to help with some cooling vs straight water. Some use water and other chemicals such as Wetter Water and no anti freeze at all. To not have anti freeze or miminal anti freeze is good if you blow a head gasket. You won't skuff or take out bearings as easily.

Don't do the walnut stop leak. Find the problem and fix it.

John

 

[brock1949]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

Thanks a million awesome write up. You did leave out one part, As far as my new cometics that have 2 hours runtime reuse them, or toss them?

Today will decide what i'm going to do, waiting to get a offer back on a house and in the middle of it ohio changed the laws for no more 100% loans period. Not a giant deal but i am out a couple extra grand of cash i had planned to leave alone. So IF this house goes through and i owe like 6000-7000 dollars i'm probably going to be bandaiding it for now because i still need a 3 bar map sensor,-10 fuel lines and feel block, -8 return and etc.

But if you think i'm safe to reuse the gaskets then screw it i'll tear it down.

 

[Windedv6]

Re: head stud leaking coolant?

Thanks a million awesome write up. You did leave out one part, As far as my new cometics that have 2 hours runtime reuse them, or toss them?

Today will decide what i'm going to do, waiting to get a offer back on a house and in the middle of it ohio changed the laws for no more 100% loans period. Not a giant deal but i am out a couple extra grand of cash i had planned to leave alone. So IF this hose goes through and i owe like 6000-7000 dollars i'm probably going to be bandaiding it for now because i still need a 3 bar map sensor,-10 fuel lines and feel block, -8 return and etc.

But if you think i'm safe to reuse the gaskets then screw it i'll tear it down.

Unless they are damaged when they come out reuse them. Don't use brake clean or a tough detergent on them as you don't want to mess up the coating. I sprayed on Simple Green, let it set in a little then rinse them very well. Dry them with a hair dryer or heat gun (not extermely hot) as the gaskets have metal plates, to get the mositure out of them. You can clean the deck and heads with brake clean and let dry before installing the gaskets.

John