engine and drivetrain Bad leak - I haz a sad

[SeanH]

So I attached the coolant lines and filled it up with coolant for the first time on the new engine yesterday, and this happened,

Not two minutes later coolant came leaking out of the carb for cylinder #3.

Not good. Sigh.

Next step? Advice and thoughts appreciated.

Some info that might be related:

Block is from the original car. Slightly over-bored and decked by a reputable shop here in Seattle. Assembled by a reputable mechanic as well.

Head is an e12 found on ebay. Came 'profesionally rebuilt', but it wasn't the best of transactions and I am now very dubious about it - thinking it might be the culprit.

I'm hoping it will be a simple gasket leak, but I know my chances of that. Hope it's the head over the block.

Dang - that's how I feel, just 'dang'.

Sean

[roadhog0]

Do you have coolant running through the intake manifold? Since it's a sidedraft manifold I assume thats a no but always worth the ask.

[SeanH]

Nope.

Well, I do now anyways. ;-)

Sean

[Emyers]

Sorry to see that, my guess would be the head. Maybe a crack in the cooling passages around #3 cyl that was not readily visible and opened up a bit after the head was torqued down.

Earl

74 02Lux

02 M Roadster

72 Volvo 1800ES

[Preyupy]

You need to get the head off NOW!!! before you get any rust started in the bores.

I am guessing there is a crack or porous casting around the #3 intake port it could be around the valve guide. They may have put new seats in and cut to much and hit the water jacket. Have it pressure tested.

Get the head off, get the water out of the bores and oil the cyl walls. drain the oil out of the pan (there will be water in there that has gotten by the rings.

[oldguy]

this isn't a small leak. this is a gargauntuan niagra falls leak. I'm guessing you've got a headgasket issue or head not fully seated. I mean unless you missed a crack the size of texas when you put it on.

[SeanH]

Well, the head is not 'fully' seated as this engine has never actually been turned on and warmed up yet. So the head bolts haven't rec'd a final torquing.

But like you said, this is no small leak, and it happened within a couple minutes. So this more like a pour.

Even if the head gasket isn't on right, it will have to be REALLY messed up. I'm no great mechanic (case and point), but I'm not typically that bad.

Of course, I'm not ruling that out either. I sincerely pray that this is just an idiot gasket installment.

I'll also look into whether this might be a bad valve issue. I also like the idea that there might be a crack that is expanding under pressure.

But like suggested, tonight I've got to pull this thing off and completely drain it.

So much for getting it started this summer.

[Emyers]

Yea, but it is coming out of the carb throat that connects to the cylinder head intake port which then flows into the intake valve area. From there it empties into the combustion area. I am having a difficult time visualizing an issue with the cyl head gasket allowing coolant to leak out of the intake tract. Unless of course the combustion chamber totally filled up with anti-freeze, the intake valve is open, and the fluid found its way out thru the carb.

Hmmmmmm....just an observation.

Earl

[Guest Anonymous]

Block is from the original car. Slightly over-bored and decked by a reputable shop here in Seattle. Assembled by a reputable mechanic as well.

Head is an e12 found on ebay. Came 'profesionally rebuilt'

Sean

The mechanic assembled the engine, ask him to check his work.

Assembly would have to include a cursory inspection, as as oldfart said, it would have to be a huge crack to flow that much. The water is pretty close to the exhaust seats, and heads are prone to crack there. An experienced tech should at least have had a quick look there before bolting things up.

With this much leaking, it's likely something else and the text I quoted from your post gives a clue.

Since the block was decked, the alignment dowels stick out further than original. If the head was cut too, that decreases the clearance to fit this extra dowel length, and then it *could* be possible to have the dowels keeping the head from clamping the gasket.

Anytime you deck a block, you need to check this... so unless you are 100% confident it was OK, I would look at it real close. Someone with good measuring tools (even the butt-end of a dial caliper can be used to check depth of the dowel holes.)

[tim385]

Have you pulled your plugs out and turned the motor over by hand to see if any coolant comes out plug holes ?

[SeanH]

Well, last night I drained all the oil and saw thick green lines of coolant. That most likely says that coolant is filing up the cylinder.

Head will come off this weekend for a true inspection.

Thanks for the help all!

Sean

[TobyB]

I am having a difficult time visualizing an issue with the cyl head gasket allowing coolant to leak out of the intake tract

Corrosion. We had a head that had some visible corrosion in the usual places,

but looked and tested OK.

6 months later, splat, huge coolant flow into one of the rod bolt passages.

Sawed it apart to find that corrosion had eroded the boss to the point where

it had breached. And the bolt hadn't sealed, either.

Get in there with a mirror and take a look at the intake port- you should be able

to see what's gone wrong. Coolant does go around it, so I bet you see

anirregular hole in the port.

t

[SeanH]

Toby, do you have a shop in the Seattle area?

Sean

[TobyB]

heh, no, just the hovel I call home...

t