I had my heads plained, and put new gaskets on. I cleaned the block good. torqued the stock bolts down to 65 lbs I started the car a few times, and everthing looked good. Today im taking my slp shortys off, and noticed some coolant on the oil filter. I cant tell where its coming from, but it looks like the header bolt hole, but im not sure. I did have a machine shop retap them because the bolt broke. Can i re torque the hesd bolts, or do i have to pull the head? I want to pressure test the system. Is there a special fitting to connect to the rad. to do the test. If i have to pull the heads again there might be a 94z for sale LOL!!!

 

Anyone??
TTT

 

you said it looks like its coming from a header bolt hole. I don't know how it could be unless your heads have some real problems. If you meant its coming from a head bolt then i had the same problem. I tried some sealer on my head bolts that was more like a glue than a sealer. Two of my head bolts leaked water out onto the side of the block. I had to pull my header, remove the two bolts, then put some silicone on the bolts and retorque them. I've gone 5k at least so far after that maybe more but no problems so far.

 

I was just thinking that when the machine shop drilled the bolt out, they when to far and hit a jacket. It looked fine until i unbolted the headers Z95m6 what you said also make sense. I will try and see i can get a better look. I hope its only a bolt. I also used teflon on all the bolts that hit coolant. Z95m6 do you know the name of the stuff you used?
Thanks Chad

 

The stuff i used was indian head i think. I also think its called gasket shalack. Its kind of a black glue. That stuff failed and i ended up just using orange/red silicone and now i have no leaks. I guess if its leaking in the head where the header bolt goes maybe you could get a short allen head bolt and put sealer on it and thread it in to the hole. Then just use a shorter header bolt, or take a 3/8" bolt and cut a small piece of it off then cut a groove in it so you could use a screw driver to thread it in. Then put some silicone on it and thread it into the hole and use a shorter header bolt. Hopefully yours is just coming from a head bolt and not the head.

 

why are you using stock bolts...

buy some arp bolts and use the arp lube or a thread sealer.

 

Because i was told that you can reuse the 93 head bolts only.
I do realize now that i should have used arp's

 

Well i let my car sit overnight with the header bolt in the head hand tight. When i took it out a little coolant came out
Do you gus think it will be ok to just put sealant on the bolt when i put my new headers on. My problem is that i been working on my car for over 6 months and the machine shop wont do anything about it. what should i try before buying a new head
Chad

 

Your header bolts shouldn't be going into any coolant passages. If it's dripping on the oil filter you might want to check the coolant pipes and bolt on the back of the cylinder head near the firewall. If you tired to re-use those or the seal is leaking then you'll definitly get coolant on the oil filter.
Reach around there and see if it's wet, if it is you've got the culprit.

As far as head bolts, always use teflon paste made for head bolts. Loctite makes one that comes in an aqua tube with white letters.

Hope this helps,
Christian

 

are you sure about the header bolt, because when i take that bolt out there is a couple of drips that follow. I did use teflon paste on the head bolts that pass through coolant. The bolt that leaks is #7 closest to the the front. I guess im going to run it and see what happens
chad

 

I'm sure, speaking from experience changing 4 sets of headers (installing an removing another 2 times with engine rebuilds.) Also doing 4+ cylinder head swaps (again, plus another 2 times with engine rebuilds)

Here are some pics from one head swap, a friend of mine's GTP heads:

http://www.carprogrammer.com/Z28/Cyl...LT1_Head_Pics/

Hopefully some teflon will help seal it, still wierd that they tapped it deep enough to hit water, yet it only drips, strange.

Hope this helps,
Christian

 

may be with pressure on the system it would leak more Anyways thanks for the info christian i will try the teflon
Chad

 

Just for ****s and giggles, i just when outside and squeezed the rad. hose, and sure enough it squirts out of the hole. WTF!!
It might be time for afrs, and hotcam

 

Um...When I pulled my heads, I had the back manifold bolts broke off on both sides. When I drilled one of them, I struck a water passage, so...Yes it is possible. I filled the bottom of the hole with JB Weld, drilled it, and helicoiled it. When I put the headers on, I put some Permatex "Ultra Copper" sealant on the threads of that header bolt.
This was a year ago, and I haven't seen any leaks yet.

Frank