351W lower head bolt coolant leak

[NYLES]

I ride over to Conway ever now n then Im a member Arkansas Boyz bronco club and I don't even live in Arkie, Hey you have no excuse not to be at OCBR!!!

 

[Timmy390]

Hey you have no excuse not to be at OCBR!!!

Yes I do......

Girls Fastpitch Softball travel team. I'm a coach and we travel all over (AR, TN, MS, AL, OK, TX, even OH this summer). I've been in Malvern on OCBR weekend several times at a charity softball tournament. Heck, I even have a deer lease there just outside Malvern.

Something always comes up........but I hope to make it next year but that's what I said about this year....

Tim

 

[NYLES]

I'm thinking the block has a crack down in the threads

Thats what I think maybe even a double crack, cylinder wall and water jacket, maybe somewhere in this blocks life the bolt got over torqued, someone used to long a bolt, maybe forgot to put a washer on before torqueing it.....and cracked the block.

 

[NYLES]

Yes I do......

Girls Fastpitch Softball travel team. I'm a coach and we travel all over (AR, TN, MS, AL, OK, TX, even OH this summer). I've been in Malvern on OCBR weekend several times at a charity softball tournament. Heck, I even have a deer lease there just outside Malvern.

Something always comes up........but I hope to make it next year but that's what I said about this year....

Tim

Well Ill be there the Monday before it starts come visit!!!

 

[Timmy390]

Well while on lunch, I took the headers off and got the black light in there and saw no evidence of a crack in the head above the lower head bolt. I didn't see any glowing inside the exhaust ports but maybe the dye doesn't show up once it's burned?

Clearly leaking around the bolt/washer.

Ran the black light over the rest of the engine (top, bottom, sides and front/back) and confirmed no other coolant leaks. No glowing.....

Next step is to take it by the machine shop and let them take a look with it running. I'll target Thursday for that.

Tim

 

[bmc69]

Wonder if the shop forgot to use the teflon head bolt thread sealant...or missed one.

 

[Timmy390]

There's no thread sealant on any of them as the 351W holes are blind. ARP Ultra Torque Lube as applied.

I know when I chased the threads and blew compressed air into all the holes when cleaning the block, I was hit in the face with air and debris. I was also able to fill them all with break cleaner in the cleaning process and they all filled up to the top of the block surface.

Tim

 

[Timmy390]

Pulled the plugs on #6 and #7 (cylinder on either side of the the leaking bolt). Did the paper trick/test, nothing on the paper...........Going to get the black light back in there just to make sure....

Tim

 

[NYLES]

Did it stop making bubbles with em out?

 

[Timmy390]

Only makes bubbles after coming up to temp. Then bubble factory

Tim

 

[AZ69EB]

Put some dish soap in it and make the neighborhood kids happy. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

On the not so positive note, what Nyles said could of happened. I've seen where someone put long timing chain cover bolts in the wrong spot and broke the block. They ended up using sealant around the bolts and called it good.

Worth checking.

Good luck

 

[DaveLev]

This sounds a lot like what I had going on with my 289/302. Send me a PM with your number and I'll call to discuss / bounce some ideas off. Busy for another 3 hours today; will be after hours tonight.

 

[Rustytruck]

Where's the head dowels, and are they too long? When assembled did you check with out the head gaskets that the heads went all the way down and that the bolts also went all the way down and clamped the head to the bare block? Having a static coolant leak with a cold block is pretty bad and be obvious where its coming from. If you really think its leaking from the head bolt threads I would use loctite ptfe sealant.

http://na.henkel-adhesives.com/industrial/product-search-1554.htm?nodeid=8797713629185

 

[Timmy390]

Thanks for all the advice and offers for help. I'm slow going on this some days due to my "other commitments" not to mention working from home can be a curse as there is no real start and stop time. It's start when you get called till the work is done.

I was all over town late this afternoon trying to find a cooling system pressure tester that would work on the Bronco radiator. Just got home with one in hand. Took off the radiator cap and found the below. Sure looks like oil in the coolant to me. I put just a bit of used oil in a white bucket and dropped just a few drops of coolant in the bucket and gave it a shake. The coolant looked exactly like the pictures.

What do you guys think?

 

[bronconut73]

Damn it Timmy.....what the hell is going on here?

I have been watching your thread here for awhile now....been really looking forward to some resolution to your dilemma...I know you have too....

I really feel bad for ya old man.....wish I was closer....

 

[Timmy390]

Damn it Timmy.....what the hell is going on here?

I have been watching your thread here for awhile now....been really looking forward to some resolution to your dilemma...I know you have too....

I really feel bad for ya old man.....wish I was closer....

Thanks man.....Life will go on and the Bronco will rise form the ashes that is my 351W nightmare. Going to pressure test the system tomorrow or firday to make 100% sure the leak is coming from the bolt and not the area around/above the bolt head. Read a thread today over on Stang board where a guy had what appeared to be the same leak as I have and it turned out to be a pin hole in the head. http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?163269-Confirm-my-nightmare-351w Then give it a run test with the #6 injector disconnected and the plug out to see if the bubbles go away.

Then it's off the the machine shop to talk to them about next steps. Find out just how much of the engine they want (long block/short block) to start digging into this mess. Start with pressure testing the heads, verifying the deck surfaces are right. If no issues are found, then attention will turn to the block. The pics above have me thinking block.

Anyone got a 95/96 351W roller block punched 20 over they don't need? Will trade boat anchor for it...LOL

Tim

 

[NYLES]

That sucks even more......Wish I had a spare head for ya

 

[Timmy390]

The head is cracked. Just pressure tested the system and will upload pics in a few once I can get them off my phone. Almost the same exact area as this guys's http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?163269-Confirm-my-nightmare-351w

Will have pics in a few......damn crack is 1/2 inch long. Hidden under black paint.

Tim

 

[Timmy390]

And there it is

 

[NYLES]

You deserve the relief......go aluminum easier to swap