|
By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
|
Been having a strange experience with my new motor! Every so often especially when it is cold, I if stand on it hard my rad cap will lift and spray my engine compartment.(doesn't seam to happen when it is warmed up!) Engine is no where near hot and sometimes the rad is stone cold when this happens. My fear is a head gasket, but there are no signs of that. No antifreeze in the oil or any white smoke out of the tail pipe. My engine builder calculated my compression at about 10:25 to 1 with the Probe dome pistons.
Car runs great, and pulls REAL strong. I can't take it back to my engine builder as he passed away, shortly after finishing my motor. My thoughts right now are to re-torque the head bolts, unless anyone has any other things I should look at (Ted, John?)
Thanks
|
|
By charliemccraney - 9 Years Ago
|
Make sure the radiator cap is still within spec. If you or a friend has a cooling system pressure tester, many of those also have cap tester.
|
|
By Vic Correnti - 9 Years Ago
|
|
Most auto repair places have a dye that indicates if you have an exhaust leak into the cooling system.
|
|
By ian57tbird - 9 Years Ago
|
Is the wire coil in your bottom radiator hose? could be sucking flat and pressurising the top end of your cooling system. I can get a small amount come out when the revs get higher as the water can't get through the rad fast enough and pressure increases in the top tank.
If it is spraying over the motor it may be that the rad neck is not flat or the seal on the cap is faulty or maybe the overflow is not able to release the pressure quick enough.
I wouldn't know what mine would do under those circumstances as I never load mine up until it is at running temp.
And as Charlie says, Pressure test your cap.
|
|
By Ted - 9 Years Ago
|
|
I’ll suggest retorqing the head bolts at this point. Do you have grade eight head bolts? It does sound like a head gasket pressurizing the cooling system.
|
|
By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
|
Ted,
I purchased all new head bolts from John Mummert when I bought the engine kit. What do you recommend retorqing the head bolts to?
|
|
By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
|
|
Thanks for all the other responses, I will have the cap checked out. It is a 13 lbs cap on a new aluminum rad.
|
|
By Ted - 9 Years Ago
|
Canadian Hot Rodder (5/13/2016)
Ted, I purchased all new head bolts from John Mummert when I bought the engine kit. What do you recommend retorqing the head bolts to?
For head bolt torque, I use 70 lbs. for the short bolts and 75 lbs. for the long bolts.
|
|
By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
|
|
Thanks Ted, I hope this works and I caught it in time! I'd hate to have to pull the heads on my new motor and since Rob Burbine has passed, I can't go back to him!
|
|
By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
|
Ted,
I tried to re-torque the head bolts to 70 & 75 ft pounds, but didn't even budge the bolts! My head bolts are ARP 12 points supplied by John Mummert. I am going to assume that Rob had torqued my head bolts down a lot more than 75 ft /lbs. I have steel gaskets, not the composite type, do you suppose this may have crushed the gaskets? Motor is perfectly fine if I start it up and let it warm up until the thermostat opens. After that it appears I can stand on it as much as I want! If I do this before the motor completely heats up, I pressurize the rad.
|
|
By Ted - 9 Years Ago
|
|
Canadian Hot Rodder (5/23/2016)
Ted,
I tried to re-torque the head bolts to 70 & 75 ft pounds, but didn't even budge the bolts! My head bolts are ARP 12 points supplied by John Mummert. I am going to assume that Rob had torqued my head bolts down a lot more than 75 ft /lbs. I have steel gaskets, not the composite type, do you suppose this may have crushed the gaskets? Motor is perfectly fine if I start it up and let it warm up until the thermostat opens. After that it appears I can stand on it as much as I want! If I do this before the motor completely heats up, I pressurize the rad.
Rob. It’s been awhile since I’ve used the steel shim head gaskets and this is because of water seepage issues that I was encountering with those gaskets. Your problem does sound like it’s related to the head gaskets though. On the engine while it’s cold, I’ll suggest turning it over with all the spark plugs out and looking for any wisps of coolant out of one of the holes just to insure that water is not going into the cylinders. Looking at the spark plugs while you’re doing this may also give you some kind of indicator. Sort of doubt that you’re going to see water at this point but if you do, then it’s time to pull the heads and replace the gaskets.
|
|
By MoonShadow - 9 Years Ago
|
I just tried a re-torque on mine. It reduced the flow a bit but was still pretty steady. Coming from around the number 8 spark plug. So, Engine is out and in the shop. Since after this week I'm going to be on the road again for most of June I'm not sure how I'll proceed. Hoping to pick up the new blower motor from Ted at Indy, bring it home and put it in. Still haven't solved the hood problem but I'll probably just run with it off. I started the engine with the exhaust off and noticed some black smoke coming out of number 7. It was smoking, oil smoke, at start up so I guess its time to freshen this one. See you guys at Indy but no car again.
|
|
By ian57tbird - 9 Years Ago
|
|
Ted would expect any emulsifying of the oil showing up on the dipstick or breather cap with a leak like that?
|
|
By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
|
|
That is what I would think, but NO signs in the oil, or the antifreeze! I pulled the thermostat and drilled a couple of 1/8" holes in it to equalize pressures. (this helps) Antifreeze I drained out of the rad was clean as new, not a drop of oil in it!
|