My Weeping Disco - Reman'd 4.6 Short Block Options
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Mudding
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 147
Likes: 13
From: Maine
Sorry for what is probably another dumb question, but would the head gasket 're-seal' itself as the car cools? As I said in the op, the leak seems to start at about 140 degrees and then once it reaches running temp it will drip under the truck for like 15-25 mins after shutdown until it cools enough to close the crack.
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Mudding
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 147
Likes: 13
From: Maine
Man, well, you guys have given me renewed hope. I never thought I would be happy to potentially have a blown head gasket. Oddly the guy in OH who did the headgaskets last Feb said they had just been done prior by the first owner, but whoever did it used the wrong bolts (didn't reuse the old ones, just used the wrong ones). This would be the 3rd time in less than 10k miles.
Okay, if it is tricky to impossible to determine for sure whether the block is cracked, is their a 'best way' to determine for sure if it is the back of the HG? To start tearing it down, the leak down test, or something else?
Okay, if it is tricky to impossible to determine for sure whether the block is cracked, is their a 'best way' to determine for sure if it is the back of the HG? To start tearing it down, the leak down test, or something else?
Pro Wrench
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,611
Likes: 112
From: Bham, Alabama
Besides a pressure test, pulling the heads. They probably just did a half *** job on it and didn't get the heads decked or anything. Most of them won't do theat even though they claim to a reputable shop.
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Mudding
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 147
Likes: 13
From: Maine
The place was called Bayton Auto Group or something in Columbus, OH. I have the guy's receipts at the house. They said they had them resurfaced, and charged him for it.
Pro Wrench
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,611
Likes: 112
From: Bham, Alabama
Well if it's a head gasket, they didn't do something proper. If they used stretch bolts, they could have done the procedure improperly. The easiest way I've been able to tell a head gasket job has been done on a disco, they is usually a dent with chipped paint, rust, or they sprayed it and it's shinier than the rest from getting to the rear bolt on the heads by the firewall. They are a pia. The smartest, in my opinion, is a set of studs, they are reusable, maintain even torque across the whole head surface, and are just easier. When you think about a stretch bolt with an initial torque of 15ft lbs in the correct sequence, then a solid 90 degree turn on each bolt in the correct sequence, the another 90 degree turn in the correct sequence, you get varying torqued across the surface of the head due to the length of the bolts. Plus those 90 degree turns are supposed to be one fluid motion and that final turn is a pia with a breaker bar and cheater pipe and I'm a big guy.
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Mudding
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 147
Likes: 13
From: Maine
The guy definitely used new oem bolts. I remember that from the paperwork because that is where he says the prior job was done incorrectly (literally with like bolts and washers). That is also where he comments that the heads were new. And the first guy I had look at it when I first noticed the leak mentioned the heads were new as well.
Pro Wrench
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,611
Likes: 112
From: Bham, Alabama
Ok well damn. I am at a loss then. The only thing I could guess it could be a bad gasket or it could have gotten pinched when installed (another perk to studs). But my leak was at the rear passenger side (#8 cylinder) and dripped barely enough for me to notice it until I had to replace the starter. They gaskets have a small coating to seal to the head and the coolant passages are about as big as a ball point pen. For it to have a crack block on the exterior, you would be the first guy I have talked to that had that problem but in the same sense, instead of staying the same, it should theoretically, get larger over time with the weather changes and constant expanding and contracting of the metal
Winching
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 517
Likes: 62
From: Oceanside CA
So I have removed my heads and I have a steam cleaned cylinder # 5. How can I tell if it is the gaskets or the block?
Well if you had a cracked block, you theroretically should loose a lot more coolant, run hot a lot and depending on where the crack was, you should have a milky texture to your engine oil. If you oil is fine, then it could be a external crack but it should leak more than what you say and expand when the engine is running and leak worse especially since you are in Maine and I'm sure it cold cold cold up there. I would still say it's probably a head gasket based off of what the symptoms are but that's not looking at it. If you look at chubbs888 head gasket job, he had coolant on top of one of his pistons. You can pull the spark plugs and shine a light down the hole and look to see if you see carbon build up on the piston, no leak near that cylinder but if it's shiny, it's been steam cleaned and u got a leak somewhere around that cylinder but you wouldn't be able to tell for sure if it was a cracked block or a gasket until you got the heads off. It's not that bad of a job to do just time consuming. But do the pressure test and if you can't find the leak externally, pull the spark plugs and look down that way.
