coolant leaking at head/block

[backyardbill]

My spider is weeping (very slightly) at the the mating of the head and block on the passenger side front. There is no trace of any coolant in the oil. There is no trace of oil in the coolant. The engine runs perfect, when cold and after warming up. The engine does not overheat at all, even in Texas 105 heat.

It this a blown head gasket? Or cracked head?

Has anyone else seen this before?

What do you think of this stuff:

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp ... 7Aod8kgA2A

Thanks for the help.

[So Cal Mark]

that Bar's Leak has liquid glass and it seems to work pretty well. Leaking at that point between the head and block may indicate electrolysis has eaten away at the water jackets in the cylinder head

[backyardbill]

That doesn't sound good. I was concerned that the Bars goop might clog up other parts of the cooling system. And make replacing the head gasket in the future that much more of a PITA.

Can the head be removed with the cam towers and cams left in place?

Thanks for the response.

[WYSpider]

I had similar weeping. After a year it became worse. My water jackets were fine but my head gasket was failing.

[TX82FIAT]

The location of your weeping coolant and lack of overheating has me thinking. Before you tear into the head take a few minutes and put some baby powder around the water pump and the heater pipe as well as the mating surface on the head and run the car while you watch for the origin of the leak on the passenger side. About a year ago i would have swore my head was leaking in the front area near of the passenger side where the head meets the block. The leak was at the heater pipe and was so slight that you I could not tell it's origin until I dried everything off applied baby powder and watched in my driveway for 20 minutes. I would hate for you to tear into the head when heater pipe leaking in that area is very common and often very hard to spot.

[WYSpider]

Yep, the heater pipe and gasket or hoses are much cheaper and easier to fix than pulling the head. I ran mine for a year before I was convinced what was going on.

Yes, the head can be removed with the cam towers, exhaust and intake manifolds in place. I removed both manifolds before pulling but left the towers in place.

[SpecialTool]

I just replaced the head gasket on my 1.8 about a week and a half ago. I had coolant seeping from the head/block by #3 cylinder on the exhaust side. Didn't think much of it, since it was a slow leak, until she started running hot and blowing bubbles into the coolant. Found the head gasket failed between #3 and the outside world via a coolant passage.

[backyardbill]

Thanks all. I think I will try the baby power test tomorrow. I will wash the engine around the area and blow dry it first. Will update after that.

[majicwrench]

If indeed it turns out to be head gasket, I would certainly add a bit of stopleak. Not familiar with the product above, but I do use and suggest Bars leak tablets, they usually come 6 in a pack, they are what GM uses, right from the factory, and very similiar to what Subaru uses. Several GM engines would leak externally, the stop leak usually took good care of it. Liquid glass?? doesn't sound like something that should be put in an engine, but what do I know??
Keith

[backyardbill]

Yep, it's the head gasket. I put in 1/2 tube of Alumaseal, a little at a time through the rad cap opening, stirred it with a Popsicle stick, added a little more, stirred, etc. until 10g went in. Then ran the car around for an hour at 35 to 80 mph. Will have to wait a while to see if it stops weeping.

This is to hold off until fall when I will have to bit the bullet and do the head gasket.

It is still a blast to drive!

[WYSpider]

Keep an eye and nose on it. I monitored my leak for about 1 year. One day I had a whiff of fluid while driving telling something had changed. Made it back to the house before the gasket really failed.

[jamesrobert]

haha i just bought a 68 sport and found out it is doing the opposite oil is going into the coolant looks like ill have to do the head gasket. the worst part is i had to drive 4 hours to get home :/

[fiatfactory]

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