cals400ex

iTrader: (27)

OK, i am getting very small bubbles coming out near the top of the head bolt. i am assuming it is coolant. they are small. i am using arp head bolts. i was told to use their moly lubricant instead of their moly sealant (i can't remember their exact names even though i have both products). should i have used their moly sealant to seal the threads instead? at this point in time i am thinking so. since i can't see most of the head bolts i really don't know if it is coming out of any others or not. the one i see bubbles on is the top, front left head bolt.

spikely23

iTrader: (1)

the head bolt holes are blind and do not go into the water jacket so no sealant is needed. Is this coolant coming up while the engine is runnning or are you just installing the bolts?

cals400ex

iTrader: (27)

it is while the engine is running. see, i don't really understand how the holes are blind. when i removed the stock bolts they had coolant on them, plus you need to take a paper towel and twirl it up to dry out all of the holes before you install everything because there is coolant in there...

LS1MCSS

iTrader: (18)

The coolant gets in there when you lift the heads off. There will always be some left in the heads and/or right at the top of the block and it will end up in the bolt holes. If it's getting there any other way, you have problems. What kind of gaskets are you running?

fossil

iTrader: (1)

If you didnt get all the coolant out of the head bolts holes to the block, the block can crack when torquing bolts? And the holes are blind. I would loosen all my bolts and retorque again at this point..

DaveX

Either it's coolant that was left in there from when you pulled the heads or it's a head gasket leak or a cracked block.

cals400ex

iTrader: (27)

i am actually running new heads so i know no coolant was in the heads. i put paper towels down in the block and i did it until nothing was even damp. i am not saying some could not be in there but i spent several hours prepping it so it would be dry. from what i can see, the head gaskets are not leaking. i am using the stock gm mls gaskets. no coolant is in the oil either.

fossil

iTrader: (1)

I would not feel safe using a paper towel to get coolant out of the block holes, they are about 4"-5" deep. I use compressed air. I hope it is not a block?? Keep us informed...

cals400ex

iTrader: (27)

oh it was a pain twirling a papertowel to fit in the holes. like you said, i bet they are a good 5 inches. i didnt' really think of using my compressor or i would have. i used a shop vac to get the top layer but that wasn't enough to get all of it.

so, when you clean the holes out, do you need to dry all of the area around the holes or just the head bolt holes? i just dried the holes and a little bit around the holes. i left some coolant in the block.

i would love to keep you updated but i wont' be touching the car until summer. i dont' drive it much, just when i want to go on a fun cruise. i am in dental school and with the workload involved....well, i just don't have time.

spikely23

iTrader: (1)

just the head bolts need to be cleaned to stop from cracking the block when installing the bolts. if coolant is constantly seeping around the bolt i agree with everybody above me i.e. sealing problems