OvalHunter

I just finished buttoning up the car and was filling the cooling system. After about an hour I noticed coolant leaking past one of the joints in the EXHAUST. <img border="0" alt="[bang head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" />
I pulled the driver side plugs and rotated the engine a couple of turns to se if coolant was in the cyls. Nothing yet - so I unbolted the header. Ther was coolant laying in the bottom of the number 1 exhaust port <img border="0" alt="[barf]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_barf.gif" />

Any ideas? Every thing seemed to assemble normally.
Cometic gaskets - ARP studs - TEA 1.5 heads, new intake gaskets - new cam & pushrods & timing chain set.

Any ideas would be appreciated <img border="0" alt="[worship]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_hail.gif" />

BLUEBYU

iTrader: (1)

Did you make sure the head gaskets were put on correctly? The coolant passages are effected if not.

OvalHunter

Yes, I definitely verified the coolant passages in the heads and block versus head gasket pattern during assy. This problem is coolant coming out or the exhaust port itself.
I was hoping I forgot to put sealant on a bolt or surface or something. The job is so straightforward I cant see what I might have missed.
My gut tells me that the porting job broke through into a coolant passage - I don't know of any other way for coolant to get there unless the cylinder is also filled up - and this wasn't the case.
I'm going to throw on my pressure tester and see if the leak is visible in the port with a mirror.

This sucks <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" />

OvalHunter

I pumped the cooling system up to 10psi and it was spraying coolant inside the upper left side of the #1 exhaust port - leaking like a damn seive.

Looks like the CNC hit water <img border="0" alt="[cry]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cry.gif" />

I'll be calling Speed Inc. tomorrow AM to see if any of their other TEA heads have experienced this problem.
This has been the job from hell - my cam got bent during shipment too. (they made good for it immediately, as I'm sure they will with this dilema)

SLowETz

iTrader: (12)

This may be a dumb question, but did you plug the coolent sensor hole in the passenger head? Both heads have a sensor plug hole. Easy mistake to make, and w/out will leak like a sivvvvv......

Slowhawk

iTrader: (12)

Sorry to hear that.It sounds like too much material was taken off or a casting flaw.

OvalHunter

I called Speed Inc. first thing this AM with the news. Within minutes of hanging up with them, Brian from TEA called me personally. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> They are sending me out a set of 5.3's to replace these immediately <img border="0" alt="[worship]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_hail.gif" />
He was as suprised as me to hear about a thinwalled LS1 exhaust port. Chalk this one up to the LS1 R&D effort.

One of the main reasons that I went with TEA was the fact that they had plenty of very good heads running out there making GREAT power(and the price is right). They also have an outstanding reputation of standing behind their work.They deserve it <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />
I want to thank Brian for the rapid response to this dilema.

LS1derfull

Arent those exhausts CNC ported? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" /> There lies a problem!

DaleMX

iTrader: (4)

I run some CNC equipment and it has alot of variables. Cutter comp, offset, tool size, act of God. Doesn't take much to cause a problem. Hard to catch problems sometimes too. These guys have a great reputation, and looks like a great response to the problem. I'm glad to see Brian stand behind his product. I'm sold. My next set of heads will be from him. He went out of his way to call me at work a couple of months back to talk about a set. When I can afford it, I'll jump.

OvalHunter

Well, I got the heads off and I have seen the problem.What I thought was a leak from the 2 o'clock position tuned out to be a leak at the 4 o'clock position that was spraying a tiny pinhole stream across the port and then running down.

It looks like a small porosity in the casting is the culprit. It doesn't look like any inclusions are nearby (from recycled aluminum),so it's simply one of the age old problems in casting outside a vacuum.

Don't blame the CNC - the datum(s) used seems valid to me - and there is no way to see these porosities with out x-ray or other expensive means of core/casting validation.

Keep in mind that these jobs are kept affordable by skipping the all out max effort steps that you get for lots more $

Like I said before, they stand behind their stuff and I will continue using and advocating their products.