coolant leak, out of side of the block
#28
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Originally Posted by THEE PEWTER Z™
have you recently pulled the heads?
I can blow the area dry with air, and watch it come right out of the block.
Its not leaking somewhere else and running back and looking like its coming out. Its coming straight out of the side of the block. You can see it plain as day.
#29
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Hey man.
Not sure how much help this will be but we had a similar case in our shop a few months back. It wasnt a ls1 but it was a newer f350 with a 5.4 motor. In the front of the motor, actually the front of the head right under the area of the thermostat was a pin hole sized leak. It pissed out a nice fine stream and the only thing small enough to fit in the hole was literally a pin.
At first we were going to try and drill the hole a bigger, tap it and put a plug in. In this case, we were able to remove the t-stat and actually see into the coolant port and see the backside of the hole. No corosion was present, it just formed a pin hole. Casting defect we figured. Anyway we mixed up a batch of jb weld, and forced it into the hole. We were fortunate enough to be able to force it in from the back side till we saw it come out, and then apply some over it from the front. We let it sit over night before we put coolant back in the system and its been fine ever since. FWIW this F350 is a roach coach (catering truck incase someone doesnt know, lol) and is operating 7 days a week for most of the day.
I know you wouldnt be able to get it from the back side, but if you force it in from the front and seal it over and let it dry it should work. Just wanted to let ya know that the stuff does hold well.
Let us know how ya did!
Joe
Not sure how much help this will be but we had a similar case in our shop a few months back. It wasnt a ls1 but it was a newer f350 with a 5.4 motor. In the front of the motor, actually the front of the head right under the area of the thermostat was a pin hole sized leak. It pissed out a nice fine stream and the only thing small enough to fit in the hole was literally a pin.
At first we were going to try and drill the hole a bigger, tap it and put a plug in. In this case, we were able to remove the t-stat and actually see into the coolant port and see the backside of the hole. No corosion was present, it just formed a pin hole. Casting defect we figured. Anyway we mixed up a batch of jb weld, and forced it into the hole. We were fortunate enough to be able to force it in from the back side till we saw it come out, and then apply some over it from the front. We let it sit over night before we put coolant back in the system and its been fine ever since. FWIW this F350 is a roach coach (catering truck incase someone doesnt know, lol) and is operating 7 days a week for most of the day.
I know you wouldnt be able to get it from the back side, but if you force it in from the front and seal it over and let it dry it should work. Just wanted to let ya know that the stuff does hold well.
Let us know how ya did!
Joe
#31
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Originally Posted by edcmat-l1
Thanks for the input Joe. We're putting ceramic block sealer in it as I type this. Not real crazy about stuff like this, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
PS. We still may JB weld it or MarineTex.
I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
PS. We still may JB weld it or MarineTex.
#32
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i know you said the motor hasnt been apart, but i also see you posted it wasnt the original motor. I'm just throwing this out there, if the motor was purchased used, and the previous owner pulled the heads or took the bolts out or anything involving taking the heads off, and didnt clean the head bolt holes thoroughly to make sure there wasnt any incompressible fluid in them, they might have cracked the block putting the bolts back in. just food for thought.
Jon
Jon
#33
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Originally Posted by ProjecT 9
i know you said the motor hasnt been apart, but i also see you posted it wasnt the original motor. I'm just throwing this out there, if the motor was purchased used, and the previous owner pulled the heads or took the bolts out or anything involving taking the heads off, and didnt clean the head bolt holes thoroughly to make sure there wasnt any incompressible fluid in them, they might have cracked the block putting the bolts back in. just food for thought.
Jon
Jon
It is a 'built' motor, so it has been apart.
but hey, you dont think its a freeze plug, do you?
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#34
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I had one do the same thing the block was cracked right next to the sleeve but didn't leak into the crank case, but it did seep out the outer part of the block when toruqing down the heads no visible crack, but it leakes which led me to believe that there was a hair line crack that couldn't be seen by the naked eye etc... It was a 2000 and he had broke a valve spring and took out the piston and head. installed new used piston and was tQ the heads down when I discovered it. Got new block I still have it I just have used it for mock up uses. Good luck!
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i would drain all the coolant out and dry the area and apply some dye to the area and look at it with a uv or black light just to make sure it isnt a hairline crack, had some heads that were like that, you would never be able to tell without the dye. T
#37
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It looks like the leak is at the bottom of the head bolt between cylinders 5 and 7. Its only a pin hole or two. I've looked at it over and over. no crack or nothin. just a couple pin holes. We did the ceramic block sealer, and its drying over night. I'll post up tomorrow on how it does.
#39
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Originally Posted by edcmat-l1
Thanks for the input Joe. We're putting ceramic block sealer in it as I type this. Not real crazy about stuff like this, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
PS. We still may JB weld it or MarineTex.
I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
PS. We still may JB weld it or MarineTex.
Marine tex works great on ls1 freeze plugs LOL