Leaking Head Studs
Leaking Head Studs I had my head studs leak so I removed them one at a time and used indian head gasket shellac on them and theyre STILL leaking. Can I use the GM tabs to seal them? Anyone else had this problem? I cant seem to make them seal
Thanks for any help
Thanks for any help
Ill be honest I've never had to use a sealer on any of my head bolts/studs. If I were to use a sealer though Indian head gasket sealer would not be what I would choose. It is all good out of the bottle but then turns hard and brittle after a few days. I personally threw my bottle away. I would try something like a liquid tefflon sealer. Something that stays pliable.
How exactly do you know you have a leaking head stud? I would think that would be hard to tell. Not only do you have the threads sealing at the bottom but the nut and washer at the top of the cylinder head should be sealed up tight.
How exactly do you know you have a leaking head stud? I would think that would be hard to tell. Not only do you have the threads sealing at the bottom but the nut and washer at the top of the cylinder head should be sealed up tight.
I have had this problem and solved it 90% by doing the same removal one by one but sealing with Permatex thread sealer, the white paste. Be generous with it. It seemed useful to remove each washer and put sealant on the bottom as well.
I say 90% as I still had 2 studs that wept coolant - very light but I could see droplets. Never caused any drips though, like it did before I sealed them all up.
Jim
I say 90% as I still had 2 studs that wept coolant - very light but I could see droplets. Never caused any drips though, like it did before I sealed them all up.
Jim
every one of the studs that arent blind, under the valve cover have antifreeze all around them and have filled the valve cover. My problem is pretty bad. The others are leaking as well. Ive considered going to bolts instead
I would try the permatex first. Also when people repair cast iron by welding it they will often find leaks in the weld which usually stops when allowed to rust a little.
Maybe if you got it to slow down a good bit and ran it with only water without antifreeze if it would oxidize and seal itself.
Maybe if you got it to slow down a good bit and ran it with only water without antifreeze if it would oxidize and seal itself.
I had a 406 built by a friend of mine that is a head porter/engine builder and when we went to the dyno (Pitre racing engines) it was leaking at the head studs. My friend started talking to Pitre and I overheard him say something like "aircraft sealant", I never heard of the stuff. He pulled the head stud out my motor and gooped that stuff on there and it never leaked again. It was grey in color and a little thinner than permatex engine sealer and it was really shiny unlike some permatex.
Don't switch to bolts- unless you want/need to remove the heads and have clearance problems using studs. Studs are better.
you want a thread sealant or pipe joint compound, not a gasket sealant.
There is a difference.
You can use gasket sealants on threads and many times it will work, but when it doesn't or you don't want to take the chance use a thread sealant.
there is permatex aviation #3 and super 300 gasket sealants, which can work on some threaded stuff but they are not a thread sealant.
indian head shellac is not a thread sealant.
http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut...d_sealants.htm
http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut...t_sealants.htm
I've been using hercules megaloc thread sealant on everything for the past few years, mostly in plumbing which is 90+ psi and it works great but also on everything automotive and marine for threaded fasteners so i recommend that. Unfortunately it may be hard to find, i've only seen it at plumbing stores/wharehouses, depot & lowes don't carry it. An equivalent that will also work very well that you could pick up at depot/lowes is pipe joint compound such as hercules brand real-tuff and pro-dope, they are pipe-joint compounds and are a thick & pastey. I would not use pipe joint compounds though on bolts that you need to get an accurate torque because i don't know how the joint compound will affect it, but for studs since the stud goes finger tight into the block a pipe joint compound would be perfect.
http://www.herchem.com/products/thread_sealants.html
you want a thread sealant or pipe joint compound, not a gasket sealant.
There is a difference.
You can use gasket sealants on threads and many times it will work, but when it doesn't or you don't want to take the chance use a thread sealant.
there is permatex aviation #3 and super 300 gasket sealants, which can work on some threaded stuff but they are not a thread sealant.
indian head shellac is not a thread sealant.
http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut...d_sealants.htm
http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut...t_sealants.htm
I've been using hercules megaloc thread sealant on everything for the past few years, mostly in plumbing which is 90+ psi and it works great but also on everything automotive and marine for threaded fasteners so i recommend that. Unfortunately it may be hard to find, i've only seen it at plumbing stores/wharehouses, depot & lowes don't carry it. An equivalent that will also work very well that you could pick up at depot/lowes is pipe joint compound such as hercules brand real-tuff and pro-dope, they are pipe-joint compounds and are a thick & pastey. I would not use pipe joint compounds though on bolts that you need to get an accurate torque because i don't know how the joint compound will affect it, but for studs since the stud goes finger tight into the block a pipe joint compound would be perfect.
http://www.herchem.com/products/thread_sealants.html
