Engine: Water leak

[Chucks Stude]

Below is a pic of the rear right cylinder head. Water seems to be dripping off of the bottom of the last bolt on the exhaust manifold. This is a new one on me. There is no water coming from the top of the cylinder head. The back of the cylinder head is dry also. Could it be a head gasket? Going to be a lot of fun to take apart, what with A/C and all. The mark on the top of the cylinder head is an old oil leak that has since been fixed. Thoughts?

[Alan]

Those bolts that hold the manifold, some of them run into the water jacket. You might want to pull the bolt that has the drips out and see if you get a gusher. If you do just put it back in with some pipe joint compound on the threads.

[Chucks Stude]

Pipe dope, or Locktite?

[Bud]

I've never seenan exhaust manifold bolt hole that goes into the water jacket. If there is water leaking out of the hole, then there is a problem with the head. Bud

[Chucks Stude]

Well, crud. I don't know how I could have busted a head, but who knows. It has been ages since I have been in a Stude engine, but everything that is old is new again, or something like that. So, I will start tearing it down. Could it be a head gasket? (HOPE, HOPE)

[Warren Webb]

I would pressure test the cooling system first. If you dont have a pressure tester perhaps you can rent one for free" from one of the auto parts stores. Alot easier especially if its just putting some locktite on a bolt then tearing down the top end.

[Bud]

Pressure testing the cooling system is a good idea as you should be able to find the leak without running the engine. Most radiator shops will have a pressure tester if you can't find one to use yourself. The problem is if the head is cracked, any type of sealer is a band aid at best. Studebaker engines aren't known for blowing head gaskets, but I have run into cracked heads several times in the past. Bud

[r1lark]

The heads on a Studebaker V8 are interchangeable side-to-side. To facilitate this, there are water passages on both ends of the head, so the water pump manifold can bolt up. In the back of the heads, there will be a block-off plate held on with two bolts. It may be that your coolant leak is from this block-off plate, and finding its way down to the exhaust manifold bolt.

May not be, but something to check first before any major disassembly is done. The use of a cooling system pressure checker will make finding it easier.

[jclary]

By the time all of us post an opinion on this, Chuck could have probably disassembled and found the problem. However, (being a plumber), I wonder what you guys would think about using a few pieces of pvc pipe and fittings to make a static pressure tester that would bypass the radiator. In other words, plug one water outlet and make an adapter to use the other for attaching a garden hose. Municipal water pressures should be around 40 to 80 PSI.

As most of you know, our old radiators are becoming pretty fragile and delicate and I wouldn't want to take a chance on unnecessarily stressing my old radiator with too much pressure. Just a thought for discussion.

[Dwain G.]

All good advice! Another 'trick' to look for is a leak that actually starts up front, gets blown back by the fan, and runs under the intake manifold to drip off the rear of the engine.

[whacker]

especially if its just putting some locktite on a bolt then tearing down the top end.

Don't use locktite! The only way to get it off if you do is to heat it to red hot to break the loctite! If you want to try to seal it, use permatex #2.

[Chucks Stude]

Borrowed a pressure tester, and a cumbustion gas tester from a friend of mine, and ran the cumbustion gas test, and it was clear. Got the engine hot and ran the test, so, no combustion gas. The oil is clear as glass. Hooked up the pressure tester, heated up the engine, and turned it off to pressure test, and it has a slow leak. You can also smell the antifreeze when it hits the exhaust pipe on the passenger side. So next is to take the head off. Will call Bob Helm to see if he has any heads(I am sure he does). I was thinking today, that when I bought this car 6 years ago, the radiator was totally stopped up with what looked like stop leak. Maybe this is what the PO was trying to hide. I promise that I will never use that crud in this engine, but I will get to the bottom of this.

[satdoc2]

Did you look to see where the leak was at?
Allen