Please tell me I don't have to pull the heads off

Discussion in 'Street/strip 400/430/455' started by babyblue 69, Sep 1, 2014.

  1. babyblue 69

    babyblue 69 Well-Known Member

    I have been working on putting my motor back together as time permits, and yesterday I finally got it all back together minus the carb, distributor a wires. after i put oil and antifreeze in the car I went back underneath the car bump the torque convertor around there was antifreeze dripping out of both collectors. I would estimate the amount to be about 3-4 ounces total before it stopped. This is extremely frustrating. Can somebody tell me what I am dealing with. I checked the oil and it's clear.
     
  2. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    There are some head/block combinations that can result in coolant leaking into the valley. It can also get past the head gasket if the heads are not torqued down properly. Try draining the oil completely. Use a clean pan so you can pour it back in. Make sure there is no coolant in the pan. Try to see where exactly it is leaking from.
     
  3. sailbrd

    sailbrd Well-Known Member

    I won't tell you but you know the truth. There is coolant in your cylinders and maybe in your oil. You won't see it on the dipstick because the oil is floating on the coolant. If it was me I would pull the motor and take it apart. No use wrecking all the new parts. Good luck.
     
  4. TORQUED455

    TORQUED455 Well-Known Member

    I have a very good feeling that there is quite a back story here...
     
  5. rmstg2

    rmstg2 Gold Level Contributor

    What are the chance of wrong year head gaskets? I agree tear it down and see what you have. Since it is coming from both collectors I doubt it has anything to do with assembly. Oh and when you put it back together leave the anti freeze out until you know it's right. Good luck

    Bob H.
     
  6. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    start from beginning. why was motor apart that you are putting back together. you left out way too much info and chances are if your asking on here you know your going to be pulling heads
     
  7. babyblue 69

    babyblue 69 Well-Known Member


    The gaskets are the TA orange crush, and the only reason I pulled it apart to begin with after TA built it was because it had a rear main seal leak that got oil all over the undercarriage of my headers. So while it was out I replaced the seal, bought a new intake because I was not happy with the output on the dyno (316) to the rear, and had the heads redone as I wanted to get a little compression increase by swapping out a .58 gasket TA installed and going with a .38 orange crush. When the heads came off there was clearly some blow by going on as both gaskets were burned in the middle. So I had the heads taken apart new guides, seals, valve job, surfaced, and put back together, now this. If I didn't have soo much money dumped into this thing I swear I would crush it. This has been a nightmare from the start, and I don't know when it is going to end.

    SO at this point after draining the oil, and antifreeze you guys are suggesting taking the heads off. What would I be looking for? Or is this one that I take back to the shop to have them fix this?
     
  8. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

  9. TORQUED455

    TORQUED455 Well-Known Member

    Deleted after seeing the new info below. For best results, please fill us in with as many details of the current build as possible.
     
  10. babyblue 69

    babyblue 69 Well-Known Member


    Larry after that debacle I sent the motor back to TA had them get me a new block completely rebuild the motor, and things were fine for about 6 months. I noticed that the radiator had a brownish color to it so I contacted Mike over at TA and explained to him what was going on, he asked me to flush the radiator out by letting the motor run draining the peacock, and putting a hose in it and to let it run for 30 minutes that way. So i did exactly as he asked me to, and after letting it run for an hour I closed everything back up and after a few moths it still was not a whole lot better. I called Mike again informed him of the issue he then asked me if I had the radiator flushed out since he had given me those pioneer blocks when we were dealing with the block with the sleeves in it, and I told him I had not. He then indicated that that could be the problem, and so long as the compression was good in all the cylinders that there should not be a problem. So I did a compression check and while it was a little low for my liking all of the cylinders were the same 125.

    So I decided to take the motor to the dyno to have the carb tuned and to see what kind of power it was making as I have been contemplating getting the aluminum heads. And a few week later the oil leak was so bad I stopped driving it. Tore it down did all of the things from the previous post and now this. I am soooo discouraged form this entire experience that I simply don't have the desire any more to mess around with this thing. I like Mike personally a lot, and without TA building this Buick would probably not have even been an option, but this experience for me has been a very terrible one with TA, and every step of the way I have had to pay for everything.

    I have my paperwork for those whom may doubt what I am saying to support every statement made in this post.
     
  11. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    See, we need to know as much as possible. You are so much better staying with one thread and not starting a new one. At least there is a trail we can follow. I looked at your profile and clicked on latest started threads and came up with the one I linked. Are the heads the same between this block and the last? Maybe the heads are cracked?
     
  12. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    DONT TAKE ANYTHING APART YET, Pressure test the cooling system first:Brow:
    You may not have a problem at all, you may have unknowingly got coolant into one or more of your header tubes upon disassembly, I have seen this happen, it REALLY throws yah for a loop!!
     
  13. babyblue 69

    babyblue 69 Well-Known Member


    Yes they are the same, and I would have thought the same thing had I not taken them and had the redone. I started a new thread because I figured after all the madness with the last block and having TA get me a block and redo the motor that these issues were behind me, and I could move on. Apparently that was wishful thinking. Just like I guess its possible that these heads are cracked after having them redone. I don't know were to start t this point. I am trying to upload picture of the build to you guys, but I can figure it out on this mac. If somebody will send me an e-mail address I can forward the build sheet for the motor with the old block as I had it in my car the only difference will be the new motor was done in 2012 and the block everything else stayed the same.
     
  14. babyblue 69

    babyblue 69 Well-Known Member


    I assembled the exhaust before I put any coolant in the car, and I had to send the headers out to have them recoated due to all of the oil burned on them. So they were fresh when I put them back on.
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2014
  15. babyblue 69

    babyblue 69 Well-Known Member


    Would it be possible that there was some coolant still in the block/coolant passages the leaked back into the headers? I know I'm reaching, but I want this to be over soo bad.
     
  16. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    My e mail address is in my signature.
     
  17. babyblue 69

    babyblue 69 Well-Known Member

    Larry sorry i couldn't send them all in one e-mail. But I sent them all to you. The new block obviously has new bearings, and I added a mini starter, and a couple other little things. The total for the block and to have them RR the motor the last time was about $1300 give or take a few dollars.
     
  18. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    No problem. Here is what you sent me.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. babyblue 69

    babyblue 69 Well-Known Member

    Thanks Larry for putting the pictures up.

    Thats how the motor sits now, and the only difference between whats in that build sheet and whats in my car now is the block. How would I pressure test the cooling system? Because as it sits right now I don't want o hook up anything else. If I have to pull the heads what am I looking for? Would new head gaskets be required, and if there is water in the cylinders what would be the next step on a motor keeping in mind this motor hasn't been fired yet since the rear main was fixed and the intake was put on.
     
  20. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

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