water leak

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jacksdodges

jacksdodges

jacksdodges
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
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Little Rock Ar,
I am losing water somewhere in my motor. I am running a 340 stroker and I am getting water in my oil, I pulled the intake to put another one on and though it was leaking at the front corner, Though I fixed that. I am still getting water in the motor. Is there someway I can check and see where the water is going? Going to run a compression this week, after that I am lost.
 
Is it a lot or a little? If a lot, I would stop running it, and just get ready to tear it down. If a little, then I would do a pressure test on the colling system to see if there is high pressure. If so, then I would suspect a head gasket. If not, then a crack in head or block.

So what machining was done to the motor when it was stroked? And re you running anti-freeze?
 
Its just a little maybe a paint or quart after you drive it a lot like 50 miles. Its not on my dipstick, just on the front pass. side breather. It was doing the same thing and I pulled the intake and it looked like it was leaking on the front water passage pass. side. I have about 30000 miles on it. As far as the machine work he did bore it 40 th, did a good valve job,balanced it and the rest it takes to do a stroker. been running great then this happened. and yes iam running anti freeze. this is my daily driver. Of course I am retired so its not like going to work dsily driver.
 
If it's not on the dipstick, why do you think it's going into the engine?I mean, you said in post#1 that you were getting water in the oil.
Did you loosen the drainplug and see water come out?
 
The above questions are good to answer...

Did the machinist shave the heads? If so, the intake needs to be machined too to make things line up. And did he mill the block surfaces? If done poorly, it cold throw the head angles off and open up the seal to the intake. Ditto for a poorly machined head. BUT is the 30000 miles all since the rebuild? If so, and then this just started all of a sudden, then the machine work is not likely the cause.

A Pint or a quart? Whoa! Stop driving and drain the oil from the pan like AJ said above to see what comes out. Watch the first stuff that comes out carefully, because the water will be on the bottom.
 
With the motor running take the radiator cap off and see if there's bubbling in the coolant in the radiator. - It's best to fill the radiator to within a inch or two from the top. - If bubbling is occurring, then plan to pull the heads and have a machine shop check the heads for warpage, if warped have them planed, and replace them. - Cometic head gaskets are a good choice. -- Good luck -- Merry Christmas.
 
Its just a little maybe a paint or quart after you drive it a lot like 50 miles. Its not on my dipstick, just on the front pass. side breather. It was doing the same thing and I pulled the intake and it looked like it was leaking on the front water passage pass. side.
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a pint to a qt in 50 miles is ALOT. its either leaking from the head gasket(s) or one of the 4 water ports in each corner of the head intake surface. You mentioned the RF and a too thick of cork end rail gasket can keep those port openings especially the front ones from sealing (the rear ones are dead ended so are less prone to leak). they will appear to be sealed when going together but they ain't. I'd pull the intake again & some new intake gaskets & use "the right stuff" gasket maker on the front/rear rails (clean the surfaces well) in lieu of the cork gaskets and a LIGHT/EVEN coat around each port opening on either side of the felpro side gaskets and a close inspection of the head and intake port opening interface on both front sides (& rear too while you are in there). for the mixture ports I like permatex 99MA "high tack" spray on the gasket around the blue borders of the intake side gasket port openings (the 4 openings on each side) Holler how things turn out EDIT Tchain cover could leak also but you mentioned the FR is wet.
 
Thanks guys. I just went out and checked for oil in the motor. The dipstick is clean, the only evidence any water in the motor the valve cover breather above the #1 cylinder had a little muckie on it. the rest were all clean. unlike the last time I checked. last time it was the breather over #2. I was told to smell the water when the motor is running and see if I smell exhaust . havnt tried that yet, will try that today. My heads wernt milled, with 30000 miles on it I am leaning toward intake. Guess I will redo that and check everthing again. could the timing chain cover somehow leak into the motor??? thanks guys. hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEARS.
 
The oil has been milky? A pint to a quart of water is plenty to make the oil cloudy.
 
The dipstick only sits on the top 2-3" of the oil. If there is water in the oil, it will be on the bottom.
Drain it into a clear 5 quart container. Let it sit for 30 minutes and see if the water settles on the bottom.
 
Jack
No more guessing. How many more times do you want to do stuff that might not accomplish the desired results?
If you find actual liquid water coming out the drainplug,then;
AS already mentioned,You need to perform a cooling system pressure test. There are three parts to this; cold engine/engine off, fully warmed up at 185 or better/engine off , and fully warmed/ engine running.In all three cases I would pressurize to a minimum of 15 psi. In the first two cases I would be looking for a pressure drop, and then figure out where the coolant is going. In the last case I would be looking for a pressure rise, indicating compression entering the system. If that happens, then the next test is a cylinder leakage test.
A compression test/cylinder leakage test might be helpful.But I would wait ;til the cooling system results are in.
And as also queried, is your PCV working?
And finally is your cooling system coming up to temp? and are you running it long enough to vaporize the condensation (that forms in there at this time of year), from the last run-time?
And yes it is possible for coolant to enter the crankcase from between the timing cover and the block. This is a hard thing to diagnose and thankfully,rare event.
But if you want to change the intake gaskets again and again and again......
 
I seriously doubt you will smell any exhaust in the cooling unless a head gasket is blown badly LOL ; it would be seriously overheating. So that is a pretty worthless test IMHO. A cooling system pressure check is the way to do that.The specific tests and checks mentioned are for a good reason; other short cuts will not tell you what is going on.

OK, on the milling.

Yes, if the timing cover was cracked or the water pump impeller got a bit loose and shifted back and ground into the cover, then it would leak.

But you need to see if there is real water in the oil first BY DRAINING THE OIL. The water/coolant in the breathers could be that or could be condensation. And the loss of coolant could be due to going into the crankcase OR due it being burned in a cylinder due to a head gasket leak. Again, doing a cooling system pressure is the most likely way to check that.
 
Could also be overfilling everytime out and puking it out the overflow. Screen pulls from near bottom, even extreme condesate will show on a stick. X10 on the pressure test.
 
Agreed on the pump up. Easy way is to drill/tap the stat housing to 1/8 NPT for a "tank bleeder valve" several dollars at Oreillys. its a brass Schrader valve to let you use an air chuck to pressurize it. Good idea while you are in there to add a 1/32 or so hole in the stat flat metal for easy/faster fillup (lets the air come up/out during the initial coolant fill) and I like to have the psi going both ways which it will anyhow but its my OCD!. Holler what it ends up being. PS go easy/monitor your time as it gets to 15 fast & if your bypass hose starts to swell to near bursting you are definitely way past 15, DAMHIK. You ain't airing up a truck tire!
 
Rapid Robert said:
Agreed on the pump up. Easy way is to drill/tap the stat housing to 1/8 NPT for a "tank bleeder valve" several dollars at Oreillys. its a brass Schrader valve to let you use an air chuck to pressurize it. Good idea while you are in there to add a 1/32 or so hole in the stat flat metal for easy/faster fillup (lets the air come up/out during the initial coolant fill) and I like to have the psi going both ways which it will anyhow but its my OCD!. Holler what it ends up being. PS go easy/monitor your time as it gets to 15 fast & if your bypass hose starts to swell to near bursting you are definitely way past 15, DAMHIK. You ain't airing up a truck tire!
Click to expand...

Lol pfft! And I spent good money on the tool years ago, but that a great way to do it on the cheap.
 
this was an eng with the pump inlet 1&3/4" nipple and the stat housing 1&1/2" nipple capped off (no radiator in the picture) so my Stant pressure tester kit was of no use on this deal & I had to improvise.
 
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