1965 Barracuda with 84 318

swing69 said

Pulled the head: flat with no obvious cracks. head gasket perfect. block surface looks good, no cracks. SOMEHOW....water getting into that oil passage to tower.
The LONG head bolt at the oiling rocker shaft tower had water wet threads. Now I'm thinking - - maybe the threads are pulled or cracked in the block alllowing coolant to walk up the bolt into the oil passage????

I dunno.........

Click to expand...

I was gonna ask if that was the rocker stand with the oil passage. I'd take that head off, and have it pressure tested. If yes, there you are. If not, then assume it is in the block. Could even be at the bottom of that head bolt hole.... just a pin hole from corrosion. Could be into the oil passage in the block.

Was the cooling system under pressure when you pulled the rockers above and saw the coolant out of the rocker stand? And are you checking the head with a known good straight edge, with just small or no variation, and a good light behind it?