LD4B intake manifold coolant collecting

[DartGTDan]

Hey guys I noticed some coolant collecting on the passenger front side of my LD4B intake manifold. I can't tell where it is coming from. I do not see any stains, trails or witness marks. Does the 2nd, from the front, intake manifold bolt (the YELLOW circle in the photo) enter a water passage?

If that bolt does enter the water passage can I use Permatex Ultra Black to seal it? Or, is the another, better option?

Thanks, as always, for any guidance!

 

[Garrett Ellison]

The only way coolant could be coming from that bolt is if it's coming from the gasket. That bolt goes usually exposed to oil in the galley from below the head, and needs to be sealed to keep oil from coming up the threads. Did you use a composite intake or steel shim intake gaskets?
DODGE SCE Gaskets 169101 SCE AccuSeal E Intake Gaskets | Summit Racing

 

[junkyardhero]

i'd suspect that fitting situation well before the bolt...

however if it is indeed the bolt then it's pulling off the water jacket that's adjacent there. which would mean either the seal is bad or compromised, soooo... that's either a bum install, luck of the draw on a bad gasket or something is up with the intake or maybe the head-- corroded, warped, cracked. take your pick.

 

[Dart Frog]

Double check heater hose.

 

[Bewy]

Use Loctite 567 pipe sealant on the threads. It will also stop oil wicking up past the threads & creating a mess over time.

 

[Garrett Ellison]

i'd suspect that fitting situation well before the bolt...

This right here! There’s a steel fitting in that brass. Now, brass in aluminum isn’t going to cause any issues, as the thermal expansion rate is almost the same. But that iron is going to expand a lot slower than that brass 90 will. So your puddle of coolant is most likely coming from an intermittent stream out of that joint. Put a brass nipple in place of the steel and you shouldn’t see any more coolant there, provided the intake flanges are good and true and a high quality gasket is being used.

 

[Garrett Ellison]

Use Loctite 567 pipe sealant on the threads

Right on, Bewy! In reading the directions they recommend using the anaerobic surface prep spray. Permatex 24163 Permatex Surface Prep Activator for Anaerobics | Summit Racing
Anything that goes in coolant or oil gets this treatment in my world now. It makes a gummy and gooey sealant that hardens to a consistency like blue loctite. No leaks anywhere unless something breaks…

 

[4spdragtop]

I use Permatex high temp sealant on lots of fittings/bolts. Works great.

 

[Garrett Ellison]

I use Permatex high temp sealant on lots of fittings/bolts. Works great.

View attachment 1716398169

Yeah, correction… thanks 4spdragtop! That’s actually the stuff I’m thinking of, but I’m pretty sure the loctite is a direct cross reference chemically. Seals exhaust studs in like cement except that you can get them out later if you have to.

 

[ch1ll]

Use Loctite 567 pipe sealant on the threads. It will also stop oil wicking up past the threads & creating a mess over time.

At work, we found this stuff to be the best at sealing coolant systems in plastic injection molds we cut up to 300 psi and is probably good for a whole lot more.

You don't even need full threads to seal, just enough to hold in the pipe or plug or whatever.
One time I was threadmilling either 1 1/2 or 1 1/4 NPT and one crossthreaded, never leaked,ever.

 

[DartGTDan]

That picture of the intake was when I first got it (~10 years ago). The pics below are how it looks today.

I'm wondering if the Corbin style clamp(s) may be the issue?

I wonder if I should I replace them with the standard stainless steel hose clamps?

 

[junkyardhero]

looks nice and tidy!

i'd adios them clamps and run the worm drive on there and see what that yields.