bleeding heads

After a run hours my rebuilt 239 flathead is bleeding coolant from around both heads. Is this a common issue and needs retorqued or is it more serious? some say yes others say no. I need good news. It only leaks when it cooled down. And still has great compression.

 

Re torque it.

 

Retorque and go from there. Just out of curiousity, are they used aluminum heads?

 

No. They are as iron as is gets

 

Yes retorque it. You did use the correct torque pattern/sequence when you torqued the heads the first time????

I think it is the norm rather than the exception to retorque flathead heads.

Although most "experts" say torquing the heads in two or three increments is fine I have found that I run into less trouble if I do more and smaller increments when torquing any heads. It takes a bit longer and is a bit more tedious but seems to help eliminate problems later.

 

Retorque when cool.
My head bled for a couple weeks, but I had just had a tumour removed!

 

Did you lay a straight edge across them before installing them? Unless you had them resurfaced they may be just a bit warped.

 

Weeping around the outside edge, or from the studs/bolts?

 

Make sure your torque wrench is accurate. I had your problem, and the cause was the clicker type torque wrench giving me a very incorrect too-low torque.

 

Ill check in to it. Thanks

 

Ill try the retorqued method. As far as i know the guy that rebuilt it which i trust did it to his best of knoledge. I know he followed the bolt pattern and even sealed some of the bolts. As far as being warped. God i hope not. Hopefully this can be fixed with a little turn of the old fashion wrench.

 

I always use a good pipe sealer and head studs kit on my 8ba's. I also use a small amount of block sealer of some sort like solder seal or bars leak just for security. after break in I drain all breakin fluids and replace them. Then I add antifreeze and watter pump lube as needed just use caution in winter time, dont want that puppy to freeze...

 

I hear ya. There no leaking from bolts just outer edges. Im sure a retorque will fix it. This is first restoration and alot of things im finding out the hard way. Ill know next time..

 

Even the stock heads can warp, I had to have mine milled. If you can't get them to stop leaking, you might have to do that. It's not that expensive, just a pain to take it all back apart.