Leaking Head bolt?
 

Hello, i am Michael from Germany and new to Model A. My other car is a Model T:)

Yesterday i changed oil and put a stoneguard on my car. After that i started the engine and it runs. Before that i cleaned the head and so on. After a while i found some fluid around a head bolt near the distributor.

Any idea what this is? Where is the defect?

Thanks a lot

Michael

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

I would drain the coolant , remove the leaking stud and cover the stud threads that enter the block with silicone sealer and reinstall the stud and head nut . check and retorque the head nuts .

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Okay, is it not better to remove the head for this?

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

You will have a difficult or impossible time with the head on. You must remove the head to remove the stud.

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Head removal may not be not necessary, but be careful as studs break quite easily. You might first try just removing the nut and silicone only under it. Congratulations on stepping up from that old Ford to a new car, the Model A! :-) What part of Germany do you live in? I was stationed in Nurnberg in 1961-62, and loved it.

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Try re-torqueing the nut, probably wouldn't hurt to do all of them. JMO

Paul in CT

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Sometimes the stud backs out when the head nut is removed . The head may have to be removed but one thing for sure is the stud will usually need be removed . In many cases the bottom will be knocked out of the stud hole in the block , caused from over tightening the stud . If this is the case , the only fix that I know of would be to seal the threads by what ever method possible . The stud could be backed out with vise grips but the upper stud fine threads would be damaged . I would seal the threads and install a new or used stud . For good measure when I first cranked the engine I would use a quality block sealer with tap water . I would follow the block sealer instructions to the letter . After the engine was run , cooled and drained I would install antifreeze and water to the ratio needed to protect from freezing . No matter what method is used , removing the head or not , when the stud is removed , there will be a risk of the stud breaking off in the block . Broken studs can be drilled and removed without damaging the block threads if care is taken .

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Hi Michael , Has the head been welded? I believe it might have been from the photo.
Dan

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Jim: I was stationed in Nurnberg, Merrill Barracks, with the 3d Armd Cav Regt in 56-57-58. Loved it too. Bill Lee.Virginia

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Twice, I've had a leak like that and neither time did I even consider removing the head. I simply added a little stop leak to the cooling system and within a short time, the leak stopped. I'll look further into it if I ever have to remove the head. It's already been about 40,000 miles on one engine.
Keep it simple, I say.

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

I have a stud puller which works most of the time. Pull stud put some red seal on threads and back down it goes. Also stop leak will help.

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

I would try removing the nut and use a lead washer under it and put in some stop leak.

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Stationed there 79-80 good times then transferred to bitburg.

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Hello to everybody, thanks for all your advices.

For the questions wich part in Germany. We live near Duesseldorf at the dutch border.

Have anyone a picture from the top of the engine with the head removed? I would like to see what is in this area, where the leak is. I think it us more than sealing the stud?

There must be some waterchamber where the fkuid coolant is from.

Michael

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Attempting to remove a stud with the head in place in my opinion is a disaster just waiting to happen.

Torque all of the head nuts to 55 lbs. Add a stop leak product and run it for a while to see if it stops leaking.

Re: Leaking Head bolt?
 

Huh?