Got a call from AFR today and my heads are ready to pick-up. They could find nothing wrong with them. They did a pressure test and checked all the angles and everything is correct. They did see that the coolant is seeping from between the deck and the heads because they see two (2) exhaust ports in one head, and one (1) exhaust ports in the other appear appear to have been steam cleaned (example). No impressions from the gaskets are found in the heads. They questioned the torque. The deck is fine as I had no problems prior to putting the new heads on.

Eric of AFR asked if I was using ARP bolts. I advised that I am. He asked about the torque and I told him I torqued the heads to 65 ft. lbs. He advised me that thye btorque is different.
I checked with ARP and they advised that the ARP bolts are to be torqued to 75 ft. lbs. with moly lubricants, and 85 ft. lbs. with 30 wt. motor oil. I am guessing 80 ft. lbs. with permatex?
Some body tell me that 15 ft. lbs. would let it leak?

Had the intake checked by a performance shop/race engine builder. They had a slick tool that is the angle of a stock chevy intake and slid it along the bottom of the inake. The builder asked me what the problem was and when I told him I had water comming out of the header at start up.
He said that sounds like a head or gasket problem.

Any thoughts again!

Thanks

That's both good & bad.

I'd check the block for a crack

I had a set of heads where a water port did not line up with the one on the block. This dumped a lot of water into the engine. They had been installed on another car, and it no problems. Both were early 70's small blocks.

that sounds like core shift, if the ports don't line up.

I doubt 15 ft lbs would cause this...

Quote:

If the gasket lines up to the heads.

And the gasket lines up to the block..

And the intake gasket lines up to the heads, and the intake..


My guess is the block is at fault. He needs to check the decks with a machinest straight edge and a feeler gauge.

What head gaskets were used?

-- Joe

Did you "roll in" the threads on the new ARP bolts? If you didn't do that (by tightening and loosening and re-tightening them 5 times, I think, it's in the directions) then that may have been your problem. If you were on the light side of the torque anyway, then the bolts weren't thread rolled, the torque was likely WAY less than it should have been after the engine was fired up and heated up.

Another issue is whether or not you ran a tap or thread chase through the threads in the block that the head bolts screw into. I don't know the story on your build so I thought I'd mention this. If the threads are dirty with old permatex or anything it really throws the torque wrench off.

If you did roll the threads in and chase the threrads, I HIGHLY doubt the difference in recommended torque settings caused your problems. I've always torqued mine to 70 ft lbs using permatex thread sealant and liquid wrench spray on the washers and bottom of bolt head for lube. No problems so far, but my bolts are rolled in and I always run a tap through the head bolt threads in the block to clean them out.