Spirit r/t weeping HG

[lotharamc]

My 92 R/T is slowly loosing coolant from near the power steering pump.

I don't have a problem with doing the head gasket, but I don't want to take the engine out to clean up the surface. I rebuilt the engine 2 years ago, and did all the block work at home, so the surface probably isn't perfect. The compression is perfect, the coolant is just leaking out.

What do you guys do to ensure sealing, when leaving the block in the car?
Any special prep work?

Cometic better than felpro? Copper coating?

Andy

[87glhs232]

Cometic better than felpro? Copper coating?

Andy

Mopar > Felpro

Cometic > Mopar & Felpro


Check the deck surface for pitting and check how truly flat it is with a straight edge. Also check the head, maybe have a light surfacing done.

[turbovanman²]

You can't use a cometic, the surfaces have to be very smooth and true. A TIII head gasket is fine or you can use a MP gasket, 2006 number and modify it to work with the TIII, plus there half the price.

You can use hi-temp copper spray if you want. I would take it apart and measure the block and head surfaces, it could be the block is warped.

There is a slight chance the head is cracked also or might have a leaking coolant plug?

[lotharamc]

Just some more info: When I rebuilt 2 years ago the head was a "new" one from FWD. So at least that was flat when it went on. It started leaking about a month after I got it running again. So, I'm thinking the block isn't quite flat.

Andy

[turbovanman²]

I would remove the ps bracket, buy/borrow/rent a cooling system pressure tester and try to see exactly wheres it coming from.

[LowSL2]

I have the same issue and it won't leak when I pressurize the cooling system. I've tried it with the engine cold, warm, hot, running. Just won't leak. But if I drive for a while and stop I can smell coolant and see that it's been weeping at the corners of the firewall side of the head.

Time for a cometic and ARPs for both of us.

[turbovanman²]

Time for a cometic and ARPs for both of us.

If you get the block and head milled with a smooth R/A, ;)

[2.216VTurbo]

If you get the block and head milled with a smooth R/A, ;)

I don't know if it is gonna work yet or not, but the last time I had the head off the Rampage, I did all the porting polishing etc and had the extra fine RA done to it so I could run the Cometic. Thing is, I didn't pull the block, what I did do is use some 360 wet/dry paper, a stiff rubber sanding block and a whole bunch of WD40. It did shine up the deck suraface and make it smooth so a fingernail didn't catch, but I have only run it 75 or so miles since then due to an oil leak requiring the head to come off again. So in THOERY, the blco RA surface can be address with some careful hand prep. YMMV though;)

[lotharamc]

This situation reminds me.

(from the back of an old Model A catalog) (my old man is into A's)

There are advertisements for a small portable vertical mill that you bolt to the engine somehow. and it can make passes over the old flat head 4 cyl.

If only..........

I'm sure the tolerance on the thing wasn't that good, but then again it didn't need to be.