coolant seeping from head gasket...

[Bubba]

I just turned over 200 miles on my motor. I'm running maybe 10-12 psi of boost. I've had a couple3 of coolant leaks that I took care of, but today I got on it a little bit and when I got back home I had some coolant around where the headgasket meets the head on the front passenger side. I'm using a MP head gasket and ARP studs. I didn't put the motor together this time, but I believe the studs were torqued to 70 ft. LBs. I believe that I need to torque them up to 85-90 ft. lbs. Should I be able to seal this by torquing them up to 85-90 ft. lbs.? I really don't want to have to pull the head back off if at all possible.

Also, is there any method I should use to re-torque these? Thanks.

Christian J. Grest

[Stevien1]

You might want to send a quick email for call ARP to see what they say about re-torquing their headstuds.

If you had stock head bolts, I'd say go for the re-torque. Loosen and re-torque to 85 ft-lbs one bolt at a time in the proper sequence. A lot of people don't like the idea of re-torquing headbolts, but if hasn't been too long since the gasket was installed and you are having leaks- it's worth a try!

-Chuck James

[Bubba]

Well, with the MP bolts and gasket I would re-torque to 85 on the corners and 90 on all the rest after about 100 miles. I think my problem here is that the studs weren't torqued high enough in the first place. With only 200 miles, I should be able to just torque them up to 85-90 like I've read elsewhere, but would like some opinions from those who've had this same kind of problem.

Christian J. Grest

[Bubba]

I re-torqued to 85 then 90 ft. lbs. Took it out for a spin gettin' on it quite a bit and didn't see any coolant seeping out when I got back. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be the end of this, but we'll see after I take it out a few more times. I did buy the stuff needed to change out the head gasket just in case, lord knows I'll have to change it eventually anyways.

Christian J. Grest

[Bubba]

Goddamn-it. It started leaking again. Guess I'll be doing a head gasket change after all.

Christian J. Grest

[5sp. mini]

dude that sucks. hey i,ve got to come up to parma hieghts to get some chair i think today after i get the motor out of the mini. shot me you phone i will stop if i,m close AL

[GLHSKEN]

When you re-torque, use the same mopar parttern, loosen the 1st one then re-torque it. Repeat in the pattern 1st loostening the nut then tightening.

[Bubba]

When you re-torque, use the same mopar parttern, loosen the 1st one then re-torque it. Repeat in the pattern 1st loostening the nut then tightening.

I changed out the head gasket today. I torqued to 75 ft lbs and loosened 3 times, then went to 85 ft. lbs. then to 90 ft. lbs. I'm gonna warm it up and then re-torque once everything is back together. The hard part is done though. If I still have head lifting issues, I'm gonna be pissed.

Christian J. Grest