replaced head gaskets car is now worse

G

gmp30

Registered User
I just replaced my head gaskets, I did everything properly, sent the heads out and got them done when I put everything back together my engine filled up with antifreeze after I started it. Now I get bubbles coming into my resevoir tank just like before. When my head gaskets first went bad the engine never filled up with any antifreeze. Does anyone have any ideas what might of gone wrong.


1990 XR-7
73000 miles
 
you didn't use the old bolts did you? did you follow the right torque sequence?sorry to here that it is a lot of work for nothing.
joe
 
Did you use some sort of thread sealer on the short head bolts? If not then that is your problem, because they go into water jackets. Which is indicative of the problem you are having.

Chris
 
I did follow the correct torque sequence and no I did not use any thread sealer on the head bolts but why would that be my problem I do not understand.
 
If you didn't use thread sealer then that is your problem. What happens is the short head bolts go into water jackets. If they aren't sealed when the car is filled with coolant it will leak past the threads right into the camber or even so far as outside the block.

Chris
 
Well jesus h. christ, i just put my heads on recently but i didnt use any thread sealer on the shorter bolts...

I've actually never heard of anyone using sealer. What is to be used Loctite blue?
 
personally out of the few dozen 3.8 blocks I've done only the N/A blocks have the lower bolts enter the water passage, I have NEVER used sealant on the lower bolts on the SCs:cool:

but then again I am the badass:p
 
Just to get back on the point, you are getting bubbles in your over-flow tank. I had to change my radiator and had similar bubbbles. Initially, no big deal. No matter how hard you try, there is going to be air in your coolant system. That air will take some time to get purged. You just need to keep an eye on it to make sure that you are not putting too much in or for too long of a time. If your car is a daily driver, then no more than 1 week of adding coolant. If your car isn't your daily driver, get it up to operating temp at least three times, adding the needed coolant each time. I added it to the over-flow tank when the car was cool. If you have the stock coolant system, you should hold somewhere around 3 gallons. Just keep an eye on it. If you know that you did everything right, then I wouldn't worry about it.
 
If you've got enough air in it that is bubles over like that you have a problem. According to the Ford service manual, the N/A's don't need sealent but the SC's do. Anotherthing to consider: Are your heads warped? Did you clean them up and stick them back on or did you have them milled? You also didn't say whether or not you reused the bolts, if you did that could be your problem, they are Torque to Yeild bolts and are meant to stretch when torqued (Definately non reusable). Have you got any other symptoms of HG's? (No heat, Rough running overheating?)
 
head gaskets

Felpro makes a liquid teflon thread sealer for bolts that penetrate into the water jackets. i.e. head,timing cover,water pump....
Works great as an emergency sealer for IC tubes (let it dry first).
If you didn't replace the bolts, then you have to do it all over again. At $100-150 for a complete set of new head bolts (that you will have to replace every time the heads are pulled. Do yourself a favor... Get an ARP head stud kit. buy once... use many
MIke
 
When I did the head gaskets I did use new head bolts and I did send my heads out to ge cleaned, milled and pressure tested. So the problem that I had is the vehicle kept reaching the overheating mark and bubbles kept flowing through the resevoir tank. So do you guys think that I should of used a sealant on the head bolts or just maybe the bubbles were normal till the system got all the bubbles out. Thanks for any repplies guys.

1990 XR-7
73000 miles
 
Just to be on the safe side, have your antifreeze tested for oil. If there is no oil, then you are probably ok. There is no way to get all the air out of the coolant system without just running the car. If you had bubbles the first time you ran the car, that is completely normal. I added 1/2 a gallon more coolant after I had my system emptied and then refilled it. Check your oil for antifreeze too. I'm suspecting that it is just air in the coolant system that needs to be purged. I've been through it with 2 T-birds, 1-n/a and 1-SC. It is just the way the coolant system is designed. This is the same reason that your car will be running on the hot side. Just don't let it get too hot. An effective way to purge the air out of the system is to get it to operating temp for 10-15 minutes, then let the car cool for 3-4 hours. check the coolant level and fill as needed. I had to repeat this step 3-4 times before my system was completely purged of air. Just keep an eye on it and I think that you will be just fine.
 
Yes you definately need sealent on the short bolts, that's probably what your problem is. It should not over heat and boil over under normal conditions.
 
thats great, since I've never seen the head bolts enter the water passage, even if they did combustion gas wont enter because there is still a gasket around them, so THAT ISNT THE PROBLEM:rolleyes: . USED HEADBOLTS WONT CAUSE A LEAK THAT FAST EITHER. WRONG TORQUE SEQUENCE WILL. I WOULD KEEP DRIVING AND FILLING COOLANT UNLESS YOUR OIL GETS CONTAMINATED OR UNTIL IT STARTS LOSING COOLANT(AFTER ITS FULLY BLED OF COURSE). IF YOUR UPPER RAD HOSE ISNT FULL OF LOTS OF PRESSURE AND YOU SEE BUBBLES, THAT MEANS ITS NOT PRESSURIZED(NO COMBUSTION GAS ENTERING)
 
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well you could do this also.

Start the car and run it, open up the bleeder screw for the cooling system, as soon as it starts to have coolant over flow from it tighten it down. and if your radiator is full and other air should bubble up and out through the over flow hose into the tank and then it can escape there. Did you replace your radiator cap with a new one? I have a 16 lb cap on mine with pressure realease.
 
Maybe you are just overheating and your coolant is just boiling over. Check to see if your fan is turning on. Also your IRCM may not be turning on the fan. The ECT sensor could be bad also.

Another thing is your catalytic coverters may be clogged or rusted.


Hopefully, you did not warp your heads or blow your gaskets again by overheating.
 
Thanks for all the reply guys, but it is still a mystery as to why my engine filled up with antifreeze after I started it. Even when my gaskets went first my engine never had any antifreeze in it. Do you guys think that there might have been a problem with one of my heads that the shop did not pick up on, Or maybe when I first drove the vehicle it may of overheated a little and blown a gasket again, is that a possibiltiy.

1990 XR-7
73000 miles
 
Well...

If I were you I think I would be listening to what Chris Wise told you...After all this is what he does daily it would seem...Sounds like you need to regroup and start over...You got coolant in your eng. oil so obviously you need to start over...

Your step by step instructions may need to be reconsidered as well...Hit Chris Wise up for some tips on gaskets and the instal and you will be golden...

much luck
 
I'M SCAREDDD!!!!!

:eek: oh geez....all this talk about ... an unsucessful hg replacement.....i hope i didn't waste my time!!! everybody!!! pray for the SC please!!!!!!! :eek: AsScLoWn, please tell me it'll be alright!!!!!!!! i'll let everyone know....*gulp* .....tonight!

dRfiSh
 
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