Water in radiator and puddle on block behind lower intake

[White90GT]

OK, I drove the car to work last Wednesday. Drove fine during the morning with no problems. I now have about 20-25 miles on the new/refreshed motor. Well, on the way home I got stuck in a little traffic in the heat of the day and rather than pulling off and letting it cool, I was stupid enough to press my luck. It got up pretty hot and damn near pegged the stock temp gauge, my guess would be 230-250* or so.
I had blocked off the line on the waterpump that formerly went to the black heater tube on the passenger side. Well, that block off was leaking out pressure and evidentally leaked water because the radiator was half empty when I checked. So I put another cap over that line and tightened it down good, refilled the radiator and watched for leaks. Nothing up front. I shut the car off and started prepping the trailer and stuff to go to the track. I kept hearing a drip and looked to the back of the motor. I see a small puddle of water behind the lower intake on the block. Where the intake meets the block, there is an indention that drops about 1/4" from the intake/block meeting point and the water puddle followed that indention down and back to the block/bell meeting point and ran down to the ground from there.
What could be leaking there? I haven't pulled the intake yet, but may look at it tonight. I used High Temp Black RTV on the intake ends and had plenty there. The intake has been milled with the heads and sits close to the block, too close to put the dinky copper/rubber gaskets there, so I coated it with the RTV. Do you think it could just be that seal between the intake and block? I wouldn't think so as where would water come from there, that would be oil. So what could it be? There appeared to be some oil in the radiator as well. I can't really hear/fill a miss though as if it were a blown head gasket and with the water leaking out the back like that I'm curious.

[TxBandit]

Sounds to me like the intake gasket between the intake and head is leaking.

Tyro

[Saleen91]

I concur with Tyro. :)

[White90GT]

So you think its leaking on the passenger side eh? Those are new FP 1262 gaskets. Should I RTV the gaskets on both sides and re-use them? Should I just buy another set and RTV both sides of them?
I really hate pulling the damn lower intake. Thats almost as much trouble as pulling the damn motor. Gotta pull the dist, all the wires, fuel rails, etc... What a PITA. I wonder if they screwed it up when they milled the intake? It looked pretty flat to me.

[FE_rex]

If there are no heater hoses to leak an intake gasket is the only one left to drop coolant there. Pressure up the cooling system and see where it dribbles. If you use RTV make sure you wipe everything with acetone and let the RTV dry overnight before you add water and play. Make sure you have the right gasket. I *think* early model and late model 302's are different. Maybe Tyro can comment.

[Timebomb]

I'd use a new 1262 gasket just for the sake of it (you only want to do it once right?) and a dab of ultra black to hold it in place along with a thick bead of it on the front and rear of the block. Let that bead skim over for about 20 minutes then drop the lower in place and let it sit overnight before you crank it. BTW you shouldn't need to pull the fuel rails off, just disconnect the fuel lines and leave the rails and injectors there in the lower when you pull it.

[White90GT]

I know I don't have to remove the rails, just have to disconnect from the fuel line. Its a PITA everytime though. I always seem to misplace my fuel disconnect tools. I have the one green one that came with that NOS fuel T that works on one line, but not the other, I used another one that was a little smaller and managed to get it off. I may work on it tonight if it rains, but if it doesn't rain I've got to go do that other roof that my parents paid me to do three weeks ago LOL.
I let the intake sit on the block for 2 days before putting in coolant and cranking the car, but I didn't let it cure 20 minutes before I set the intake on the block. So I'll do that on the next one. I've got to call Oreilly and order some more 1262 gaskets. I still have the set of 1262R gaskets, but I think that they do not have water port holes cut in them and they are also extremely thick.

[Wild Stallion]

I guess I'm different, I use rubber cement lightly on both sides of the intakes gasket, and the red high temp RTV in a thin layer around the water jackets.
On the end peices I don't uses the cork or rubber end peices, just a heavy bead of black RTV letting it skim over as Brent siad. Damn, I'n going home I feel likeSh!t!!!

[TxBandit]

I agree with Brent, you should use new gaskets. I NEVER use the end seals, I always use RTV and have never had a problem. I also run a very small bead around the water jackets just to make sure they seal. I run a bead on the head itself, put the gasket on and run another bead on the intake side of the gasket.

Also, let me know if you want to unload those 1262R gaskets. That's what my head is ported to, and it would be nice to have a spare set.


Tyro

[White90GT]

Troy, you can have the 1262R's for $5. Sound fair? I paid like $12 or $18 can't remember exactly at Texas Perfomance. I guess you can just get them from me at the next event we're at together. When that will be I have no idea LOL.

[TxBandit]

Originally posted by White90GT
Troy, you can have the 1262R's for $5. Sound fair? I paid like $12 or $18 can't remember exactly at Texas Perfomance. I guess you can just get them from me at the next event we're at together. When that will be I have no idea LOL.



Please mark those as SOLD!!

Are you planning on going to the next CCB?

Tyro

[White90GT]

I need to make another CCB, but we'll have to see. I'm trying to sweet talk the ol lady into letting me do FFW ennis, then COTT Oct 25.

[Otis!]

Not sure about anybody else, but I've never had to pull the dist on a SBF to swap intakes. Jst hold your mouth right and jiggle it Carl (trust me, it drives'em wild and gets more than lowers off :D)!
Estimated time to completion: 2 hours...

PimpO!

[White90GT]

It was no biggie to pull the distributor. The RTV I put on the oil pump drive shaft kept it in place from when I put the motor in the car, so when I pulled the dist it came out with it. I marked on the edge of the cap where the rotor was with the tfi module pointed all the way over to the driver side. When I put it back in, she went right back into place with no problem. You are right though, the whole job took about two hours. I spent maybe 1.5 hours yesterday evening on it, including scraping the surfaces, cleaning, and letting the rtv on the rails set for a while. I bolted the lower down and hooked up all the wiring yesterday. I plan to retorque the lower today before I put the upper on as some of the bolts felt a little easy to unscrew when I was pulling it. I may again retorque it after I run the car a little bit as that is something I didn't do the first time.

[FE_rex]

looks like you have it

[Otis!]

FWIW, I retorque mine about four times at install; seems the gasket 'relaxes' a bit...

Good luck Carl!

[White90GT]

Yeah Chris, I did have to retorque it several times. Thats why I'm going to do it again before i install the upper, then again after a heat cycle. How much torque are you putting on it. The Haynes manual says like 21-23 ft lbs, but seems to be quite a bit with the alluminum heads, I've already stripped two bolts. I set it at 21 ft lbs last night, should I go a little more?