Pressurise cooling system without running engine

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blackvoguebeauty

Active Member
Posts
191
Location
Hereford
Hi all

Just finished rebuilding my '89 3.5 V8 Efi (RRC). Put it back in the car and filled with oil and coolant.

There is now a drip of coolant forming every day from between the block and the heads on BOTH sides, right in the middle. The engine has never been run so this is without any pressure. I assume if I did start it the coolant would **** out all over the place.

My question is has anyone pressurised they're cooling system for testing purposes? How did you do it? I'm assuming the need for a compressor but where did/how did you connect up? And what pressure did you go to?

I'm really hoping I don't have to take the heads off AGAIN. I don't know how it can leak from the head gasket to the outside under no pressure when it has had the heads skimmed and new Elring composite gaskets fitted. And on top of that they're torqued down with ARP studs. I'm hoping that by being able to pressurise the system I can spot where the leak is coming from, and hopefully it's not from the head gaskets or I'm going to burn it and throw it in the river.
 
Right, done some research and sort of answered my own question. Bike inner tube, a pump and a bit of cobbling required.


Only question now is do I want to attach to the rad or the expansion tank?
 
Thanks for that Mark. I did look at them but didn't want to spend £70-80 (minimum) on something I would very, very rarely use.

I got a bike inner tube for £3.98, cut the valve bit off with some rubber to spare. This I stretched over the radiator filler neck and fixed on with a jubilee clip. I then used a foot pump, with a gauge, to pressurise the system. Got to about 18psi which I believe is more than operating pressure?

Anyway, I confirmed that for some f*ck knows reason, there is a leak on both sides from the head gasket area. So for the third time on this rebuild I am going to have to pull the f*cking heads off this f*cking c*unt of a f*cking car.
 
blackvoguebeauty said:
Thanks for that Mark. I did look at them but didn't want to spend £70-80 (minimum) on something I would very, very rarely use.

I got a bike inner tube for £3.98, cut the valve bit off with some rubber to spare. This I stretched over the radiator filler neck and fixed on with a jubilee clip. I then used a foot pump, with a gauge, to pressurise the system. Got to about 18psi which I believe is more than operating pressure?

Anyway, I confirmed that for some f*ck knows reason, there is a leak on both sides from the head gasket area. So for the third time on this rebuild I am going to have to pull the f*cking heads off this f*cking c*unt of a f*cking car.

do love your use of the word f*cking poor class buy the way have you had the heads skimmed and checked the blocks are flat
Click to expand...
 
:eek: I do apologise for the language, but I'm trying to convey the pure, unbelievable frustration at the situation. The block face was as flat as it could possibly be before I put the heads on, checked with a straight edge and feeler gauge. The heads themselves were skimmed before I put them on.

I fitted them with ARP studs so they are already torqued down almost uncomfortably tight to the ARP settings. Thanks for the tip though.

I think that the next step is to pull the heads off again and check the block faces/head faces for corrosion and fill it with JB weld before putting everything back on, though I would have noticed anything major enough to cause a leak when I put everthing back together.

I also plan to have the heads pressure tested incase there're any cracks or splits anywhere.

Not sure when all this will happen as time/money are short. I will update this thread though when I do manage to do anything.

Also if I do set fire to it I will post a video.
 
jamesmartin said:
weres the coolant running into the valley gasket ?
Click to expand...

No, it's on the outside, the drip is forming in the middle and running down the outside of the block. The valley is dry, so are the ends of the heads. I wondered if it was leaking from the valley and then running around the heads and dripping off the outside but no such luck.

Also on a separate note, jamesmartin joined in Dec 2010 and has 24,879 posts!!!! Mate, that is impressive! Got to be a record surely?
 
Last edited:
blackvoguebeauty said:
No, it's on the outside, the drip is forming in the middle and running down the outside of the block. The valley is dry, so are the ends of the heads. I wondered if it was leaking from the valley and then running around the heads and dripping off the outside but no such luck.

Also on a separate note, jamesmartin joined in Dec 2010 and has 24,879 posts!!!! Mate, that is impressive! Got to be a record surely?
Click to expand...
possibly :) i cant quite visulise were its leaking the middle would suggest onto valley gasket ,or do you mean on exhaust side
 
Yes, I mean middle exhaust side. It's dry all around the head/block joint except for down the exhaust side. A drip or two a day forms and runs down the side of the block. It's either getting from the ports at the end or the heads are cracked. Both bloody annoying scenarios.
 
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