I have notices that on a long run I get oild dripping on the floor. I traced the leak to the top of the head on the ex manifold side. It seems the oil is coming from under the head bolts! Only happens on long trips.

As I changed the head gasket last december, I am a bit worried. As I am going to Brighton (350 miles) soon, I am even more worried.

Any ideas? I wasnt certain that I had torqued the bolts properly with that daft idea of 60 deg stages. The first time This happened I just tightened all the bolts up 'Tight' with a 2' bar.

I fear the head might have to come off again!........ Would it be worth taking the bolts out one by one and putting hermetite all over them to try and seal it?

Help!!!!!

are you sure its coming from the bolt holes as that would indicate blown HG , or possibly warped or cracked head

did yer check the head for straightness when it was done last year?

Had the head machined 8 thou taken off. There was an instance where I saw oil bubbling around the bolts a month after doing HG and on that occasion the bolts were loose. I think I should find out what torque settings they should be (I set them as per manual with an angular gauge) But looks like I may have got it wrong. I am concerned that even if they are now tight enough I may have done some damage.

revjames said:

Had the head machined 8 thou taken off. There was an instance where I saw oil bubbling around the bolts a month after doing HG and on that occasion the bolts were loose. I think I should find out what torque settings they should be (I set them as per manual with an angular gauge) But looks like I may have got it wrong. I am concerned that even if they are now tight enough I may have done some damage.

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If you ran the engine with loose head bolts you almost certainly damaged the gasket seal - when you tightened it down again the mating faces were no longer clean and the joint won't seal. It would be like putting the head back on with the old gasket in place.

Looks like HG will have to be replaced again then