Water leak question

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bricud

bricud

Cuda's Cuda
Joined
Jun 22, 2022
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Location
Black River Falls, WI 54615
I assembled my 360 and have it on the engine stand but after filling it with coolant, I noticed it drips from one of the timing cover bolts. I'll have to pull the water pump to get to that bolt but was wondering best practices to prevent it from leaking going forward. I covered the threads with TFE past when installing the first time. Should I have used something different. I only want to take it back apart once. Thanks,

Brian

Water leak 2.jpeg
 
Yeah, some of those bolts go through to the water jacket. They require sealant.
 
I thirdly agree. If you don’t have any and want a laugh the next time you go to take it apart… fill with silicone around the bolt. But the first method is best.
Syleng1
 
Two caveats.

If a bolt is leaking from the threads into the block, it may be possible that it is leaking into the oil pan. Keep a watch on oil for water/ coolant

Also there is one bolt (forget which one) that if you accidently get one in there that is too long, you can break through the block wall and even damage the cylinder skirt. Now you have coolant into the oil and an expensive fix
 
I used a product like this...

Probably the same as post #3 but if memory serves me it was more liquid like Loctite than thick like gasket sealer.

1720562004171.png




I also put RTV in the hole of the timing cover and water pump (not the threads) of the wet bolts to help keep them from rusting should it leak. I had one of the wet bolts break off due to it being thinned but rust and corrosion. Luckily it was sticking out enough to wrench it out.
 
If water is leaking from that bolthead, then that entire bolt-tunnel has water in it.
No matter whose advice you follow, that cover has to come off.
From my memory, there are only a total of three bolts that go into the water jackets, and that ain't one of them. but I could be wrong.
In any case, you gotta figure out how that water is getting into that tunnel, and STOP it from happening again; else you may have a dickens of a time getting the cover off at a future date when the tunnel is filled with corrosion..
 
I saved this pic from another thread on this site. Make sure the bolts are in the right place.

A9CD7DF7-9737-4B14-8A3A-8344EE006CAA.jpeg
 
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