leaking water 346 41 60 special

[mr41cadillac]

i added water to radiator of newly rebuild 346 engine and it leaks water. can it leak from aroun d one of the  manifold bolts? when we installed the engine we had to break loose 2 or 3 head bolts to use those holes for the engine installation. any advice ?  thanks john

[Tom Beaver]

Yes water can leak from around the head bolts since they all extend into the water jacket in the block.  Did you put any thread sealant on the bolts when you installed them?  I have had good luck with Permatex high performance thread sealant it is non-hardening and seems to inhibit corrosion.  If you you use it you might consider using the "oiled" torque specification for the head bolts as a lubricated bolt will decrease the torque value as much as 20%.

Tom Beaver

[Steve Passmore]

John, you don.t say just where it is actually leaking from. As Tom said it will certainly leak from the head bolts as the thread is the only thing between the water and the outside world.