Wet patch between head and block?

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FCD

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So yesterday i pressure washed my engine block and i had it in the sun a while for it to dry, today after going to a car show i opened the hood and i saw there was clearly like a wet patch between the head and the block, doesn't seem to on the other side, is this the head gasket seeping coolant? there seems to be no coolant getting into the cylinders as the fumes from the tailpipes are absolutely clear, no smoke or vapour.
 
Yes I guess it would be dry by now. It sounds like a little external weep, the correct thing to do is pressure test it, confirm the leak then pop the head.
Check the head for flatness and have it magnafluxed or dye tested for cracks and replace the gasket. While the head is in the machine shop it might not be a bad idea to have the valves ground and new seals installed.
There are a couple of hack moves you can try but I really don't want to start down that road.
 
Originally Posted By: dlayman
Shouldn't it be possible to tell the difference between water and coolant by appearance, touch, and smell?


Sure just taste it.
 
Did you have the heads off when you did the valve guide seals? If so, maybe a defective gasket?
 
Yah the BMW M 20 in my first '88 528e had a minor oil seep on the right side of #1. In its usual commuter mode it used a qt between changes. The consumption decreased noticeably on road trips. The engine was fine outside of the oil use, which was very manageable. Research revealed that it was a common design flaw. Doing due diligence by replacing the head gasket and planing the head did nothing to fix the trouble. One guy replaced the gasket 3 times before he gave up. I discovered Supertech dino and STP filters. If the leak is manageable and this is in the Capri, I would manage it.
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: andyd
Yah the BMW M 20 in my first '88 528e had a minor oil seep on the right side of #1. In its usual commuter mode it used a qt between changes. The consumption decreased noticeably on road trips. The engine was fine outside of the oil use, which was very manageable. Research revealed that it was a common design flaw. Doing due diligence by replacing the head gasket and planing the head did nothing to fix the trouble. One guy replaced the gasket 3 times before he gave up. I discovered Supertech dino and STP filters. If the leak is manageable and this is in the Capri, I would manage it.
grin2.gif


In my case my daughter was using the car on 1300 Km (800 mile) road trips so I decided to replace the head gasket. I was concerned about the leak getting a lot worse while on the road and losing a lot of oil. If it had been only local driving or if I had been driving it myself I might have left it alone. I think an external leak is better than an internal leak - first of all you can see what and how much is leaking, and also fluids (likely) aren't mixing.
 
If it is coolant it is a very small leak, i could put a new head gasket but i can't be bothered, and the engine runs fine and i do not have the time to do it.
Plus the car show season is starting and i do not want to miss out on anything.
 
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