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Coolant from spark plug hole? Headgasket?


johnnyddn

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The motor work was done by the previous owner over 10 years ago so I don't really know the history.  I've had blown headgaskets before in other cars where the oil and water mixed and even had smoke from the tail pipe.  This car has none of those symptoms besides this coolant leak so that's why I was wondering if anyone has seen this before.  

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Things you might check: compression test, inspect the water in the radiator, pull the dipstick-any water in the oil?  etc etc

 

I have had engines develop hairline cracks in the block and heads so a cracked head is possible.

 

If you are not intimidated by pulling the head, do so and have a machine shop check it for cracks.

 

Let us know what you find.

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Well got some bad news.  After cleaning the area it looks like the water corroded and ate a hole through the head.  The metal was so weak it just caved in with the pick I was using to clean the area.  Probably why it didn't show signs of a blown head gasket.  I feel I could get the car running fairly easy again if I could find another good head and swap them.  But I'm almost to the point I think I'm just gonna give up on this motor and start saving parts for a LSx swap if I can't find a head in my area fairly cheap.    

 

20150727_145035_zps5bcvwnnf.jpg

Edited by johnnyddn
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Wow, that's pretty cool.

 

You could try borini63, 88dangerdan, or zentech by message.  They all sell parts. I think that borini63 might be in your neighborhood.

 

That's a lot of corrosion though.  Makes you wonder about the block also, like the core plugs.  They're thin.

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Well, I found another N47 head at the local junkyard in a 1980 280zx.  The cam cover is missing and it looks like it's been baking in the sun forever.  It's also missing some springs and other components from the head, but the cam and cam caps are still there.  It would still cost me about $100 bucks even though it's incomplete and I would have to pull the head myself.  Do you think I should wait to buy a complete head?  I also found a N42 head complete but it's about 5 hours away from me in Arizona.  

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