Xnke Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 i've started having that problem on my L...it'll seep a little water, but only if I let it sit for a week or so. If I am driving it daily, then I don't see any seepage at all...and it's all on the passenger side of the engine block. Mostly right above the boss for the block serialization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Have you been er torquing your head bolts every tune up like Nissan Recommends? One of the primary reasons fasteners lose their torque and then fatigue cycle and fail is a phenomenon known as "embedment"... Aluminum displaces over time, and you can lose torque. Similarly, gaskets compress and your torque (clamping force) is lost... Then things start leaking! Once the leak path is established it's almost impossible to stop it without introduction of a sealant. There was a REASON those head bolts were called to be retorqued EVERY tune up! A universally disregarded procedure. It was not to prevent breakage and seized bolts... It was to combat embedment or gasket compression and fretting damage to the head gasket! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimZ Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Have you been er torquing your head bolts every tune up like Nissan Recommends? One of the primary reasons fasteners lose their torque and then fatigue cycle and fail is a phenomenon known as "embedment"... Aluminum displaces over time, and you can lose torque. Similarly, gaskets compress and your torque (clamping force) is lost... Then things start leaking! Once the leak path is established it's almost impossible to stop it without introduction of a sealant. There was a REASON those head bolts were called to be retorqued EVERY tune up! A universally disregarded procedure. It was not to prevent breakage and seized bolts... It was to combat embedment or gasket compression and fretting damage to the head gasket! THANK YOU! I brought up re-torqueing the head some time ago and got swiftly drowned out by a chorus "it's unnecessary" and "you'll ruin the head gasket" statements, all in a thread where somebody was trying to figure out why their head gasket was leaking. I've always treated this as standard procedure. It's not even difficult to do - takes abut 10 minutes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 A race head I bought actually had heavy hardened steel inserts under where the head bolts clam the head. For a head that may have been torn down between heats, and several times in a weekend for inspections, good hardened washers or inserts combat embedment into the head... But does nothing to compensate for gasket compression aver time. Until the metal and composite gasket reach a density to further compress from the clamping forces present, rue torquing will be required! The so-called "no retorque" gaskets universally have high density RTV Rings (Think FlPro Print-O-Seal) which acts like o-rings around that which old leak. It compresses at a faster rate than the underlying composite gasket...so as that underlay compresses, the RTV memory expands slightly trying to contain what normally would start to be a sep or leak path. If you retorque that gasket, you do he same thing as the previous design: keep everything clamped. Consistently by combatting gasket impression over time, and bolt embedment into the Aluminium head from the cyclic forces placed upon it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FricFrac Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 This is a real problem with the Z24 engines and their classic head gasket failure. Unfortunately the head bolts are rarely retorqued every tune up (if it even gets its regular tune up!) with these engines then they get blamed for failing head gaskets all the time... the real failure of course is not following the instructions.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Tony, every fel-pro printoseal gasket I've installed lately has been magnetic...it is, as indicated on the package, of "MLS" construction. Steel shim, viton sealing rubber on both sides, thick orange viton sealing rings printed onto both sides. The steel shim construction has been the reason I haven't retorqued the headbolts. I don't see the 70ft-lbs of each headbolt compressing that steel shim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FricFrac Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Why wouldn't you retorque the bolts? If it's tight the torque wrench will tell you - if it's not then it was loose and needed tightnening. It's win/win. If it's loose and you don't re-tighten it then get ready for a leaky or blown head gasket.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 The torque wrench won't tell you anything, on a retorque...you have to back off the bolt completely, then RE-TORQUE...the initial stiction from the properly torqued fastener will yield an errorneous reading on the wrench, with the error on the high side of the actual value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atozone Tonine Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Does anyone know if Champion radiator caps come in different sizes? The seal on my cap is broken, so I want to get a replacement, but I can't find an OEM replacement. I have seen caps on Ebay that say they fit Champion rads, but don't specify a size or PSI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy85 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Does anyone know if Champion radiator caps come in different sizes? The seal on my cap is broken, so I want to get a replacement, but I can't find an OEM replacement. I have seen caps on Ebay that say they fit Champion rads, but don't specify a size or PSI. I reused the stock cap from the stock radiator so there is nothing special there and you should be able to get a generic replacement cap one from local auto parts store. The Champion cools the LS1 a lot better than the stock radiator did but is still not good enough for extended track use in my experience. Im now shopping for an upgrade for next season to hopefully bring down coolant temps. Thinking about Ron Davis dual pass but dont know yet. Cameron PS: If anyone is looking for stock replacement or a Champion radiator near Central Il let me know as they are just taking up space and I would like to sell them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atozone Tonine Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I will check if mine is 2 or 3 row... but it has worked very well so far. The only time the temp has gone past the half way mark is when i drove for 3 hours straight in stop and go traffic in warm weather .. and it was still touching the half way mark. FYI, I have a Chevy small block, use a 50/50 mix of cool and and water, and there is some kind of sand or "leak stop" in the system since I bought it 3 months ago. I need to flush the system to find out what the situation is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) I have a factory-style 3-row 240Z radiator in my car...it had the brass-brazed fan guard on the upper tank, and has three rows of tubes in vertical downflow. It's 2 1/4" thick, and I need something about 1 3/4", ideally, to clear the new belt drive for the supercharger. Like some other people in this thread, I have serious undercooling problems when the temps are 40F or lower outside, the car struggles to get to thermostat-opening temperature, and it will never reach that temp in normal driving if I have the heater on. I'm lucky to see 140F water temps on a 32F day. Anyone got a measurement on the thickness of the 2-row radiators? Or the 1986 Camero radiator that the JTR kit suggests? Edited January 14, 2013 by Xnke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calpoly-z Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I have the JTR radiator setup. I will try to get you some measurements tonight if I can. I can say that the core is quite thin but the end tanks are not. Installed thickness ends up being a bit thinner than the previous rad I had (an AL cross flow meant for a Chevy or something that I was never very happy with). Not sure how that thickness compares to a stock rad though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 I am going to be test-fitting some radiators from toyotas here soon; I'd like to go crossflow but I need clearance more than convienience, at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calpoly-z Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Finally had a chance to measure my jtr radiator. Overall width including the mounting bracket is about 2 7/8". The core itself is quite a bit slimmer and is recessed about 3/4" from the outer lip of the mounting bracket. That puts the width from from the mounting surface to the face of the rad core at about 2 1/8". Probably not slim enough for you. The core itself is only 1 3/8". The issue is the end tanks. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaTZ Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 Tony...does the aluminum sealant not cause unwanted blockages? Also, will an all metal head gasket with ARP bolts eliminate any head leakage problems? I have a Turbo Tom's setup which has the head O'ringed for better cylinder sealing. I figured if I ever developed a leak, I'd go with a metal head gasket and ARP studs...any opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Retread the mechanism I describe in my posts. Re torque procedures are clearly spelled out in the FSM. If you think this is to recompress the laminate, you need to re-read about "embedment"! Those fire rings seem to blow regularly on many people's cars... I don't overuse the sealant, half a tube is more than enough, and like anything it's imperative you read directions. Getting cheaper in my old age I am down to 1/4 tube now after rebuilds or head work and STILL don't experience the leak problems the vast majority of people Complaining about leaks do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaTZ Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Thanks Tony....I will keep this trick in mind if I ever have to change out my head gasket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Frankly, every L-Series I buy goes straight to the radiator shop for a power flush, replace the water pump, and 1/4 tube of alumna seal with the 160 thermostat. The only variable is the radiator...and if I have an original, I get those tanks three cored if its leaking or showing signs of overheating. I blast up Palm Springs Grade and Chirraco from/to Phoenix buzzing at 3,500 towing a trailer that wiegs upwards of 800#, and run spot dead Center of the gauge, and never have an overheating issue. It's simply not an issue with the right maintenance and slightly more thermal rejection, and a lowering of the temperature to a point where nucleate boiling can start. Stant 16# Super Cap.... You might be able to run a higher thermostat with a 24# cap, but do you want 170F air blowing all over your engine any components, or 200F air? That was my deciding question... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaTZ Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 One experience I had with coolant temps. was with my new GSXR750...some years back. It ran 195f consistently right outta the box. The roadrace guys were adding Redline Water Wetter to their bikes. I added it and immediately dropped to 175f and it has always stayed there....no thermostat change...just the Water Wetter. Some say that the most power is developed at 190f. I'm not sure if that's true but I like the idea of running 20f cooler across the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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