coolent in the valve covers

R

REEDSTR

SHADE TREE TECH
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
53
I Just Got My O-ringed Head Back On My Truck With A New Head Gasket And Got The Head Studs All Sinched Down To Spec, But Now I Got What Looks To Be Coolent Mildew On The Tops Of My Valve Covers Now I Know Of Two Spots Where I Can Look For A Coolent To Oil Area, And That Would Be The Oil Cooler And The Head Gasket But I Want To Know If Their Is Any Way To Find Out What One Is Leaking Insted Of Just Throwing Parts At It. It Would Not Be A Big Deal If Cummins Gaskets Were Not Soo Fing Much
 
do you have oil in the coolant? try pressurizing the cooling system with a hand pump and see if will hold pressure first. that will tell you if you have a problem first. check your fluid levels in the oil and tranny fluid. which ever one is leaking will be low.
 
This is gonna sound pretty stupid but what the hell. About 7 years ago I built a little 347 stroker that I had a WAD of money in. I fired it w/o the valve covers on and when I got oil pressure to the valve train I was gonna reinstall the valve covers and break in the cam. After I got oil up top I shut it off and was getting ready to set the v/c's It looked just like antifreeze all over the valve train and sitting in the bottom of the heads. I freaked and was ready to tear it apart!!! Turned out to be Mobil1 oil color under the snap hood light I was using.:kick::hehe:
 
this also might sound stupid.. but did you blow the head gasket and thats why you installed the firerings and studs? if so did you change the oil after you blew the gasket? i know it sounds stupid to ask but if you just forgot to change the oil then maybe thats why it looks like you have coolant up there.
 
jackblack99 said:
this also might sound stupid.. but did you blow the head gasket and thats why you installed the firerings and studs? if so did you change the oil after you blew the gasket? i know it sounds stupid to ask but if you just forgot to change the oil then maybe thats why it looks like you have coolant up there.
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good point. i didn't even think of that, just assumed he did.
 
also, if there was coolant on the top of the valve covers wouldnt there be milky oil around the rockers and springs?

Garrett
 
if it isnt all of the above, do a leak down test on each cylinder and see if one is dropping pressure into the cooling system through the gasket
 
Ok Its Got Fresh Oil In It And Its Only On The Tops Of The Valve Covers Now I Did Do A Leak Test With The Hand Pump On The Rad. And It Held 15 Psi And The Engine Is Cold. But I Got Me The Oil Cooler Gaskets To Change That And Im Hoping I Find The Problem The Head Is Heavy And I Hate Head Studs Lol
 
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