fagoff Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Ive got a leaking head gasket. I recently had a local garage take the head off my 186 holden engine and ported it etc along with other bits and pieces he did .Not long after I got it back I noticed green coolant leaking out .I took it back and he fixed it ,I think he just retorked the head bolts. Ive noticed its still seeping out coolant ,not as bad but its still leaking. My mechanic will look at it again on Thursday and said he will replace the head gasket. in January 2015 I had the engine fully reconditioned including machining the head. I remember a couple of weeks after that the head leaked and I took it back ,they fixed it and no more leaks. Is there any thing different or extra that needs doing when you put the head back on the engine ?. My mechanic said the head looks all strait etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nominal Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 I thought I had the same problem on a Holden and took the head off. Turned out that there was a small core plug behind the inlet manifold that was rusted and leaking. Mechanic should have noticed something like that though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 If this is a recurring problem with the same workshop there's two possibilities. Poor quality head gasket or poor workmanship. I would be scared of mechanic that says it looked straight, looking straight and being straight are two very different things. There's a lot more to doing a head gasket than just bolting it on. My pick is dirty and unlubricated head studs and or the threads in the block, it can cause uneven torquing leading to seeping coolant or oil, they should be test fitted in the block to make sure they go in smoothly and easily. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOHC Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 I had to re torque my ford 4 times before a small leak went away, you have to back each bolt off then bring it up, you can't just run over them all as they stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fagoff Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share Posted August 26, 2016 ive got another problem .I cant get the engine to idle in a stable manner and its hard to start again after running. I think ive got it rite ,go for a drive then after pulling over the engine sometimes idles ok for a bit then drops off and runs rough again and sometimes dies. I checked for vacuum leaks every where I could get at by spraying carb cleaner around joints etc and no fast idling or anything. manifolds on tight with new gasket all fittings seem good. I had .45 idle jets in and same thing ,replaced with .50 jets and not much difference.had to unscrew mixture screws out 5 1/2 turns to get it running reasonably. any less turns it doesn't seem to like. The main difference from current setup to before I changed carb from the old factory was I had the pcv valve piped into the old aircleaner which meant it wasn't doing stuff all and used to fume a lot. I pulled the hose off and blanked off the manifold fitting the engine ran really rough.. something keeps changing ,at a loss to know what else to do.Its got a brand new weber 38 dgms carb and manifold with water jacket fitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Mate you need a new mechanic, one that knows what a carb and points are. Heaps of things cause rough idle. Some can be immediately removed from the list due to new carb. Given the symptoms I would be looking at the distributor. Hard hot starting is usually a bad condenser and the rough idle from a worn main shaft in the distributor (points gap is erratic and changes with rpm). Find a dwell meter and a vacuum gauge and most importantly someone who knows how to use them. With three tools and an educated ear most tuning issues with carb and points engines can be diagnosed. Dwell meter checks how well the points are working, vacuum gauge looks at air flow and compression tester. Looking at the results together tells all. After market cams will cause a rough idle but it's regular, called hunting so you look for throttle response rather than a perfect idle if that's the case. Couple of other things to look at would be cam chain (timing issues) and lifters (worn ones will cause valves to open unevenly). Excessive fuming is poorly bedded or worn rings and or valve stem seals. Removing the vent pipe from inlet will cause oil leaks but do check the PCV valve they can stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOHC Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Did you get the head gasket fixed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fagoff Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 No he retorked it but still leaking. hes gona put new head gasket in Monday . engine has electronic converted distributor, not points. I think my pcv valve mite be faulty it seems to be open rite up at normal idle. sucking in too much air ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOHC Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 PCV valve only closes when there is a backfire in the intake on old cars. unless its a fancy one. the leeking gasket might contribute to rough running 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tortron Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 can it drive to hamilton? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fagoff Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 Ill let the garage replace head gasket tomorrow and replace pcv and grommet then see how it goes ,before I do anything else . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fagoff Posted September 7, 2016 Author Share Posted September 7, 2016 Through process of deduction I figured out what the problem was. valve timing was way off ,causing poor vacuum only had about 7/8 inches vacuum. Went through everything ,timing and lifters etc no problems ,talked to cam machinists in Chch he swore the new worked cam was fine. So we pulled it out and sent off to another cam guy in Auckland to check it. The cam was crap basicly ,really bad .So I'm getting another one done ,in Auckland. My mechanic didn't cause the problem but I am disappointed that he didn't spot what was wrong earlier on. As I understand it a 186 with the work Ive had done should be pulling 16/20 inches vacuum at good idle mine was 7/8 inches then 11/12 after I opened the rocker adjusters half a turn and it idled way better. Everyone ive talked to told me something different so its been difficult and bloody frustrating getting to the bottom of it ,but progress at last. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nominal Posted September 7, 2016 Share Posted September 7, 2016 So, the cam timing was ground wrong? That might be able to be corrected with an adjustable timing set, but perhaps a new cam is a better choice. Who are you going with? I've got a 186 to build at some point and am considering a mild cam upgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 So, the cam timing was ground wrong? That might be able to be corrected with an adjustable timing set, but perhaps a new cam is a better choice. Who are you going with? I've got a 186 to build at some point and am considering a mild cam upgrade. I've got a STAGE2 from auckland camshafts in my POS. yet to find out how she goes. was gonna be lightly ported head and stuff but i'm sick of waiting so sourcing another head as I type hah. apparently for a road car you can't beat the LPG/Towing type grinds. crow 35613 or something I think is the go to. mine is similar to that. see how she goes in a couple of weeks. I have't dialled in with adjustable gear, just slammed one of their 'new billet' ones in to timing marks with an alloy gear (i seemed to beat aprice increase that's recently happened' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUNAMUCK Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 Who ground the cam? Most cam shops poo poo other shops work. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fagoff Posted September 13, 2016 Author Share Posted September 13, 2016 Progress at last . I had my old cam machined, pretty mild I think. Its back in and its a different car altogether. Starts great, idles lovely and plenty of power. Ive got around 18 inches of vacuum now up from 8 inches. Just have to replace all the leaking gaskets the mechanic didn't replace. Plugs are nice and clean on the open road but a bit black round town. May need to look at some smaller idle jets ?, its got .45s in at the mo. latest cam was done by Franklin Cams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUNAMUCK Posted September 14, 2016 Share Posted September 14, 2016 Who was the local cam shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fagoff Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 kelford in chch, did the poor job. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fagoff Posted December 8, 2016 Author Share Posted December 8, 2016 One small issue I havnt been able to improve much is restarting engine after its been running. It wont start again after being off for more than 5 minutes without pumping the accelerator pedal. when engines warmed up it should just need key turning ,but I have to pump pedal which is basicly flooding engine. I had .45 idle jets in and had to open mixture screws more than 2 1/2 turns from seated to run smooth which according to weber tunning instructions indicates too small jets. I changed them to .50 jets and now mixture screws are out 3/4 of a turn from being seated, runs smoothest and fastest there. They are allowed to be from 1/2 to 1 1/2 turns out for .50 jets, so I'm in the right range. Engine starts first time with choke, runs and idles great ,apart from annoying restart issue. Any ideas. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUNAMUCK Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 How many pumps of the pedal? One is acceptable imho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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