Awesome looking engine bay! I know you're ready to hear her run.

This thread is excellent! What a fabulous job and a fine trophy to enjoy and share! You inspire craftsman and artist. Cheers to you in the finishing touches! Jim

This thread is excellent! What a fabulous job and a fine trophy to enjoy and share! You inspire craftsman and artist. Cheers to you in the finishing touches! Jim

Wow, thank you so much for such a nice compliment. I really appreciate it. I've had so much fun working on this car and I can't wait to get it rolling.

I did have a big setback yesterday when I tried to start the engine. I either received the wrong sized bolts for the head, or the threads on the block were tapped with a wrong size tap when the block was cleaned. In any event, the head started leaking coolant around the perimeter and all of the bolts were loose and not able to be torqued down without popping back up.

Not good, but not the end of the world. I am trying to keep it all in perspective, but I do have to pull the block out and send it to a new machine shop to figure out a solution.

I'll keep working on the interior, in the meantime.

It may be fair to say, as I admit, dumping coolant during an assembly is practically a rite of passage. Taking it in stride. Nice. Good karma.

Oh, as to a solution, if coolant has not contaminated anything, such as oil during startup or prepped gasket or surfaces, you shouldn't (insert any number of qualifiers and waivers) have a problem. I understand at your point of pain/joystaking accomplishment how concerned you are. Hope you find it's minimal, just adding suspense and drama in a great love story! Farmer solution: Kerosene will wick coolant out of oil and from surfaces, in an operating engine as well. Cheers!

Well I failed to get a hold of you as kid things have been ruling my time. Well that and I decided to yank out my diff as well:)

Good to see so much great progress. I am still on for lunch at your cafe. Maybe next friday as I have off that day. Would love to hear more about your Z.

Keep up the great work!

git......Something doesn't add up with your block. It would take a total idiot of a machinist to tap out a bolt hole with the wrong size. You do know that there are two different length head bolts.....right? Where did you get the head bolts? Sorry to hear about this problem. Motorsports is a good source for head bolts....I always use the turbo head bolts....they take more ft. lbs. of torque.

git......Something doesn't add up with your block. It would take a total idiot of a machinist to tap out a bolt hole with the wrong size. You do know that there are two different length head bolts.....right? Where did you get the head bolts? Sorry to hear about this problem. Motorsports is a good source for head bolts....I always use the turbo head bolts....they take more ft. lbs. of torque.

It is a head scratcher. We were meticulous about the right bolts going into the right spots, but they wouldn't hold torque and several popped back out. The bolts appear to be 10 x 1.5, but there is damage to the threads in the block.

I purchased the bolts from someone who gets favorable reviews on these forums, so I'd rather not say his name without knowing for certain what happened.

We are stripping it down to the block and send it to an engine shop to have it inspected and retapped, if necessary.

Good luck.....So sorry you had that problem....hope you get things straightened out!

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I'm new(er) here, and this is like reading a great book only to find the last chapter torn out!

 

What was the story on the head bolts? Inquiring minds want to know!