289 ford water in cylinders

[lugnut5]

I just rebuilt a '66 289 Ford engine, all is new other than block & heads. I went to start it, but it would not fire. Had lots of pressure in radiator so i pulled the spark plugs out. Passenger side cylinders are fine. Driver's side cylinders have coolant spraying out of spark plug holes when cranking the engine over: obviously causing the pressure in the radiator. No porting was performed on the heads, but new three angle valve job, new valves, springs, locks and retainers were installed. Block was bored .030 over. Fel - Pro gaskets were used throughout the engine. New Performer intake manifold and gaskets. Thought I had done everything correctly. Any ideas as to what might be the cause of this problem? This is in a numbers maching 66 Mustang, so my buddy is very concerned of this problem. Hoping for some help before friendship is lost. Thanks for your suggestions.

Lugnut

[John Quinn]

I'll start with something simple. Ford head gaskets are marked as to which end goes to the front of the engine because if one is put on backwards you can have water leaks. Check the gasket on the leaky side.

[lugnut5]

Thanks John. I'll be tearing it apart this weekend to check the head gasket. I do remember the instructions with the gaskets about the correct placement of the head gaskets. I'm pretty sure I did this, But I don't work on fords very often. I guess I know why now. he he he. Always learning something new in this field of hobby. Thanks again for your input.

Lugnut

[BillK]

Lug,

Puting the gasket on backwards will not get water into the cylinders, all it will do is cause overheating due to blocked water circulation. Intake gaskets wont usually cause water in the cylinders either, especially down just one side. I wonder if you got something caught under the head gasket and it is holding the head up on that side ??

Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf MD

[lugnut5]

OK I removed the head. All four cylinders full of water. Checked the surface of the head with a straight edge and a .0015 feeler guage. Guage would not go through at any point of surace. Checked the intake surface of head the same way. Feeler guage went through near water jacket ports but not any where else.
Checked the Intake manifold (Edelbrock Performer 289 brand new) mating surface with the straight edge and found burs around each bolt hole. So I filed the burs off, rechecked it, and the feeler guage would fit through but tightly. Gasket should make up for these small imperfections though.
Cleaned all parts, checked head gasket and noticed machine marks from head surfacing machine imbeded in head side of gasket, so it looks like the gasket and head surface are squishing together fine. Used Gasket sealing rings are .050 when checked with a vernior.
Checked dowel pin hight to recess in head and found .300 clearence, reinstalled the head with old head gasket, cylinder head did not rock back and forth on dowel pins, installed head bolts, Torked to specs, put gasket sealant around water ports of each head, installed new intake gaskets and put sealant around water ports of top side of gaskets, and installed intake manifold, filled it with water and used a radiator pressure tester. Pumped it to 13 pounds. About one minute later noticed water coming out of second cylinder, # 6. This piston was at TDC when head was installed.
Rotated crank until next piston was near TDC and water started coming out of this cylinder. Continued with the two remaining cylinders with the same results. I'm using the original headbolts. Someone thought if I was using after market bolts and they were to long, the head wouldn't seal to the block. But i'm using the original head bolts and only took .010 of head surface at machine shop, and there is no water coming out between head and block mating area, only out of spark plug holes.
Next step is having the head pressure checked at machine shop. All parts were magnafluxed at machine shop prior to machine work. Heads had three angle valve job performed, new valves, spring ,locks, retainers, Spring pockets were not machined, guides were reamed and bronze liners pressed in.
No water in intake ports or exhaust ports, only in cylinders. Don't no what else to check. I've checked with several ford people and they have never heard of water in ALL FOUR cylinders. Only one or two but not all four. And remeber the passenger side cylinders are dry, so this is only happening on driver's side of engine. AAAARRRRGGGG!
Any other ideas out there? Thanks for your input.

Lugnut

[BillK]

Lug,
That must be a pretty serious leak Did they put seats in the heads ? That is the only other thing I can think of. If they put exhaust seats in and cut too far and hit water, but even that usually does not leak that bad. Sounds like you have checked everything else there is to check !

One thing for sure, take a shop vac and get all the water out of the cylinders, it does not take long at all for them to start rusting when they are freshly machined

Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf MD

[NovaMan]

Almost sounds like the pistons are hitting the heads. Did you check the squish or the deck height?

~Pete
1970 Nova
12.653@105.43

[lugnut5]

Nova man, Yes we checked deck hight and quench while assembling the engine. No marks on pistons or binding while turning over crankshaft. I had a well known local machinist come over tonight to pick his brain. We installed the head with the old gasket and put compressed air to each cylinder. The # 6 cylinder had air leaking out of the intake port. We tapped on the top of the intake valve with a dead blow hammer while the air was still in the cylinder to see if something was between the valve and the seat, still keaked air. Sounds like a poor valve job. But we are going to have the head pressure tested first to eliminate one thing in this mysteriuos engine. the valve seats were not replaced, but a three angle valve job was performed, and new valves also with three angle cut installed with new springs, locks, retainers, and split bronze liners pressed in. We'll see after the presure test. Running out of ideas though. I appreciate the input from everyone. The only thing I can come up with is that the top side of the head is not clamping down tightly to the block and then water can run down the top water jacket hole down into the cylinders. I did check bolt length and they are not too long. There seems to be no other explanation as to all four cylinders getting water in them. Remember, water comes out of the spark plug hole when the piston is at TDC, or down in the cylinder, so I think I can rule out the block being cracked. Water would not rise up the cylinder up over the piston into the combustion chamber when piston is at TDC. Keep in mind this engine hasn't even fired yet! Still looking for ideas. Keep them coming. I'll update after the presure test tommorow. Thanks everyone.

Lugnut

[goinbroke2]

How tight are you torquing the intake? Too much intake torque on a SBF can lift the top off the head and produce a leak.

Make sure the intake faces are at the right angles;
I know the intake is new, but were the heads previously machined along with the intake and now your installing a stock angle intake?

Also, was the block decked at some point?

I'd try the old intake just to see. (check angles, not only straight or true)






Nitrous is like an old man with viagra, as soon as the bottles empty, your all done!

[Hans Olsson]

Swap the heads if the problem still is on the same side you can rule out the head. I know it is a lot of work but it is one way to get closer to solving your issue.

-71Mach1 351C F/SA