Wildman's TJ is getting a face lift

FarFire70 said:

I hate to say this but I've been thinking it since you said you have the vacuum leak on the coolant... Do you think the head gaskets are leaking?

I'm an amateur when it comes to internal engine diagnosis. Curious if there is a way to check to confirm it is a head gasket leak - before just replacing them.

Sorry to say this possibility but I assume you've already run through this possibility yourself...

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Yes to test the head gaskets you do what is called a leak down test. It's almost like doing a compression test but instead of cranking the engine over you're applying compressed air into the cylinders. You test one cylinder at a time.



But to clarify things it isn't a vacuum leak it is a coolant leak. I have a vacuum coolant filler. This puts the cooling system under vacuum and helps to fill systems that have a problem with air pockets. There of course is always the chance that the head gaskets have a coolant leak.


I'm going to run the engine today and see if I can find the leak once it gets up to operating temperature since using the coolant pressure tester hasn't shown me the leak yet.

carrotman said:

They could probably get way more articulation out of that treadmill if they 4-linked it...

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Apparition said:

Should it get an Antirock or Swayloc?

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You guys are too funny...

More "Not Good" news.... Warmed the engine up to operating temperature and still can't find any coolant leak. So at this point I have no idea where it's leaking from. But once it was warmed up I also had no oil pressure again so I've got to address that issue while I also look for the coolant leak.
I need to hook up my mechanical gauge to the engine and see what my oil pressure is for sure but at this I'm pretty certain that I need to pull the engine and install new rod & main bearings. There just isn't enough room under the Jeep to enable me to safely replace the bearings & get a good torque on them main caps with the engine in the Jeep.

So my plan right now is to get the front bumper back off and then remove the grille also then remove the engine. Once I've got the engine removed I'll push the Jeep outside and put the engine on the engine stand. Then I can redo the heads AGAIN to eliminate that as a possibility and then replace the rod & main bearings. Then reassemble the engine then push the Jeep back into the garage and reinstall the engine.

While I've got the grille off I'm going to look at possible moving the radiator mounts to give me a little more room between the front of the engine & the radiator as was suggested before.

I've been working on my parts list on Summit for the past hour. Clevite bearings aren't in stock currently so I'm looking at Sealed Power instead.

Mike_H said:

I'm an engineer...Social situations are NOT my strong suit!

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Now you're starting to sound like Ryan....

FarFire70 said:

Tracking. I probably could have worded my response better when I was referencing the leak, under vacuum.

With the lead down test, are you able to get definitively rule out piston rings, valves, etc. or are you getting a piece of the puzzle confirmed. Obviously in this case, if you have a leak under vacuum and then (if) you have an issue with the leak down test, that would point to head gasket.

But, if you had an oil consumption issue and just performed a leak down test and had an issue with the results, would you need to dig in further to say if it was the rings or the valve seals?

Curious to learn more. I've replaced my engine with a long block but all the difficult labor on the internal parts were delivered complete. I have a dream to build a V8 from scratch (won't say what type so I don't get excommunicated here... ) - well see if that ever comes to reality...

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The leak down test can tell you if it's a head gaskets or valve or rings issue.

I'm not having a oil consumption problem but instead a oil pressure issue. When I checked the main bearing I only did one due to clearance issues. And it was on the edge of being acceptable. So I'm SWAG that it's the issue.

The fact that I can't put the cooling system under vacuum and that it's not holding a pressure test for more than 5 minutes says it's leaking and since I don't see a external leak I'm guessing it is internal.

You can mention a LS engine but I'll just lose a little respect for you if you say you want to swap it into your TJ...

This was my first time attempting to build a non-stock engine. I don't understand why I'm having all the issues I'm having but I'll get it figured out one way or another.
Pulling the engine is a PITA but it's not the end of the world.

FarFire70 said:

Got it. Thanks! Wasn't tracking out oil pressure issue, too. Fingers crossed you get both figured out!

I want it in a first gen Camaro and I would really want it to be a 383. My wallet may disagree...

My life may say - use the vehicle you have... (Yup - I said life, you all know what I mean.... )

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I'm sure I'll get it fixed. I'm just frustrated at this point. But it isn't like I haven't had to go back and fix other stuff.
My thoughts are that I had some type of contamination in the engine that took out the bearings. A buddy had that happen to him. I'd thought I'd cleaned the engine well before I assembled it but I could of missed something.

A stroker SBC is cool. Or even a stroker LS is too.

I don't have a life I have to run things past but I remember what it was like.
And also having other life responsibilities. Those twins come first.

FarFire70 said:

I'm already long term planning — it could be a fun dad/sons project to build an engine together when they get old enough to participate...

Agree though, everything for them comes first!

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I remember helping my dad (a little) when I was around 9 do a in frame rebuild on a 4 cylinder in a Land Rover 110 that my folks owned. That was my introduction to mechanics. Unfortunately after that his life got busy and I didn't get to share any other projects with him.

Due to ME and my PTSD I turned my daughter off to mechanics so I missed out with her.

FarFire70 said:

Can't dictate my boys being interested in auto work but I can hope to encourage them.

Don't you have a jeep on the trailer for your daughter? No time like the present to get her involved when you wrench on it (once you clear garage space).

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Yep hers is sitting here waiting for me to get mine done and out of the garage. I've already told her that she's doing most of the work on it other than the welding and stuff that has to be done. But she's just not as interested in it. When she was younger she wanted to help.

My son lived with his mom so I only got to influence him a little but he works on his own stuff. He's in FL so it's hard to help but we've been doing a lot of video chats as he works on his new project. I owned a Suzuki Samurai and a Sidekick so I know a little about them.

Apparition said:

I’m an engineer and an asshole, that’s shifts my social dynamic.

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You're a special (special ed) kind of asshole. I know cause I'm a professional asshole and was trained by the best... I keep telling ya all that the maximum range of an excuse is 0 meters... And all I'm hearing out of engineers is excuses...

Apparition said:

I’ll remember that come June.

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And?

Apparition said:

Let you know in June.

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Chicken...