Coolant around plugs

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Two quick questions:
1. Can you tell where the coolant in the plug wells is coming from? If you dry out all the coolant, can you see where it is seeping from? Does the #1 spark plug well fill first, followed by the 2nd?
2. Does the bubbling (boiling) happen when the engine is just started, or only when it warms up?

OK, maybe that was more than 2 questions...

-Bryan

[TeeCee]

The coolant kind of appears outta nowhere. I'm planning to pull the head.
I dont want to chance screwing it up any worse. I'm going to take it to a good machine shop to be resurfaced and checked for cracks.
Crossing my damn fingers.
Crazy thing is the car runs fine.
I guess Vick is going to be selling me some gaskets etc.
.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Please let us know what you find out. I'd suggest also checking the thermostat housing-to-cylinder head mating surfaces, as leaks in this area are a common source of coolant appearing in the spark plug wells (first #1, then #2 and so on).

-Bryan

[TeeCee]

I've looked hard there and tbh, I cant tell. Kinda looks like coolant around top of head bolts. Very strange to me.
I know one thing, between us and a bunch of cash, this is going to be a fun car.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Hmm, the plot thickens. If coolant is appearing around the head bolts, the problem could very well be a bad head gasket. I think I'm beginning to agree with you that it's time to pull off the head and see what's going on.

-Bryan

[TeeCee]

Think I've made positive progress!
The "fluid" in question is for sure oil. It has to be coming from valve/cam covers. Ordered gaskets.
Overheating may be air in the system. I watched a YouTube video that showed the process so that will be next. So far it looks better than I thought. I guess I shall see!
Thanks for all the advice!

[aj81spider]

I battled oil in the spark plug wells from the cam covers for a while. Some hard learned advice:

> Take the cam covers off and make sure they are flat. If they aren't it will never seal.

> Use the rubber gaskets. I could never get the cork to seal.

> When putting the cam cover back on do not overtighten! Tighten the screw by hand, then give it another half a turn with the allen wrench. It will seem like this is not enough, but if you do more it will leak.

[RRoller123]

Did you find the rubber gaskets a little oversized? I had to really finagle them around to keep part from hanging out over the sealing edge. But they do work.

[aj81spider]

They do stick out a little, but I was so happy that the oil stopped pooling around the spark plugs that the aesthetics didn't bother me!

[RRoller123]

Burundi! Agreed!

[tima01864]

The guy who rebuilt my head used cork. Havent had a chance to try them out, But I have a set of rubber gaskets in case.