Ford 8n radiator fluid leak - How Bad?

[Soundguy]

Yep, just warm it then retorque

 

[aa799]

Update:
After
-2 bent studs
-6 broken studs
-2 broken drill bits in the stud holes
-1 broken tap in the stud hole
-5 dremel bits
-2 heli-coil repairs
-countless drill bits
-a mouth full of siphoned radiator fluid
and a month of an hour a night working on the beast, I have successfully replaced the header gasket, thermostat, and Exhaust Manifold Gaskets. She started right up on the first try. I even positively redirected my frustration on this project and put flames on the hood.

 

[Soundguy]

dang.. sounds like a 950 i worked on.

if it had a fastener.. it was broke or stripped.

 

[earnest37]

Have a similar problem. Why should the head bolt leak after being properly torqued? The bolts I removed were the two holding down the spark plug wire tube. Made my own "tube" since the old one was nearly rusted away. Made it of aluminum. Just a simple 3/8" diameter shaft bent to the same approximate angles as the original tube and wire-tied the plug wires to that. Works perfect except the two tabs I TIG welded to the shaft are about 1/8" thick. The front tab is the one leaking. The studs came out of the block when I removed the old tube and leaked a lot of water until the radiator level was sufficiently reduced to that of the head. Put everything back together and the tractor runs fine except for a slight leak between the head and the forward aluminum tab. I know some of the bolts pass right through the water jackets in the head so that should not be cause for a new head gasket job. Just searching for a simple solution to the leakage. Would just put a thin copper washer between the head and the aluminum tab but the studs are so short that I'm concerned about getting enough threads into the nut. I've seen head bolts listed for these tractors at 2.75" and 3". Are the longer studs for these two locations? Any suggestions guys?

 

[Soundguy]

the copper washer would be a poor bandaid, if it worked.

pull the stud, put thread pucky on it, put it back in

monitor your exhaust for smoke. check plugs for steam cleaning, and rad level for water. if the leak stops at the head, you don't loose water. and no steam from exhaust / pressurized radiator and no steam cleaned plugs.. you are good to go.

ps, if the old studs were waisted, they will leak.

 

[earnest37]

Can you define "wasted"? The leaking stud is what I would describe as average. In other words it's not worn away in hour-glass fashion and has good threads both top and bottom. I put thread lock on the bottom threads so that the nut would come off the top rather than pull the stud. I did not have this leaking problem until I placed the aluminum tab between the head and the nut. RTV would probably solve the problem but want to make certain the water flowing out of the hole in the head when the stud is pulled is normal.

 

[Soundguy]

Yes, water come ng up with the stud out is normal.

Pull it and apply am thread sealant like Harveys or gasoila to the threads, reinsert, torque, warm, retorque.