I discovered today that I have coolant on the front of my block. Cleaned it off and went and boosted the car some and apparently coolant sprayed all over the exhaust and front of the block. So it sounds like a headgasket. But when you drive the car easy it doesn't leak at all. So it only leaks under high cylinder pressure. Im going to try and retorque the head and see if that helps but I have a feeling Im going to have to replace it. Car has ARP headstuds so the head cant be lifting under boost. What do you guys think. Could retorqing the head fix the problem?

Before you jump to the conclusion of it being the HG did you check all the hoses in the front and radiator, thermostat housing?? Is your coolant mixing, does it have rainbow colors in it? Is your exhaust smoking? What kind of compression numbers do you have? Pressure testing wouldn’t hurt either.

comp. test

There is just no other place it can be coming from. Its on the front of the block below the exhaust manifold. No radiator hoses run in that part of the engine. I may go get a compression tester today and try it. Motor seems to be losing some power also.

You have a lower radiator hose goin in that direction... also tees off (with a heater hose) to the steel heater tube lines. Could be leaking at high RPM's / quick coolant system pressure changes, also, rather than boost. Agree as above, do a comp. check before you think anything head gasket. check that oring behind the water pump, maybe it's squirtin out there (?)

Ill check everything when I get out of school today. Car doesn't seem to be burning coolant. Atleast not when driving it easy. But it doesn't leak then either. What about loosening the radiator cap to keep pressure from building up to see if the leak stops them.

With it only leaking at high boost does it sound like a head gasket? I always thought that if the HG was leaking it would do it all the time not just under certain conditions.

Checked compression today. 180-165-165-170

Going to retorqe the head today and if that doesn't stop it Im pulling the head this weekend and replacing the gasket. I have checked everything and its got to be leaking from the head.

Originally posted by SilvrEclips
There is just no other place it can be coming from. Its on the front of the block below the exhaust manifold. No radiator hoses run in that part of the engine.

Only if you've removed something. The main water line runs out of the pump housing and right across the front of the block, passing directly below the exhaust manifold. Don't know why someone would alter that (or how), but there most certainly should be a water line under the exhaust manifold...

if those numbers are stock bottom end, its low/uneven and it'd concern me.

Yea that water line is there but not really any connections in that area. I loosened all the studs and retorqed everything. We will see if it works any better now.. Also built bottom end.

maybe there is a pinhole leak in your radiator spraying onto the block???? I know it might a bit out there but i had a pinhole leak in mine and it took me forever to find it. Just a thought before you spend an entire weekend tearing apart your car.

Pressure test the radiator and you shall find your leak...

Loosened all of the studs and retorqed them to 85lb and the leak may have stopped. It was dark and I could not really tell but its not near as bad as it was the other day. I think its going to have to be replaced soon anyways. Taking the car to the track tmrw so if it doesn't leak after beating the hell out of the car I think it will be fine.