Teflon paste? Tape? RTV? Apparently I have a pretty bad oil leak coming from my ARP head bolts. When I go to fix this I wan to make sure that they will seal. Any suggestions?

 

You say its actually leaking at the bolts, and at what point?

 

Liquid teflon is what the factory used.

 

there's about zero chance you have an oil leak from a head bolt. why is it you're asking what to use after the fact?

 

permatex thread sealant

 

I think the head bolts only go into water chambers, but only like 1-2 of them. That case, use RTV (Grey?). Unless u have head damage.

 

I concur.

 

Permatex thread sealant.

 

if you want a leak RTV is the stuff to use other wise go with a non hardening sealer

 

Yes it is leaking from the head bolts, I think I have a gasket that failed. I just wanted to know what to use when I put it back together.

 

Coolant leaking from the head bolts has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the head gasket.

I'd recommend leaving the head gasket alone. There's no sense in creating extra unnecessary work and expense for yourself. Unless of course, you enjoy that sort of thing.

Every single one of the head bolts goes RIGHT DIRECTLY INTO the water jacket of a stock block. If you did not use sealer on them you will have 34 coolant leaks; 14 of them to the outside world, and 20 of them leaking antifreeze into the crankcase and contaminating the oil.

I'd suggest taking all 34 head bolts out ONE AT A TIME and using the Loctite/Permatex automotive thread sealant with Teflon on their threads, and a little bit under the head of each bolt too.

 

Boy, that's great advice, if only I was leaking coolant instead of oil.

 

There's no possible way for head bolts to leak oil. There's no oil there. Only coolant. Unless, of course, you filled your cooling system with oil. (Yes it's been done)

If they're leaking, then whatever is in your cooling system, is what's coming out. You can believe that.

Don't outsmart yourself and create yourself a WHOLE PILE of extra work, chasing a non-existent mis-identified problem.

Take your head bolts out, one at a time, and put the sealant on them, as described; and forget about the oil business. Although, for that matter, even if it was oil, the sealer would seal it.