Many or all of the the Head bolts go through into the water jacket. Did you clean the bolt threads, tap/chase the hole threads, and goop the bolts with teflon sealant?

 

I think you answered your own question. I wouldn't pull the heads.
If the intake bolts were that loose, THAT would be the problem.

 

hmm, but the intake was glued down, seemingly well...
I really think i'm just rushing this 2nd build too much, and making dumb mistakes like that (can you tell??!?)

Yea, I know about the head bolts, and i'm 90% certain I gooped them. I was fairly methodical with the rebuild, just rushed I think.

So hows this for a plan, I do have a set of intake manifold gaskets sitting around, so how about I drain the oil again (good god this is getting expensive in oil...), then put on new intake gaskets, RTV both sides all over, torque it down this time, after the RTV sets. Then try to pressurize the system? The only cooling system pressure tester i've seen hooks onto the rad, would that be the style? Would I need to remove my t-stat for that test to work on the motor?
Do this with no oil in the crankcase. If I loose pressure, or find coolant in my oil pan, then I know I still have some sort of leak?

If it seems good, then put in new oil again, with more EOS (or the like), and try this dance again?

 

Normal cooling system pressure testers replace the radiator cap. You could use one of those, but it would cost you about $100.

Screw a pipe bushing and a schrader valve into a coolant port on your intake and put 16 psi on it with a bicycle pump instead. If you lose pressure or coolant leaks, you have a problem.

 

I was thinking i'd rent the cooling system tester from crappy tire.

What's a shrader valve? I don't think I have a bicycle pump... man, talk about backwoods engineering though

 

Might be backwoods, but it works. A schrader valve is like a tire valve stem.

If CT has a pressure test kit to rent then go for it.

 

hmm, no cooling system tester to rent... Must have been parts source I saw it at...

Well I had no idea where to get a schrader valve, so I just crossed my fingers (look how well that's worked for me so far eh?)

started it up, and ran it for 22minutes or so, 2250-3000RPM, varying... It burned off all the oil I spilled, but nothing major.

oh, here's an easy question, I can only get to 16* advance, before my vac can hits my intake. I want more adjustment just in case.
How can I do that? Pull each plug wire off the dist, and put them all one location further clockwise, then put the dist back in with the rotor pointing one tooth back clockwise, and turn the oil pump slot a bit to get it to line up? Would that work?

I just changed the oil from the break in stuff, now i'm going to go drive it around the block and hope it all holds together. Wish me luck eh.

 

Princess Auto

Don't pull the distributor, just turn it 1/8 of a turn clockwise, and move all the plug wires one place counterclockwise.

 

It's one tooth out. Lift distributor enough to disengage gear then turn rotor and distributor body together clockwise one tooth worth. Drop it down and have assistant turn engine with starter until it connects with oil pump and goes down flush. Reset timing with light.
p.s. it does matter where the #1 tower on the cap is for spark plug wire routing.

 

oh ok, well I did it Ape's way, seems to work. My plug wires are routed... less than ideally... I tried to route them perfectly on the stand, but then somehow that didn't go so well after the engine was in the car...

oh well, it runs, but just as poorly as before, it desperately needs tuning... and so it begins again...

 

I can't believe that you are having so many problems. This is exhausting.......

You must be fried by now.