The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Need help found antifreeze pool under valve cover

which of the head bolts actually enter the water jacket?

Is it all the 9 long ones (on each side under the valve cover) or even the short 8 bolts on the side of the head by the exhaust manifold as well that go into the water jacket? Kind of looks like all of them. Although I guess it those short ones weeped it just goes on the outside of the engine and would not get into the oil.

Trying to figure out if I have to pull all 34 or just 18 or some smaller subset of bolts. One by one cleaning and sealing will take some time.

I guess I could try to reseal a few of them and see if it fixes the leak and try again if not. Or just do them all but then I may make ones that are not leaking leak from pulling them out and putting back in.

I guess I could put it together and then put water in and presserize the system somehow and try to see what bolts weep. That might be hard to do or see.

Also if I do not remove the head there does not seem to be a way to clean the threads down on the block as they would be pretty deep (below the head) so am I going to be able to seal the threads?

I have read that others have done it by just pulling one at a time and cleaning and sealing but it seems like not being able to clean the threads in the block would be an issue.

Or is there some other way to do that without pullig the heads off?