Subject: [Healeys] Block Porosity

From: Roger Grace <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 2025 21:01:05 -0800

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Looking for some pearls of wisdom from the more experienced among us. Very
frustrating as the car runs so well with good oil pressure and compression.
After many months of tests and checking have established that the block on
my BJ8 has the porosity issue. This is not the well known oil into water
but water into oil. (after 1000 mi, 3300ppm into oil) I did find an area
behind the center tappet cover where water was oozing into the drain back
from the rocker. Did my best to repair it with epoxy from the outside. No
doubt it is leaking there or some place else. Fellow lister Wayne Schultz
had the identical problem.
My query is if there is a known solution to this problem ? resin
impregnation ? or maybe a modern treatment ?
Also have located some replacement blocks but how to test ? and be assured
that these old blocks also don't develop the same problem ?
Changing blocks invariably means a complete engine rebuild.
How common is this ?
All very painful.
rg

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Looking for some pearls of wisdom from the more exper=
ienced among us. Very frustrating as the car runs so well with good oil pre=
ssure and compression.<br></div><div>After many months of tests and checkin=
g have established that the block on my BJ8 has the porosity issue. This is=
 not the well known oil into water but water into oil. (after 1000 mi, 3300=
ppm into oil) I did find an area behind the center tappet cover where water=
 was oozing into the drain back from the rocker. Did my best to repair it w=
ith epoxy from the outside. No doubt it is leaking there or some place else=
. Fellow lister Wayne Schultz had the identical problem.<br></div><div>My q=
uery is if there is a known solution to this problem ? resin impregnation ?=
 or maybe a modern treatment ?<br></div><div>Also have located some replace=
ment blocks but how to test ? and be assured that these old blocks also don=
&#39;t develop the same problem ?</div><div>Changing blocks invariably mean=
s a complete engine rebuild.<br></div><div>How common is this ? <br></div><=
div>All very painful.</div><div>rg<br></div></div>

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_______________________________________________

Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/healeys http://autox.team.net/archive/healeys

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From: Wayne Schultz <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2025 17:53:42 -0500

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Hello Roger, my friend's  Healey with the Porosity problem, as we talked
about a while ago, was behind the middle tappet access cover. His leak was
at the raised boss with the threads for the tappet cover mount bolt. His
engine would only drip when cold. When the block warmed up it did not leak.
Slight heat expansion of the block was enough to stop the leak. At the end
of the day I fell back to my Jaguar servicing in the Seventies when they
said to add Bar's Stop leak when changing the coolant on their V12 engines.
Following the instructions I warmed the engine with the Bar's and fresh
coolant. As the engine cooled I used my cooling system pressure system
tester and Pressurized  the system to 15 PSI and let it sit for 24 hours.
My logic was as the engine cooled and the porosity  started to open  the
Bar's coolant mixture would be forced into the leak. It seemed to work
because he enjoyed the car for several seasons with no issues. I instructed
him to change the oil every spring in the event of a slight leak over
Winter. We never saw any more Yellow gunk on the dipstick or on the oil
filler cap.   I will caveat that Bar's stop leak from  1970 is probably
much different then what is sold now.  Hoping this might help others. I
found the leak when I removed his oil pan and saw the dribble down the
inside of the block into the oil pan area.

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">Hello Roger, my friend&#39;s=C2=A0 Healey=
 with the Porosity problem, as we talked about a while ago, was behind the =
middle tappet access cover. His leak was at the raised boss with the thread=
s for the tappet cover mount bolt. His engine would only drip when cold. Wh=
en the block warmed up it did not leak. Slight heat expansion of the block =
was enough to stop the leak. At the end of the day I fell back to my Jaguar=
 servicing in the Seventies when they said to add Bar&#39;s Stop leak when =
changing the coolant on their V12 engines. Following the instructions I war=
med the engine with the Bar&#39;s and fresh coolant. As the engine cooled I=
 used my cooling system pressure=C2=A0system=C2=A0 tester and Pressurized=
=C2=A0 the system to 15 PSI and let it sit for 24 hours. My logic was as th=
e engine cooled and the porosity=C2=A0 started to open=C2=A0 the Bar&#39;s =
coolant mixture would be forced into the leak. It seemed to work because he=
 enjoyed the car for several seasons with no issues. I instructed him to ch=
ange the oil every spring in the event of a slight leak over Winter. We nev=
er saw any more Yellow gunk on the dipstick=C2=A0or on the oil filler=C2=A0=
cap.=C2=A0 =C2=A0I will caveat that Bar&#39;s stop leak from=C2=A0 1970 is =
probably much different then=C2=A0what is sold now.=C2=A0 Hoping this might=
 help others. I found the leak when I removed his oil pan and saw the dribb=
le down the inside of the block into the oil pan area.=C2=A0</div>
</div>

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[email-masked]

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From: Roger Grace <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2025 14:20:54 -0800

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Wayne - thank you.
Interesting that your friend's and my block leak at exactly the same spot
behind the center tappet cover. I wonder how many other blocks are out
there that also leak with unsuspecting users ?
When you had the pan off was this the only water drip that you could see ?
How were you able to confirm that the leak had been repaired by your
peening and epoxy ?

I used the same technique to do a repair.  Recently (800mi since repair)
opened the tappet cover again and there was no evidence of any water with
coolant at 12 psi.  Am a bit lazy to remove the sump to check but may have
to. I used Barrs when I first discovered the creamy goo - thinking it might
be a head gasket - this was before you put me onto the block porosity leak.
There is just no evidence of the creamy oil/water emulsion at any place.
However what disturbs me is that oil lab tests show water content above
their flag level. Been running with no glycol. Have a fluorescent dye in
the coolant as well. Losing a little coolant.
Any idea how much run time for the creamy emulsion to appear ?
Have also discovered that the ceramic block repair additives are not safe
to mix with the oil and could damage the bearings.

Last resort is a replacement block - grrr !
rg

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On Fri, Jan 10, 2025 at 3:12=E2=80=AFPM Wayne Schultz <[email-masked]> w=
rote:

> about a while ago, was behind the middle tappet access cover. His leak wa=
s
> engine would only drip when cold. When the block warmed up it did not lea=
k.
> Slight heat expansion of the block was enough to stop the leak. At the en=
d
> said to add Bar's Stop leak when changing the coolant on their V12 engine=
s.
> because he enjoyed the car for several seasons with no issues. I instruct=
ed
> Support Team.Net http://www.team.net/donate.html
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> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/healeys/[email-masked]
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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Wayne - thank you.</div><div>Interes=
ting that your friend&#39;s and my block leak at exactly the same spot behi=
nd the center tappet cover. I wonder how many other blocks are out there th=
at also leak with unsuspecting users ?</div><div>When you had the pan off w=
as this the only water drip that you could see ?<br></div><div>How were you=
 able to confirm that the leak had been repaired by your peening and epoxy =
?</div><div><br></div><div>I used the same technique to do a repair.=C2=A0 =
Recently (800mi since repair)=C2=A0 opened the tappet cover again and there=
 was no evidence of any water with coolant at 12 psi.=C2=A0 Am a bit lazy t=
o remove the sump to check but may have to. I used Barrs when I first disco=
vered the creamy goo - thinking it might be a head gasket - this was before=
 you put me onto the block porosity leak. <br></div></div><div id=3D"m_-194=
4095433255184945DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2">There is just no evid=
ence of the creamy oil/water emulsion at any place. However what disturbs m=
e is that oil lab tests show water content above their flag level. Been run=
ning with no glycol. Have a fluorescent dye in the coolant as well. Losing =
a little coolant.<br></div><div>Any idea how much run time for the creamy e=
mulsion to appear ?</div><div>Have also discovered that the ceramic block r=
epair additives are not safe to mix with the oil and could damage the beari=
ngs.</div><div><br></div><div>Last resort is a replacement block - grrr !</=
div><div>rg<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>=C2=
=A0<br><table style=3D"border-top:1px solid #d3d4de"><tbody><tr><td style=
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dth=3D"46" height=3D"29" style=3D"width:46px;height:29px"></a></td><td styl=
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rget=3D"_blank">www.avg.com</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><d=
iv class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Fri, Jan =
10, 2025 at 3:12=E2=80=AFPM Wayne Schultz &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:waschu2@gma=
il.com" target=3D"_blank">[email-masked]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockq=
uote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1p=
x solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr=
">Hello Roger, my friend&#39;s=C2=A0 Healey with the Porosity problem, as w=
e talked about a while ago, was behind the middle tappet access cover. His =
leak was at the raised boss with the threads for the tappet cover mount bol=
t. His engine would only drip when cold. When the block warmed up it did no=
t leak. Slight heat expansion of the block was enough to stop the leak. At =
the end of the day I fell back to my Jaguar servicing in the Seventies when=
 they said to add Bar&#39;s Stop leak when changing the coolant on their V1=
2 engines. Following the instructions I warmed the engine with the Bar&#39;=
s and fresh coolant. As the engine cooled I used my cooling system pressure=
=C2=A0system=C2=A0 tester and Pressurized=C2=A0 the system to 15 PSI and le=
t it sit for 24 hours. My logic was as the engine cooled and the porosity=
=C2=A0 started to open=C2=A0 the Bar&#39;s coolant mixture would be forced =
into the leak. It seemed to work because he enjoyed the car for several sea=
sons with no issues. I instructed him to change the oil every spring in the=
 event of a slight leak over Winter. We never saw any more Yellow gunk on t=
he dipstick=C2=A0or on the oil filler=C2=A0cap.=C2=A0 =C2=A0I will caveat t=
hat Bar&#39;s stop leak from=C2=A0 1970 is probably much different then=C2=
=A0what is sold now.=C2=A0 Hoping this might help others. I found the leak =
when I removed his oil pan and saw the dribble down the inside of the block=
 into the oil pan area.=C2=A0</div>
</div>
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