Liner Seals

[Parzival]

So we got my heads of last week, and I haven't had time to go back out to the car until today. When we pulled the heads we were carful not to pull up the piston liners or turn over the engine. Some coolant was left in the cylinder banks and over the week it looks like some of it leaked down into the oil pan. (you've got to be kidding me!)
The liners look full seated, but this is alarming. The heads are waiting to surfaced, but now I need to make sure the liner seals are in good shape. I know what it means if they are not...

The real question"
1) Is it normal for some very slow leaking to occur when the heads are off due to the liners not have the clamping force on them from the heads?
2) Is there a way to verify the liner seals are ok, or not ok?

I guess I'm just waiting to hear how screwed I am,
On the plus side the metal in my block all looks nice and not corroded (No rot)

[David T]

If the coolant was not leaking into the oil before you took the heads off AND you did NOT move the pistons with the heads off you are probably OK.

[Parzival]

If the coolant was not leaking into the oil before you took the heads off AND you did NOT move the pistons with the heads off you are probably OK.

I like your optimism!
so just leaking slow because of the lack of clamping force perhaps?
It was left for a whole week.

[David T]

The coolant could have just leaked past the rings. When cold the gaps open up.

[Parzival]

The coolant could have just leaked past the rings. When cold the gaps open up.

Well there wasn't coolant in the pistons. It was in the water jacket, and over a week it sat there, and when I went back a week later it leaked into the pan, the only way it could have leaked was past the liner seals. Thats what I'm worried about.

[David T]

Did the oil level rise? Is there any coolant in the oil? I misunderstood, I thought you had said there was some coolant on top of the pistons. I guess you could pressurize the cooling system if you can block off the tops of the liners with a plate. Otherwise the safest course of action is to replace the liner seals if you doubt their integrity.

[Parzival]

So is there no way to check the liner seals? Most people drain the block before removing the heads. So how do they know if the liner seals were disturbed? I left coolant siting in there for a week, and over that time it seemed that coolant leaked passed the seals, however If I had cleaned all the coolant out right when the heads came off this would never have been a concern and I would have just had the heads machined and put them back on.
Must be some way to tell!? the liners seem to still be in place?
I'm thinking I can fill up the cylinder banks (not the pistons) with water and see if it drips into the pan, but with out the heads on they are not clamped down with and force.
I'll reiterate that the engine looks great inside, the liners look great, the cylinders have a great cross hatch pattern still.
What to do what to do...

[mark w]

I think these "seals" are not seals at all, originally they are made from several thicknesses of paper with different color tabs for different thicknesses, and 40 year old paper at that. They act as spacers- to shim the liner to the top of the block and perfectly flush. maybe now with the clamping force removed after taking off the heads the joint allows coolant liquid to bleed thru that joint.

Some vendors sell these spacers in metal now also.

Mark

[Parzival]

I guess I need to figure out if I can continue with the head gasket replacement, or if I need to find a place I can pull the engine and fully rebuild...
Guess there is no good way to know....

[mark w]

I guess I need to figure out if I can continue with the head gasket replacement, or if I need to find a place I can pull the engine and fully rebuild...
Guess there is no good way to know....

id call all the dmc techs around and ask them.