i have condensation in my breathers with a thick gel of water/oil.my dipstick isnt totally milky but can see some water drops...just had it done
block came out of friends boat top ring land busted and drove to shore 5 miles..machine shop checked it and bored it 060
under the valve covers the oil looks normal
my radiator is very low and i dont have leaks..
shane

might as well take the bullet, yank it out, tear it down. inspect the manifols and head gaskets carefully, but plan on have the heads magged/pressure tested first. It they're ok start on the block. never hurts to a close look and the manifold under the water crossover. I got screwed royally one time by a manifold with a sand pit leak.

Tom

They make a hand pump that fits on the radiator like a radiator cap and has a pressure gauge on it. I think you maybe able to borrow/rent one from auto part stores. I bought mine from Matco tools.

Use the pump to pressurize your cooling system. BE SURE SYSTEM IS FULL OF COOLANT.
Pump up system to about 12 pounds. If pressure does not hold (drops), then you have a leak.
Check for coolant dripping on floor.

Then if no leaks, remove your spark plugs(system pressurized) and have someone crank the engine over(spin it with the starter) while you watch the engine. If coolant has been leaking into the cylinders it will spit coolant out of the spark plug hole(s).

If no water spits out, then remove valve covers and see if coolant is leaking out around head bolts.

Still no leak found? Then look into the top corners of each end of the head with a flash light and see if you may be able to see a leak around where the intake water ports meet the head. This is a common leakage area on boats due to the high pressures some marine pumps put on the cooling system and corrosion from raw lake and/or sea water.

next remove intake and look for signs of leakage in the lifter valley. possible running down from head gasket or intake or even the block areas between the deck and lifters.

After all that, then its time to remove the heads and have them pressure tested at a machine shop, and finally the block should be pulled and pressure tested.

I'll bet its a head bolt or intake gasket.

Good luck
Scott

Follow what is listed above. You can make block off plates for the heads to cover water passages.That will alow you to see inside the lifter valley without the intake. Also pull oil pan off.

think i'm gonna go get a 4 bolt 010/020 block
and transfer everything over..i'll mag everything this time.
shane

Shane,
" block came out of friends boat " That probably is all you have to say. I don't know what the water is like in your area, but around here after 5 or 6 years the blocks are so corroded from running raw water through them that they are not worth using. Had a customer bring one in Friday, nice 4 bolt 454 block, but had all the telltale signs of being a marine block. You could look down the water holes in the deck and see some corroded areas in the backs of the cylinder walls close to 1/8" deep :eek: Told him it was not worth messing with.