1982 3.0 Cylinder Head Leak

glenncal1 · 02-05-2005, 11:03 AM

Hello Guys-I am looking at a 1982 SC with a recently rebuilt motor. The owner reports that there is a leak between the head and one of the cylinders. He seems to think that a stud has pulled. I am thinking that pulled studs are not usually a problem on the 3.0 motors and maybe the stud has broken. How difficult would it be for a mechanic to diagnose this problem and if the stud needs replacement for one reason or the other what does it take to fix. Could it be that the heads just need to be re-tourqued? TIA

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Yes yes and yes.

It is VERY unlikely that a stud pulled. More likely that it broke, or (as you said) needs to be re-torqued.

Pull the valve covers and find out I guess, it's the only way. I wouldn't buy the car without knowing if it's broken or not, because a broken stud means a top-end job.

AFJuvat · 02-05-2005, 07:24 PM

All 3.0 motors and many of the 3.2 motors have a problem with broken head studs.

The easiest way to tell is to remove the lower covers - chances are, if one is broken, it will be laying there, or optionally hit you on the head as you remove the cover.

I have seen a few come into the shop for PPIs where a PO has tried to hide a broken stud be removing it - make sure to go into each recess for the studs with a magnet - the magnet will stick to the barrel nut.

Usually, a broken stud is an immediate disqualification for purchase. If you still like the car in spite of the broken stud, you can use it to negotiate a seriously lower price on the car.

Head stud repair in a shop runs anywhere from $3K - $5K. If you were to have it repaired, use the 993 headstuds - they are thicker and pretty much immune to breakage. Raceware studs are also an option, but they tend to be a bit pricier.

AFJuvat

aigel · aigel's Garage

Remember, that if there is a leak for any prolonged time, it will eat away at the sealing surfaces. You will be in for some machine work on the heads. I am not sure what a leak does to the cylinders. Someone may be able to chime in on that.

Count on a full rebuild unless you are looking at a low mileage car. To get to the studs, you need to pull the p/c. On a high mileage engine, you may run into other worn things, e.g. pistons and rings...

George

glenncal1 · 02-06-2005, 07:17 PM

Thanks for all the replies. The car I am looking at is (haven't seen pictures yet) is reported to be an '82 SC that the Current owner rebuilt the engine on in the last couple years. Supposed to be in very good condition but with the leak. He has not driven it much since the leak developed and has a newer P car so he is just wanting to sell this one. He was very upfront about the problem, he just doesn't want to fix it. He has a low ($6k) asking price on the car which reflects the need for the repair. Will let you all know how things turn out.

aigel · aigel's Garage

Sounds good overall. If I were you, I would price the car as an 82 SC needing an engine rebuild:

Who knows what the PO did to the engine. The leak may only be one of many mistakes he made? If he did not seal or torque things right, that's not acceptable. If there is head studs snapped, it likely means he didn't replace the dilvar studs, which means he did things quickly or on the cheap. I guess you get the idea.

A full engine rebuild (did his rebuild have new pistons and cylinders?) can run you 5k in DIY mode. If an SC is worth 11k in your area, you may only break even. But of course, you'd have a fresh engine that you'd know will last...

Cheers, George