Coolant Leak After Rebuild

[mbboy]

Turns out that the fluid dripping from my starter after rebuilding the top end of my 380sl is coolant leaking from between the tranny and engine. The Indy who helped with the rebuild thinks it's coming from the intake manifold, since we put Timeserts in the head bolt holes, and the head bolts all torqued properly. He says that the odds are 80-20 the leak will stop after a few hundred miles when contraction and expansion causes the gasket to seat better.

Just wondering if this makes sense to anyone here, or whether my Indy is just avoiding having to deal with the problem.

Thanks for the input.

[ctaylor738]

More likely a head gasket problem, but it's worthwhile to be sure that all of the intake bolts are installed and correctly tightened.

I wouldn't buy the "it's normal and it will likely go away" story.

[mbboy]

Originally Posted by ctaylor738

More likely a head gasket problem, but it's worthwhile to be sure that all of the intake bolts are installed and correctly tightened.

I wouldn't buy the "it's normal and it will likely go away" story.

That's was my feeling, too, Chuck. But I guess i'll wait a while and see what happens. I pulled the right valve cover today, and the head bolts all seem tight. Since the right cover is a PITA, though, before I pull it, I'd love to know whether the rear of the 116 has weep holes on one or both sides of the valley under the intake manifold, so coolant from the driver's side would be leaking down the left, rather than the right, side.

Thanks in advance