coolant leak

[kartone]

Noticed a minor coolant leak along the camshaft cover gasket and under 3 head bolt washers on the exhaust side.
2L engine is working fine; removed plugs and no coolant in cylinders; no coolant residue inside oil cap and in visible time chain cavity,   no coolant on oil dipstick and no oil in coolant tank!
Where is coming from?

[GG105]

Early signs of head gasket failure, I think, this is commonly where they weep. You could try re-tensioning it as a short term fix.

[carlo rossi]

can i recommend retension and
a small can of finely ground black pepper i think 50grms
put it in and top up tank this will seal it
no im not joking

[kartone]

Loose head-bolt insert in totally rebuilt engine ... not happy ... love my car and miss driving her!

[giulia_veloce]

Whats a head bolt insert ?

[Craig_m67]

No idea... maybe he means where the headbolt inserts into the block failed/loosened

Common causes of coolant leaks around the head nuts include; badly (or not at all) re-torqued nuts after rebuild (@500miles). Incorrect, upside down or damaged (ie. not perfectly flat) washers under the head nuts.

The head bolts are screwed into the block at the factory and rarely removed (ever).  The bolts are in the cooling jacket system, so coolant flows around them (causing all sorts of horrible dissimilar metal corrosion issues).  The nuts at the top need to both hold the head on the block AND seal the coolant system, hence the perfectly flat washers.  The head needs to be re torqued after rebuild to take up any change (compression) in the new head gasket.

If it doesn't happen, you get leaks.. or worse, compression issues (failed headgasket)

If a bolt in the block came loose (was pulled out when torquing the head) then you have bigger problems .. If this is the case, then the problem existed before the rebuild (perhaps it checked out okay, perhaps it wasn't checked at all).

More info on the steps taken during the rebuild and after (re-torque) would help. 
Although the first place I'd politely go is to whomever rebuilt the engine.

[carlo rossi]

can you try marking the contact at the head point of the nut
drain the coolant, then screw the bolt out put locktight on and screw back to its position
could that work??

[GTVeloce]

I once had the same thing happen with a TS engine immediately after a rebuild. One of the studs was corroded and when we put it back together a little coolant would weep from under the head nut. We drained the coolant, removed the nut (and washer) and then squirted some silicon down the gap. Head nut back on and the engine did many kays with never a problem.

[kartone]

1 head-stud block insert replaced, 1 head-stud replaced with larger diameter block thread and original diameter shank and head nut thread; all other head-studs OK, replaced head gasket, pressure test OK