I am hoping some of you can give me some advice on some concerns that I have regarding either a problem with head torque, head gasket, or warped head (or all of the above). I also hope that you will take a minute to help me fix the problem in the best way, so please share your thoughts.

Little background: I have a Vortech SC on a built motor. In my spare time (when not kart road racing), I recently started autoX (SSM class) & have intentions to track my car some next year. So, my car is currently undergoing many winter projects to get it ready for next year. The car has been on jack stands for ~6 weeks now since my last hard weekend drive (S2ki BMT Tour in Arkansas).

Here are some problems/concerns that I recently found:
1) 2 weeks ago I noticed that just below the exhaust header there was evidence of a very slight oil leak from the head gasket area around where the oil drains down internally from the head back into the block. (between cyl 1/2 and 3/4). Unfortunately no pictures. (At first, I thought this might have been from an oil leaking and running down the head/block seam from my Vortech mount sandwiched between the VTEC solenoid but now I don't think this is the problem). This made me think that maybe the head needed to be re-torqued.
2) I recently pulled the oil pan (to weld in a baffle & a couple bungs) and noticed a small black film (or flake) on the oil pump pick up screen. The bottom of the pan was very clean (no issues). Unfortunately no pictures of the single piece of black film. I now think this may be a piece of the head gasket film(?).
3) Last night I recently noticed some grey sludge under the radiator cap and in my coolant reservoir (estimate collectively ~1 table spoon total). I was surprised that my coolant reservoir was near empty and the coolant was ~3/4" low in the radiator. Obviously my motor is pulling in some coolant. I run Evans coolant (waterless) and have not noticed anything that would indicate a coolant leak. The coolant that I could see in the radiator was very clean. This is the point where I realized that I may have some bigger problems that are about to develop if I don’t catch it.

To me, the compression / Leak down tests do not look that bad. Keep in mind that I am running 10:1 CP pistons and all of these tests were performed on the motor at room temp. Here is a history:
1/4/15 (motor mileage 6,350) compression: 178, 185, 181, 182. Leak down: 8%, 9%, 9%, 6%.(noticed most air coming from dipstick port)
6/5/14 (4,750mi) compression: 179,182, 185, 180. Leak down: not tested
7/2/13 (1,700mi) compression: 179, 190, 190, 190. Leak down: 10%, 4%, 9%, 5%.

Pertinent info on my set up:
ARP head studs and ARP Ultra Torque lube was used
Not sure if the studs were tightened to 95ftlb as ARP instructions or if we tightened them per the Honda manual 22 ftlbs then 2 sets of 90* turns.
Studs have not been re-torqued since build.
OEM head gasket
Head was decked prior to rebuild (decking minimal)
Block sleeved & decked by Dan Benson
Evans coolant, large dual pass radiator, twin slim fans
Setrab (19row) oil cooler used with Mocal 180 deg sandwich plate.
CP Pistons, 87mm, 10:1 compression
Vortech V2SQi supercharger with ~14psi (3.8” pulley).
WHP ~400
No issues of predetonation

I should also point out that I have had a lot of problems with blowby. My most recent CCV set up consists of 2 (two) Sakiou Michi catch cans with two -10 (5/8”) lines (one for each catch can) and pulling a vacuum from the intake in front of the supercharger. There is a small filter on the VC. After my last drive (a long weekend of hard spirited driving), I had ~2/3 of a plastic Solo cup full of “oil” from the catch cans. I noticed that the “oil” had a very low viscosity (almost like water) and had a fuel smell. After 15 minutes in the Solo cup, I came back to find that the “oil” had eaten through the cup and spilled out all over my work bench. Obviously a lot of fuel was mixed in there to eat through a Solo cup! At the time, I thought all this was due to poor ring sealing but based on these other issues, maybe the blowby is coming from a combination of a leak (or leaks) between the head and the block as well as between the rings.

Here are my current questions:
1. Many signs point to the head gasket but could it just be a re-torque issue?
2. If I pull the head to replace the head gasket , based on what I have seen in my catch cans, would it be a good idea to pull the oil pan and install a new set of rings (assuming the cylinders look good)? I think I can access the rod bolts behind the oil pump at TDC on cylinders 1 & 2.
3. Could my problems be coming from anywhere else (any known areas where blocks or heads have been known to crack)?
4. Should I go back to OEM head bolts?
5. Suggestions on head torque?
6. Is there a better head gasket out there?

 

that sucks I would see if you can do a coolant dye test not sure with the evans. pressure check on the radiator after the dye see if you can spot any fluorescents ''leakage'' and you always want to retorque the head studs after a few heat cycles could have blown the head gasket like you said the black stuff in the pan could be off the mls headgasket this happened to me on my cummins I replaced the headgasket then twice torqued my studs and its been good for 5 years good luck with it pm me if you got any questions

 

Sounds like a headgasket or torque issue to me. There are a slew of posts on people heavily recommending against ARP head studs. I cannot speak from experience, but if it has any merit it could suggest the head-studs to be the issue.

If you plan on sticking to 14 psi, I would personally run the OEM head bolts - no reason not to. I would also replace the head-gasket (with an OEM one) if you're that far deep in tear-down.

I JUST did a headgasket job on my car, using the OEM bolts and gasket. Also running 14psi on the blower.

 

The flake in oil pan. This is verifiable by inspecting the head gasket that was installed. I personally don't think tq is an issue here. 22 +180 is quite tight and so is 9x ftlb.
Using a straight edge if available, I'd check clearance and use light to see if head or block deck warped. If not available, could always send components to head shop to inspect.
Using new parts, once vehicle installed before filling oil system, fill coolant system and pressure test system for 24 hours. If there is a leak to oil system coolant will collect nicely in the oil pan, which is obviously easily checked by oil drain bolt.
Using fluid that reacts to carbon monoxide in the cooling system is also a solid test to see if coolant is being contaminated by crankcase gases. My opinion is that the OEM gasket is sufficient and bolts or studs are fine.

 

I really appreciate the responses so far. thanks for the tips. I really like the idea of pressure testing the coolant system before adding oil. I will do this. This week I am planning to pull the head and replace the HG. I have an OEM head gasket on order from Majestic Honda. I will also have my local (well known) head machinist make sure the head is straight & the valves are all OK before I put it back on. I will also check the block deck. I have a machinist friend with various straight edges (verified against a certified surface plate) that can help me out.

Even though I only have 14psi, I drive my car hard. Since it seems that the headgaskets and studs are a common problem, I think I am going to just order a set of the Full Blown H11/L19 head studs. I had a great conversation with LJ at Full Blown yesterday and it sounds like this would eliminate any future problems. It would also allow more HP in the future. The difference between a new set of OEM studs and the FBM studs is ~$275 and this peace of mind is worth it.

LJ also said that if I am concerned about HG leaks I could spray 2 coats of copper spray on both sides of the HG to help it seal. The only drawback would be cleaning off the copper on my next rebuild. I would have to clean these surfaces anyway so I don't see this as a problem. Anyone disagree?

 

L19 bolt are subject to hydrogen embrittlement and you can't touch with bare hand

Stock or arp2000 is all you need

 

I was able to pull the head off last night. I believe the problem of missing coolant, oil sludge under radiator cap & in reservoir was all related to low torque on the head studs. I set my torque wrench at 90ftlbs and was able to turn one of the center nuts ~ 1/16" of a turn before it clicked. I then started to check others with lower torque wrench settings. I concluded that my studs were only torqued between 75-80ftlbs.

The gasket, head surface, and block deck all looked fine. I will take the head in today to have them check the deck & go ahead and lap the valves since it's out of the car. I put a straight edge (SS metal rule) across the block/sleeve deck and could not see any light between the edge. I will check this further with more accurate straight edges but I don't think this is the problem.

I could not find enough missing black coating on the head gasket that might have been the black film/coating that I found on the oil pickup screen. So that is still a mystery.

Legros, you mentioned "arp2000" studs. Are these the same as the standard ARP studs? I used part number 209-4702 and only see this part number on ARP's website.

Based on the responses so far, it sounds like reusing my ARP studs and another OEM gasket would be best. Obviously I need to re-torque them after a couple heat cycles and then periodically check them (maybe every winter or ~5kmiles??). I am open to any suggestions here.

My current questions:
Should I torque my studs to 95 as the ARP instructions suggest or maybe bump it up to say 100?
How often do I need to retorque them?
Should I spray my new OEM HG with copper spray (Full Blown suggestion) or Permatex Indian Head Gasket Shellac (Kings motorsports suggestion)?

Thanks again!

Here are some pics. I think the tan color was coming from burning Evans coolant?? The pistons look rich but the exhaust valves look lean. If you see anything that looks odd, please let me know.

 

Arp 2000 is what you have
Dont over torque the head and use arp moly lube or stretch gauge

I never see exhaust valve this white maybe the evan coolant do this when burning

Comp is little low for 10:1
If the head and block are straight sleeve Can be the problem

 

Yeah i dont see 80ft lbs causing you any issues honestly. Maybe if your boost was upwards of 20+ psi. Like legros stated, your compression seems low for 10:1 but at least they are all near the same. Mine is 215 across at 9.6:1. The pistons and valves don't look very healthy. I would check your tune as well man.

 

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. Just dropped off my head to have it checked. Hoping to get it back early next week.

legros & 1SlowSi, I also agree that my compression should be higher. I would like to talk to Dan Benson about this but before I do, I would like to have a general idea on where I should be. I have always had issues with high crank case pressure & blow by so now thinking I should just pull out the motor & have the pistons, rings, and cylinders checked by an expert. If you look at the cylinders in my pics, the tan color even suggests poor ring sealing.

Now, just to clarify from my first post, my compression & leak down numbers are at ambient temp. I showed only cold results above since I was comparing my current results & could not warm the motor as it was down. My garage is usually ~70*F.

1SlowSi, you said your compression is 215 across at 9.6:1, Are these numbers on a warm motor?

Here are my compression results on a warm motor:
after ~100mi after rebuild: 193, 196, 193, 189
after ~300mi: 193, 197, 195, 195, leakdown: 4%, 2%, 3%, 1%
after 1000mi: 190, 192, 194, 192.

If you had an average of ~190 vs 215 (or more), what would you do? Pull the motor, hone the cylinders, and install new rings or let it go?