Absolutely!
Always use an OEM 3 layer gasket. If you need any size besides an 81-81.5 (Stock) or 84-84.5 (stock B20), then get one from somebody like Golden Eagle that has an OEM gasket laser cut to any size you need.

Cometic headgaskets SUCK ***!!! Especially the ones with the inner layer that is not attched to the rest of the gasket, this layer can be "blown" out of place and into the combustion chamber which ususally gets stuck in the valves causing all kinds of problems!


BTW, if your ready to get to the bottom of this problem, have your blocked decked by a machine shop with a vertical mill and a fly cutter. I'm still betting you you have an uneven deck or a dropped sleeve like I originally said...

 

jesus christ!!!!! it still isnt fixed?

Jordo.. just roll it off of a cliff or blow it up. pull all of the valuable **** off first of course then film it for us

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mochanic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Absolutely!
Always use an OEM 3 layer gasket. If you need any size besides an 81-81.5 (Stock) or 84-84.5 (stock B20), then get one from somebody like Golden Eagle that has an OEM gasket laser cut to any size you need.

Cometic headgaskets SUCK ***!!! Especially the ones with the inner layer that is not attched to the rest of the gasket, this layer can be "blown" out of place and into the combustion chamber which ususally gets stuck in the valves causing all kinds of problems!


BTW, if your ready to get to the bottom of this problem, have your blocked decked by a machine shop with a vertical mill and a fly cutter. I'm still betting you you have an uneven deck or a dropped sleeve like I originally said...</TD></TR></TABLE>


ok, well tomorrow I am going to order an OEM head gasket. I am willing to give it a shot before I pull everything out and have the block vertically milled and fly cut. There are not any decent machine shops were I am located and I would like to avoid having to pull the motor if I can fix the problem with an OEM gasket. Also, just to make sure, OEM gaskets are ok for turbo applications?

 

im pretty sure my car is fixed, im waiting on my new manifold..

 

OEM gaskets are great for turbo apps! There is nothing better...
Always use copper spray on higher than normal cylinder pressure apps, and when reusing a head gasket. (yes you can reuse an OEM head gasket, as long as its with the original head and block!!!)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jordo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">im pretty sure my car is fixed, im waiting on my new manifold..</TD></TR></TABLE>

What have you done to make you think its fixed? Please tell me so I can try it on my car!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by b18Jay &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What have you done to make you think its fixed? Please tell me so I can try it on my car!</TD></TR></TABLE>

another new headgasket, changed out the stock oil cooler... changed the way the enydn can is setup also..

hopefully itll be fixed..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jordo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

another new headgasket, changed out the stock oil cooler... changed the way the enydn can is setup also..

hopefully itll be fixed.. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Did you use an OEM head gasket?

Did you use an OEM oil cooler?

Would you mind telling me how your endyne set up is so I can set mine up like yours?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by b18Jay &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Did you use an OEM head gasket?

Did you use an OEM oil cooler?

Would you mind telling me how your endyne set up is so I can set mine up like yours?</TD></TR></TABLE>


yes new, Golden eagle Oem headgasket
and oem oil cooler

i dont know about the pcv just yet.. i will let you know when i see the car

 

Thanks Jordan, Please keep me posted on your car. I hope that you and I can get this problem taken care of SOON!

 

Guess when I replace my MLS gasket kevin im using a golden eagle gasket... glad we found this out now! Kevin if you can get that headgasket by this weekend let me know I will help ya out at the shop!

But lets get started earlier... so were not there to 8 or later...

BTW WHat did Brad say to Amber!? lol

 

OEM gasket is on its way. My motor does not have an oil cooler, and I am looking for an endyne can at the moment. Where is a good place to get a endyne can?

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1137242

 

I really admire the way you guys are going at getting this issue fixed! I have a similar problem and have gotten some good ideas here.

For a catch can, you can save your self some money and get one of these. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...=WDVW

This is how I have it set up on my sleeved h22a, which has about 1500 miles on it since January.

It's in the lower left hand corner of the pic. One line runs to it from the pcv and the second line runs to the IM (Skunk2)

Anyway, I sent my tb to Maxbore.com and had it bored out to 65mm. After putting it back on I noticed that the car has started to backfire. Basically, if I am driving along and lift the throttle for a period of time after I get back on the gas the car will emit a small backfire. I know the car is running rich but it didn't do it before changing the tb. I thought that maybe the catch can was full and feeding oil back into the IM. I opened it up and drained about an inch and a half of tan/water/sludge. This is what the bottom of the catchcan looked like after draining last night (note the flakes of metal left over from the breakin.)


I pulled the valve cover off and there is no milkshake I drained the oil and it was pitch black with no sign of water or coolant. I dropped the pan and was surprized, before reading this thread, to find water in the down pipe and by the cat. Now I wonder if some of that condensation doesn't make its way to the head and just get mixed with the oil and ejected through the pcv? In my case, if I didn't have a catch can, I wouldn't know about the condition. On the other hand, before my build, I remember the catch can just collecting oil. What all are you finding in the catch can?

I also went through the head stud torque issue since my head is pretty clearly leaking all around the block. Here's an example of the seepage.

My builder did not retorque the studs after the first couple of heat cycles, which, by the way ARP definitly says should be done. But they agreed to retorque given the seepage. The initial torque was done to 75 but the retorque, and this surprised me, was first done to 95 and then 100, which is what they say they use for boosted applications (I'm NA with direct port.) It did not get rid of the seepage and I sure hope they pull the head to see what's going on when I take it there in April. One thing I thought was odd was the bottom of my oil filler cap.
Sure looks like coolant to me.

Meanwhile I do not seem to be loosing coolant but then again, I haven't been looking that closely. I did open up the coolant system a couple of times, once to replace the iacv and the second time when I removed and replaced the TB. I just ran the motor a bit and then opened the bleeder on the thermo housing. It's not running hot so I don't think I have air trapped any where but I'm not really sure how to check.

Finally, here's a pic of the sleeves. I don't tecknically know what a stepped block is, though I'm guessing that it's a difference in the height between the cyl and the deck but it doesn't look like that's my issue.

Sorry for the long assed post but damn, I've been thinking about all the stuff you guys are talking here. Good luck to you, I know that stuff is driving you crazy.

 

well, no updates still

ive been waiting on a new manifold for the past two-three weeks. I almost forgot i even had a car .

 

I know what you mean Jordan, I have been with out my car for about a week, waiting for endyne catch can so I can finish up.

 

problem figured out..

My valve guides in my head were leaking..
Bars leak stopped it

Coolant lose was from a pin hole in a coolant line.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jordo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">problem figured out..

My valve guides in my head were leaking..
Bars leak stopped it

Coolant lose was from a pin hole in a coolant line.</TD></TR></TABLE>



Time to go fast

 

so coolant was leaking by the valve guides ??????

 

when the motor would heat up, they had a small hole or crack near the valve guides..

 

so they must have pressure tested the head then ???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C1CYA &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so they must have pressure tested the head then ???</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah machine shop tested up to 60psi, found nothing..

but once head was on, and heated up..

 

i see , glad to here you got it fixed ,

 

No way that leaking valve guides would ever allow coolant into the oil!
If your problem is actually fixed, thats not where the problem was...

You said the machine shop psi tested the head and found nothing? Then what led you to this conclusion?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mochanic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No way that leaking valve guides would ever allow coolant into the oil!
If your problem is actually fixed, thats not where the problem was...

You said the machine shop psi tested the head and found nothing? Then what led you to this conclusion?</TD></TR></TABLE>

after they put the head back on, they brought i back to the machine shop, machine shop concluded it must have a small crack in it.

and being that the valve guide was replaced.......

im really not to worried about "what", im just happy its fixed.