lluks_844

I think my head gasket took a poop on my b20vtec. When i put the head on I used the correct arp head studs, and a cometic head gasket. Started it and had a leak under the distributor. Brand new cam seal dizzy o ring, and vtec solenoid gasket. I watch the oil start to seap from the back of the head and pool there. Wasnt that bad of a leak. Kept cleaning it and it just stopped leaking for like 1500 miles.

My heat stopped working well, and the Temp gauge would just drop to C while driving. And take forever to heat up.

At first I was running a Basemap for a B20vtec, now im running one from Phearable. The new map smoothed out the car and was nice for like a week. Until my heat stopped completely. I changed the thermostat and the heat was warm for like 2 days and the car was fine again.

Now I went out and started the car and the idle bounces between 1500 and 3000, until the car is completly warm. Than it idles at about 2000, when it was idleing at like 1000 before.

When its cold it blows alot of white smoke, no blue at all. And now its leaking alot more under the dizzy than it was.

I think im just gonne buy an oem gasket and get the head checked for warpage.

What do you guys think.

lluks_844

The car does not overheat, and hasnt come close since i had just the stock b20 in there.

Luserkid

What steps did you use to tq the head down? And what was your final tq specs? Your loosing coolant somewhere, thats where you get the random hot and cold from. Could be a leak in one of your lines. You made sure to burp the system correctly right? I would retorque the head if your unsure about it, just take off the nuts and torque it back down in steps.

lluks_844

I used the steps that came in box with the head studs. I started the car with the heat on full and the radiator cap off. I have about 4200 miles on the motor. I wasnt loosing coolant until recently.

lluks_844

bump

Luserkid

So for 4200 miles you never had a problem? What were you doing when the problem came up, also is your motor is still on a basemap? Thats never a plus.

It doesnt hurt to pull the head and have it checked if you think thats the main cause. Depending on the spill under the dist. it might not be your problem, or just a leaky Oring. Notice any coolant leaks?

lluks_844

no coolant leaks, or anything that i can see. Before I pull the head im gonna change the gaskets again, and bypas the heater core to eliminate that from the problem.

The motor is still on a basemap, im waiting till i get cams to go for a tune. Im gonna try the other basemap to see anything changes.

I pulled the plugs and there all clean as well the pistons look dry from what i can see with my maglite, im gonna drain the oil tonight and look for coolant.

What I dont get is my car is not overheating.

Luserkid

So the main problem is that your just loosing coolant and having that oil leak? But yet you have no leaks? Open up your radiator cap and run the car. Is there alot of compression (air) coming out of the cap, or any at all?

lluks_844

I meant no other leaks other than the oil.

Yeah the problems, are White smoke at first startup. No heat, pulsing idle during warm up, high idle, oil leak.

I am using 310 rc injectors which someone said it could be gas vapors that is the white smoke

What do you mean by air coming out of the radiator? WHen i took it off earlier it was just moving up and down no bubbling or anything.

Luserkid

If you dont feel any air blowing out of the radiator then its probably not a gasket problem. Up and down is water pump movement and that you have air in the system, it should be steady hight. Get your hands on a pressure tester and test the coolant system.

lluks_844

I do see some shinyness in the coolant, so im just replacing the head gasket anyway. OEM honda. Id rather fix the oil leak anyway, time for a new timing belt as well

lluks_844

So I took the head off today, and only saw two things that could be wrong. The left most intake side head stud came out not just the bolt like all the others.

And I see a pool of oil around the head stud that gets torqued first, and looks like it was dripping into the coolant passages.

Should i replace that far left head stud?

And do you think thats how the oil was getting into my oil?

Also on a related not, the person that helped me put the head on the first time
put the head gasket on upside down but i never started it like that. I caught it before it was too late.

Luserkid

I dont get what your talking about with the head stud coming out? You mean the nut was still attached to the stud? If so that happens dont worry about it. Get an allen key and a 12pt wrench and take it off.

Oil will build up around the holes, thats normal. Also make sure you use lube on the studs before you put them back. Check your gasket for any cracks or defects.

lluks_844

im gonna take some of the head now

gourley

I'd have the head milled .20 and a new OEM gasket. That old gasket looks like ****.

civicb18Tkid

did you put the head gasket on right side up?

lluks_844

lol at first is was upside down , but I caught it before i started the car or added any fluid, so i just flipped it over.

I will be makin a trip to the machine shop tomorrow, to see how much to get the head milled.

corked1260

wait did you tighten the head down to specs with the gasket upside down? if so that may have caused some of the leaking around the studs ? i mean im not 100% sure but i know a friend of mine did the same thing and had some leaks changed to a new head gasket and everything was fine...

civicb18Tkid

also you say that you used a cometic head gasket right? are you possitive you got the right bore for the gasket? i would measure it to make sure you didnt get the wrong one.

lluks_844

i dont have the tool to measure it, but the packaging said 84mm. I think my final torque was around 66lbs, both times, hopefully theyll have my head gasket in stock

gourley

Just buy a OEM Honda/Acura Headgasket. They are proven quality. Get a EK Si or ITR headgasket and your good to go. $30. Also I think thoes studs goto 75 ft/lbs. My friend and I did his 25-50-75ft/lbs in three stages.

Luserkid

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gourley &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just buy a OEM Honda/Acura Headgasket. They are proven quality. Get a EK Si or ITR headgasket and your good to go. $30. Also I think thoes studs goto 75 ft/lbs. My friend and I did his 25-50-75ft/lbs in three stages. </TD></TR></TABLE>

If he said his at 84mm the OEM gaskets will not fit that bore size. OP: What is the bore size?

Also you should NEVER torque a head down to 75ft-lbs. Max (dont even need to do that if you have the right type of oil) is 70ft-lbs. Going down 75 could damage the head (not to mention gasket) by pressing against the sleeves. ARP's are said to be torqued to 65-68ft lbs depending on if you use gear oil or Molly Lube.

lluks_844

84mm is the stock b20 bore size

lluks_844

i dropped the head off at the machine shop, 50 bucks to mil the head. And i order a new head gasket. Hopefully shell be ready for the weekend

Thanks guys

lluks_844

So i got everything back From the machine shop, everything is good. Put my mounts in, go to put the dowel pins in the block and what do i find? They dont fit through the head gasket.

Ive searched but couldnt find anything, should i dremel the holes bigger?