just replaced head gasket on my b20v with a felpro hg for gsr.
it leaks oil from the head gasket under where the vtec solenoid is.
that's only spot it leaks from.

cleaned the block/head mating surfaces.
checked surfaces with a straight edge.. block/head are flat
both dowel pins are placed in
head gasket is right side up
torqued to spec in sequence (22, then 63)
everything else torqued to spec

took everything off and reinstalled super carefully again..
still the same leak.

oil seeping out after a lil test drive


removed gasket to find this blatant path of where the oil leaking


how gasket sits on the head


oil seeping out of block just after i put everything back together. before crank/starting it.


idk... im super confused at this point. i have no clue why that's happening.
my guess is that it has something to do with the dowel pin.
anyone experience this before too? any help would be greatly appreciated thx

 

Did you use thread sealan or teflon tape on the plug that you tapped?

 

what head studs are those? all of the ones i have seen have an allen on the top of them.

 

For what its worth, ive read over and over again to use the hg for the block. Ive got a b20v, and i used an oem b20 hg, i did however have to open up the dowel holes in the gasket. I have 0 leaks from my build

 

no you use a head gasket to match the head. check goldeneagles website, its what they use and there is a nice little picture on floating around explaining why

 

kind of. the bore on his gsr headgasket is wrong for his 84mm sleeves though. he would have to go golden eagle or cometic for a gasket.

 

Im speaking from my experience. Granted youve got an lsv, and ive got a b20v, but my motor runs great and doesnt leak a drop of oil.

This is also a quote from the how to build a reliable ls/b20vtec thread

"-New LS (90-01) B18a/b (for 81mm) or B20 (for 84mm) head gasket (MLS) or aftermarket for your non-OEM bore"

Link to said thread
https://honda-tech.com/forums/all-motor-naturally-aspirated-44/how-build-%22reliable%22-lsvtec-b20vtec-1676914/

Like i said, as far as im aware, the GE gaskets vs oem b20/ls gaskets is the dowel size. Vtec is 14mm i believe, non vtec is 12mm. I could be wrong on numbers, but all i know is that my drilled oem b20 headgasket is working perfectly with my b16 head.

 

the ge gaskets are vtec head gaskets with the bore opened up. they are not b20 gaskets.

 

I used a b20 gasket on mine. And it looks like your headstuds are on upside down

 

Heres a pic of that corner of my motor. See the difference? Im almost willing to bet that an ls hg would cure the oil leak. That and i agree with ^ that the studs look upside down

 

Im willing to bet that he didn't put any type of thread sealer or teflon on the plug he put in the head.

 

I just checked and the plug is intake side of the head, bellhousing side. The plug could very well be the cause, hard to tell from the pic but im pretty sure i see oil all along that edge of the block by the trans

 

Is it seeping down from the corner of the valve cover?

 

Its very common to seep oil from that corner. Ive had several engine builds leak from that same spot with milled decks/heads and new head gaskets. I now outline all the oil holes with a thin bead of hondabond. I learned this trick from Endyn.

 

gratuitous pic of muckmans super bad *** high compression boost engine

my engine is always leaking oil and it collects there. comes from a combo of valvecover, cam plug and vtec gasket i can see the little wet trails of it coming down the side of the head. it might be a stretch but ive also seen leaking cam gear seals leak oil and then it runs along the front of the engine where the head and block meet.

a little brake cleaner right before tech inspection is your friend lol

 

same problem with mine..youre not alone bro LOL

 

A couple of things...it looks like the oil is coming from higher up ie: valve cover gasket cam seal. Oil goes with gravity. 2. Are your head studs in upside down? Maybe it's not touqued correctly. I've never seen them without an allen key up top. Make sure that plug had liquid thread sealer on it

 

I never re-use head studs more than 2 or 3 times.
9 out of ten times its the surface causing the issue.
Never had any luck with felpro.
Try a G.E. gasket. or Cometic
I found this on G.E.'S web and it is very informative.

 

Ok.. so I pulled the head for the 3rd time... and found that two of my head stud bolts where loose. I'm guessing I untorqued them when I was loosing the nuts for the head studs. I could literally wiggle them and spin them around with my fingers...

Tightened them all down to 30lbs in sequence.. then 80lbs, and now no leaks runs perfect.. The oil that would pool up before starting was from me forgetting to wipe off some oil that from vtec solenoid.

Thanks for all the help!

 

 

Buy a real set of valve cover grommets instead of that cheap E-Bay crap you have now.