I just recently pulled my head to have valves installed and found that my pistons were covered black, probably means that my car was running rich. Now after looking at them im worried whether ive damaged any ringlands. Is there a way i can check this without removing the pistons whilst my head is off?

 

Is it dry black or wet oily black? Dry black is from running to rich and really wet black could be from broken ring-lands or bad valve seals. Is the engine turbo, nitrous or N/A? Usually when a ring-land breaks, the piece that breaks will rub against the sleeve leaving a rub mark the size of the ring-land that broke.

 

Its a Dry kind of black. i tried cleaning it with a cloth but it wouldnt come off. I checked the sleeves for skuffs/marks there was nothing. Im hoping they are all o.k.
I wonder what it could be that is making me run so rich

 

Sometimes it not black from to much fuel. It's also carbon build up...which is normal.