Blown Head Gasket :(

[Mike1992]

I posted up a few days ago how I was having crazy loud lifter tick noise, or so I thought, but I think I found the source of the loud ticking noise. Car has been running really well, but this lifter tick noise gradually got louder over a 2 day span so I decided to investigate. Tore the topend apart to find nothing unusual. Came out this morning to find a puddle of coolant under the block. Couldn,t find the leak so I rented a coolant pressure tester to find two small leaks on the back of the block where the head and block meet, pointing towards a HG failure. Pulled the head to find this.....

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed015.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed014.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed013.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed012.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed011.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed010.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed009.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed008.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed007.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed006.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed005.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed004.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f360/Lasercamel/Blowed003.jpg

 

[HIGHPSI4]

Well, crap. That sucks. HG, head studs or surface problem?

 

[GSXSixteenG]

Looks like you burnt some marshmellows on those pistons.

 

[Mike1992]

I'm not sure why it happened, thats why I made this post.

 

[RyAn007]

I am sure that it is just wear and tear, but over all its not awful you can clean the pistons and such, I see you run an hx35 at 28 psi, that could cause it eventually.

 

[JusMX141]

I see no evidence that the coolant was reaching the combustion chamber, which is a good thing.

Was that composite gasket OEM or some other brand?

 

[Mike1992]

This was an OEM composite head gasket with std arp's torqued to 90lbs. This is my other car sporting a built 2.0 Ross/Eagle BC 280's and a HX-40 Turbo. This engine had less than 500 miles on it.

 

[Auto RS T]

Could this be an issue related to using copper spray on the gasket?