Only 1 piston is clean?

[Idrees]

I've noticed that piston #1 is rather clean, while the other 3 have a layer of carbon already. The engines done 1k miles and these pistons were not brand new, Oem FTE pistons that had just been cleaned.

Before:

1k miles later:

#1

#2

#3

#4

What could be causing this? The car isn't burning oil at all but oil and water has been mixing recently. I've reused the Zep headgasket a few times and maybe it's time for a new one, I don't want to assemble it until I know what the problem is!

Cheers

Idrees

[Socks]

carb built up is from rich mixture i believe?

maybe get injectors cleaned?

if injector 1 isnt spraying enuff cud be lean?

compression test?

[whiteglanzav]

Could also be a coolant leak washing the piston top ?

i would agree with this

because a: head wasnt torqued down prooperly

and b: because you reused the head gasket however many times

get a new gasket some new bolts make sure your head and block are perfectly flat and assemble it nicely

[Raz]

Do you need to get the head skimmed usually?

[Sparky]

Piston 4 looks to be quite bad :/ and looks slightly distorted or something, bottom right of the pic

[Raz]

Nice spotting there Sparky. Number 4 seems to be wet aswell.

Are you able to see what liquid it is?

[Idrees]

It's water, cleaned it all up now. The headgasket looks absolutely fine and has no wear or damage showing at all. #4 isn't distorted its just the water making it look like that.

Streetracer sounds about right, that's the piston that had most water sitting on it when looking down the spark plug hole. I've refitted the head now, I'll get it running and see how it goes. Also they are ARP bolts and they don't stretch so they're good to use again.

[Sparky]

Shouldnt have a problem now then mate, thats clearly why you had the misfire, water in the cylinders

[shorty]

Idrees dude no disrespect is meant but after all the bad exeriances with engines you have built would it not be better to either a; pay some one to build you one or b; not cut corners with the parts. I bought a 270 quid cruise hg, it blew 500miles due to cheap head bolts looked fine and i still binned it and replaced with athena and arp bolt set, and if the head comes off for anyreason the arp bolts will be binned and replaced as you can never be to careful on engines otherwise you just end up taking them apart all the time.

[Idrees]

All the problems I've had? My old 4E gave me trouble a few times due to burning oil and that was due to the machine shop boring it too much. I put some pictures up to show the piston gaps, lesson learnt that I should have measured them just to check. And this is the first problem I've had with the 5E. Reusing a ZEP headgasket and ARP bolts isn't cutting corners... If you binned them then thats fair enough.

I believe that the best way to learn is by giving it a go, and that's exactly what I've done. I'm not bothered about the first engine as that just helped me learn a whole load more! Do you think the best engine builders out there were born with a special talent? Bet they've screwed a few before and learnt from their mistakes.

[shorty]

Fair comment mate, just meant you have built a fair few now what with the na conversion ect, just seem to remeber you having trouble with a few. Is fair enough you want to do it all yourself just thought as its the demo car and your business is bodywork not engines would make sense to have a built engine dropped in to garentee reliability and maximise advertising.

[5T4R7ET N/A]

i thought that starlet's only used stretch bolts.

thats why when you torque them down and the last turn is done at 90 degrees instead of a torque setting.

this is why you should not reuse stretch head bolts. this is what i believe is true, could be wrong.