Well, I pulled my head to perform an autopsy, and the entire surface of the head gasket was very wet. At that point, I really suspected a "banana" for a head. Sure enough, it's warped. The middle of the head isn't sealing to the block.
Just to make sure, I rotated the engine and looked down every hole and the bores look absolutely perfect. Checked for warpage on the top of the block, and it's fine.
...So there you have it!
I was wrong and you all were right. Warped head I guess.
Here's a question, can the head bolts be reused, or is it recommended to get a new set? I torqued all the bolts, warmed up the engine and torqued again. Taking it apart, some bolts almost seemed loose while others are tight.
I was concerned about bolt stretch.
Thanks for the advice guys. This is a great forum!
