ARP studs installed to block (fun fact, it tightens 25ftlb more torque than OEM! and the middle bolt on intake side sits about 20mm lower than the rest)
Head gasket on
Head installed and torqued to spec
I tightened it in 3 increments as advised by ARP and tightened them again the next day as their values change due to stretch overnight
This little bugger decides if you get vtec or not
Getting ready for the next step
I was tossing up whether or not to buy a new OEM oil pump and figured I'd check the clearances on the one I have already before spending unecessary amounts of money for 2 pieces of alloy that spin around
I'm happy I did because this pump is 0.02mm within NEW oem clearance. Still about 0.19mm off the service limit which is ridiculous considering how many kms this pump has endured. Gotta love Honda engineering.
