Before installing the heads be sure the cylinders are properly seated in
the case.  You should be able to inspect this with a flashlight and also
just eyeball them.  Are they even with each other?  Then they are most
likely seated properly.
Another trick:
When you install the heads I usually wiggle them when tightening them
down.  That keeps them from getting hung up on the cylinders.  Also I
usually tighten the two center head nuts that are under the valve
cover.  These will bring in the bottom and top of the head virtually at
the same time since the push rod tubes are acting like a spring on the
bottom of the head but the top has virtually no resistance.

Hope this helps,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com

Bill Collins wrote:

>Over the weekend, I removed the cylinders, cleaned things up, replaced all the cylinder o-rings, and put the engine back together.  I hesitated to remove the cylinders, but they really aren't hard to re-install, with the engine out of the van.
>
>I found that the left side pushrod tubes were longer than they should have been. I assume this means that the head hung up on something and didn't seat properly.  That would certainly explain the water in the oil!
>
>Thanks for all the advice on this problem.
>
>Bill
>
>
>