I ran a Vanguard bottom end under a TR head for one race only. It was a disaster, but i needed the championship points at the time so it was worth the chance.
As you have already found out, the Vanguard studs are smaller diameter than the TR, so the torque value is going to be a lower figure . Yes you are still holding the liners down with the head , so it is likely to be higher than other models , but don't overdo it , or you will pull the stud out of the block, and then you will have to take the head off again.
I suspect that torquing down the Vanguard head to 100/105 lbs ft might have contributed to the problems, but I doubt it will be the root cause. Did you check that all the studs are really tightly seated in the block? If they have been over-torqued it is possible they have been loosened and this will not help with the sealing
As Arwyn points out the iron head on these engines is a big chunk of metal, BUT they can and do warp quite easily if you run them dry of water. You will be most unlucky if the block is warped, my experience would suggest about 100:1 , but it is worthwhile checking with a straight edge , if only to eliminate it from the diagnosis.
The other lesser point is the seating of the liners on the figure of 8 gaskets. Are you very sure that these were done correctly, as the smallest of errors here ( e.g.:nipped or protruding edge) will give rise to leakage and water loss.
Last edited by MOG 615; 30/12/17 12:12 PM.