Blown Head Gasket

The Austin had been running like... well, let's just say it hadn't been running well for some time. I'd fixed a number of things -- all of which needed repair anyway, mind you -- but the problem did not go away.

This weekend, while I was screwing around with the timing for the millionth time, the car all of a sudden started running even worse. Bad enough, now, that I decided to check the compression. I'm certain I checked it months ago (but after the current problems started), but if I had, I didn't get the results I got now. Cylinder #1 had 150 psi; cylinder #4 had 145 psi. Cylinders #2 and #3 had about 60 psi each. Aha!

Off came the head, and, sure enough, the gasker was blown between cylinders #2 and #3:

As of this writing, I have ordered new gaskets, as well as all new head studs, nuts, washers, etc. The last person to put this engine together was a jackass. Examine this photo of the engine block with the head removed. It's a large photo, to show detail, so you might have to scroll sideways:

See the gasket residue on the block? Normal, right? Right -- except that that residue isn't all from this gasket. The last time the head was replaced, the old gasket wasn't completely scraped off.

Also note that some of the studs are rusty, and some are missing. Some are missing because someone's been chewing on the threads on the top ends of the studs. One is missing because is was barely screwed in. See the stud hole between the #3 and #4 cylinders, on the front of the engine? It was half-filled with gunge -- old gaskets, maybe, or caulk, or chewing gum. When the head was on the engine, this stud stuck up above all the others; it wasn't subtle. Just look at this photo:

(Pay no attention to the monster. That's MOWOG: he chews on cast bits until they break.) Note the left-most stud in the photo. Ahh, pride of workmanship. Alive and well.