Suspect head gasket

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Out in the 803, which does not get used an awful lot these days but still racks up a few miles to keep things ticking over, I notice that the water level in the rad keeps going down (though not enough to cause me undue worry). With no external leaks evident, it must be escaping internally....

Anyway one day I was checking the plugs and No.3 cyl was full of water, but it always starts fine from cold even when left for a fortnight. However, after a run and the engine is switched off there is a glugging noise coming from under the bonnet, a bit like large air bubbles coming up through water. But the engine runs just fine, there is no water in the oil or vice-versa, so what can it be?

The engine had a new head gasket following a decoke done by me (unknown condition ebay buy), all surfaces were clean etc prior to fitting the new gasket, and it was tightened down again after the first few runs (admittedly not the first heat cycle).

Could it be the head gasket which has blown or should I just try tightening it down again?

[bmcecosse]

Is the spark plug for that cylinder spotlessly clean ??? Does sound like gasket - no harm tightening it I suppose.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

I'll check and let you know - I used it fairly extensively the other day with no probs which is what seems so strange having read other posts on head g. failure.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Update - went round all the head stud nuts and found I could turn them quite a bit, since then the car has been OK but I still suspect some water is weeping in albeit minimally. The two plugs in the wet cylinders were actually filthy black! 1 and 4 a nice grey. I did reckon to have re-tightened them all after the first heat cycle.

I'm not too bothered about resolving this problem fully as this engine will soon be coming out and the recon one going in. Besides it is also burning a lot of oil and knocking on no.2 big end.

[bmcecosse]

If water getting in - the plugs (and chambers) are spotlessly clean!

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

That's the odd thing - they're black as soot and the electrodes too! Yet when I took them out and shone a torch in the hole, it was full of water!

[bmcecosse]

Crikey.......