Hey dave,
just a couple of thoughts (all only my opinion) .The photos are great and I can't add comment to the head being filled in but I have found the following to be essential.
The block and the head have to be flat and true and SPOTLESSLY CLEAN. Use a reasonable quality gasket (I like monotorque- but everyone has their favourite) and have had no issue with the a series. The L series gasket had less "sealing" areas around galleries like the a series gasket, so I used Hylomar with the L to ensure it stuck!!!
The photos looked a little like machining is needed but it could be gasket residue ??
Good luck!
Cheers

Ok so i drilled out the blocked off holes and it worked fine. Bout 10mm down then it joined up with the rest of the water passages, gave it a thourough blasting with the karcher to get metal shards out. I've whacked the head back on but typical tassie weather, it starts to piss down with rain and my garage isnt free so the cars outside

So ill hopefully get it done tomrow or later tonite.

Yes blofly it sucks rectum, big big rectum. Ive been doing everything right and this is how my 'faithful' datsun repays me

Cheers
Dave

I have a H75 A14 head with the coolant ports also blocked off, I have not fitted mine yet so I will see what happens to yours, bit of a bugger with all the time and money you have put into it hey

That's a printo-seal head gasket. It's the only type I've ever had problems with. I put one on and it immediately leaked coolant out the and ran down the outside of the block. I just don't trust that kind.

Get the cheap kind, even the old torque style work good (just retorque it after 100 miles). Maintainence schedule calls for a re-torque every 12 months anyways.

yeh well see the little copper ring in between cyls 2 and 3's push rod holes. get that out carefully with a razor blade and holpefully theres your problem.

also if its not allready one try come accross a graphite head gasket. cheers

Ok well an update, i had an ephiphany today.. They dont happen often so bear with me!

Ok so i have an H89 head that has water galleries to the inlet manifold but i have had these since blocked off due to the twin 40's im running has no galleries in the manifold so i got these blocked up. But then i realised that this problem has only happened since this has been done so then i was thinking what could have caused this to happen, and this is the evidence i found!

There are galleries on the deck of the block as we all know but i seem to have found that there has been 2 galleries blocked on the BOTTOM of my head (maybe the shop compensated for the blocked galleries and plugged these up).

Pictures mean a thousand words













Well thats the evidence i have got and cannot think of anything else in order to make this happen (apart from leak in block )
But as i said before, the problems only happend after ive upgraded my engine - different cam, bearings, twin 40's, head plugged and double valve springs. So really this 'upgrade' can only have lead to this problem!

Any comments and thoughts welcome guys

Cheers
Dave (kinda more happy as i hope this is the problem )

water can get in the oil several ways:
- Through head gasket
- leak in heading casting (crack or pinhole leak)
- through air cleaner/breather system
- through intake manifold (engines with heated manifolds)
- Through timing cover, water pump area

My advice, having been through this several times, is: Put the engine back together and do a cooling system pressure test. You should be able to hear where the leak is. Use a stethoscope or length of heater hose to narrow down where the hiss is coming from. It is not clear, fill the cooling system with water and try it again.

I hate to suggest it....but could you use some of that radiator stop leak stuff in a last resort, only if needed case? I know it has it's down falls but it may save you from ripping your hair out

Dave give Jeff Taylor a call on 02 96238826 he should be ableto help. He is an A series guru

Anyone at all ?