Well you probably found your problem. Whether or not you need a new head
depends on what and how much is wrong with your bad head. I don't try to
figure it out myself, I always send it to a head "specialist." I use the
term loosely because I've been taken for a ride before, but I have had good
luck with hot rod and speed shops who might not have people right there but
know people they can call in to do a great job. If you have such a leak and
it is not a crack or some identifiable cause, the studs would be suspect so
you might want to take your block in too. Anyway, a good shop can do a
smoke pressure test and find the problem and can sometimes do a good fix as
well for a whole lot less money than a new head.

Can you afford one or two new heard, and do you want the extra security?
That isn't a bad way to go if you have the money and it makes sense putting
it into an engine, but that's about two grand right there.

Jim

On Tue, Feb 7, 2017 at 12:05 PM Dave Bohannan <fjazzbass@gmail.com> wrote:

> Smart volks…
>
> I finally got sick of bleeding “air” from the coolant system and suspected
> something was up…compression test looked great on 3, bad on one… took head
> off and lo and behold, yep I’ve got blown head gasket that allowed
> combustion gases into coolant…
>
> So, I’ve looked at the outside of the cylinder sleeve and it looks
> corroded- but the actual head itself doesn’t…do I need to “re-sleeve” it?
>
> In the least I think I need a new head? The “gasket rings” looked
> good…just discoloration around the outside on the head which showed where
> combustion gases were coming out...
>
> I don’t know the right questions to ask here…anyone???
>
> Dave
> 1.9 GL (half headless….)