Water passages in head gasket were blocked!

[andrave]

I just yanked the head off the KA I am hoping to reuild and all the water passages were blocked by the head gasket except the #4 cyl. Is this normal? If not, then what is the possiblity that things are ****ed?cause everything elsea bout the engine is amazing. no scoring on cams or cam towers, valves appear to be seating/sealing correctly, and the cylinders still have the factory cross hatch pattern on the walls. I don't know if the headgasket is supposed to block off those water passages or what.

[Tictakman]

hardwater maybe??

Zak

[Nathan]

No no, this is NORMAL. It's that way for a reason, that reason being: water should circulate to the back of the engine block, then up into the head, then to the front of the head. If those passages were not blocked off it would take the path of least resistance and it would stagnate at the back cylinders leading to overheating. However, I know how scary and weird that is the first time you see it Frieked the heck out of me...

[andrave]

thank you for drying my tears.lol.I was thinking "dude this has to be this way for a reason" but couldn't think of the reason. glad to know my block is ok for a reason.

[TrunkMonkey]

Frieked the heck out of me...

LOL. i can still remember the first time i pulled the head off a KA and noticed it. i just stood there staring at it in silent awe.

-demetrius

[WDRacing]

No no, this is NORMAL. It's that way for a reason, that reason being: water should circulate to the back of the engine block, then up into the head, then to the front of the head. If those passages were not blocked off it would take the path of least resistance and it would stagnate at the back cylinders leading to overheating. However, I know how scary and weird that is the first time you see it Frieked the heck out of me...

Good tech answer...