I then got the head off (note I didn't try to set it to TDC 1st as I wanted to see if there was water pooling at pot 4 which would be up at TDC, I'll reset later IF the engine isn't wrecked). Low and behold it was quite wet around cylinder 4 and there was water pooled in it
I had a good look at the gasket and this section here looks like the culprit although I can't understand how it could have rotted/ripped away like this and leaked out across the block surface and into cylinder 4 and then down into oilway into the sump?
I hopefully haven't wasted my time here but I had a go at cleaning up cylinder 4 with some wd40 and it came out pretty good I thought
please tell me its salvageable....