Ta for the replies peeps.

Safechav you keep thinking that pic is the head i have on now when it says above it it's the OLD one lol. That's my old carb head which i pulled off my old engine whilst the whole lots been removed from the car as it's now got a efi turbo lump in.

I took considerable time to clean the block mating face. It was totally clean as a result ie no gasket material left and all thread holes cleaned out meticulously without leaving a trace of debris, oil or liquid of any kind in there! Last thing I wanted was to like you say try and compress water etc when tightening up the headbolts and possibly cracking the block!

Likewise the head had been chemically cleaned but ran for an unknown but <1000 miles on a fiesta rst running normal boost.

Again I took the head home and much to my wife's displeasure sat it on the living room table and proceded to spend approximatley 3 hours cleaning it with wrags, soapy water and a toothbrush!

I'm going to take the head back off tomorrow and get some pics up for you guys to ponder over.

Yep don't worry i'll buy another headgasket & bolts this time just to be safe!

I'll take the head home and take the valves out, labelling everything as I go so it's put back in exactly the same order. hmm a compartmentalised box will do.

Thanks very much for the offer of a hand!
Unfortunatley unless you fancy a holiday by the sea here in Scarborough I doubt you'd hop in ya car and drive up for the hell of it pmsl!

Bit of a bind all this as it's looking like i'll have to sort it by myself

If the worst comes to the worst and this heads shot then anyone got another? EFI type obviously....

PS Moi take offence??? Never.....hehe. Constructive criticisism I can just about handle