thanks for the reply,they do get quite hard when the engine is running.ive just done a compreeion test on the engine and coolant side.the engine is holding 170lbs and the coolant is holding 1.4 bar.ive been advised to do the head gasket anyway.ive had a bit of a stroke of luck as ive just managed to buy a head of a black top mondeo engine that has only done 60k.i have been told that it will fit straight on just changing the parts of my head onto the new one.i'll see how it goes.