Please could someone possibly shed some light on the fact in my escort cossie just after being re-built, on bores 2, 3 & 4 the compression was between 11 & 11.5 bar but 1 was 14. This was because after only about 8 miles, all the water had gone from the header tank into the oil, this was then making its way into 1 increasing the compression. On taking the head off again 1 had water in it (not a mixture just water), and there was no soot and they looked just as new. Also a cometic gasket was used and this has left an impression on the head, not around the edge of the bore, it looks like two 8's joined together surrounding the bores. The head was torqued down to the figures I was given with the engine. Is this usual for these gaskets to do this? it doesn't look right to me. Please help.

Sorry about the size of the photo's I don't know how to make them smaller.

 

right., the clean bore and piston is the one with the water problem,the others were running ok,also there seems to be a crack inbetween the two cylinders on the second photo ,looking at the way the valves are sunk more into the head on the center pots and it looks like the head is on its last skim on the outer two pots,it seems that this head has been very hot and badly warped then skimmed flat,this can cause your inlet cam to snap as it doesent run true in the head.......has it been crack tested? did you have it skimmed? .......i would seriously consider putting another head on it