Help - is my headgasket going....??

[ian2000t]

Right, so my third ever post here is asking if my headgasket is on it's way out...

The weekend I changed glowplugs 4,5,6 which all went a little bit too well - I'm always cautious when things go right, especially after everyone has warned me how "impossible" (to quote a few) a job that is. I noticed a lot of oil down that side of the block, from the cylinder head downwards. Staying rational about it, I just cleaned off all the oil hoping i would not re-appear.

Well, I've done 200 miles since, so checked again today - and it's back - although not as bad.

There is definite oil puddling on/around the bits of the headgasket you can see that stick out from head/block. But only around cylinders 3-5.

Still suggests to me headgasket, but trying to stay hopeful, I am wondering if it would be the gasket on the vacuum pump leaking down onto the headgasket.

**Edit** - forgot to say I've had the car 2 months, done 2,000 miles so far, and no loss of coolant. Coolant is a fairly clean looking green and has been just above "Min" since I bought it. Oil usage is minimal, but on a cold morning start-up there is a little blue smoke for 2-3 seconds so obviously burning a little when cold.

I've taken a few pics (the best I could get - there is too much stuff in the way to get good pics).

Opinions please.....

No oil round Cylinders 2-3:


Just behind No.3 glowplug you can see oil around HG:



From underneath. I am almost convincing myself it's coming down from the Vacuum pump....




But, does it explain this over by cylinders 4-5? Maybe oil trickled back: