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

[ian2000t]

Can anyone help me out here?

We have decided not to take the bus on our holidays - will be taking my other car instead - a classic Mini, so will be travelling light and will heave a headache on the motorway lol! But, if this is the start of the gasket going I don't want to kill it off.

So what I need to know:

- Is it a big deal? If it's leaking oil out, but doesn't seem to be mixing between coolant/oil/cylinder sections, have I just caught it early?

- I'm sure I read somewhere to try re-torquing the headstuds. Is this a good idea, or is it only "buying time".

- To do the job what special tools are required?

- What things should I look out for?


Cheers,
Ian