crack in engine block?

[fixkick]

Thank you Fixkick for your prompt response. Good job fixing your water pipe....some people in farms around here empty their water pipes in the evenings before the night freeze to avoid bursting outdoor above ground water pipes.....shame one cannot put anti-freeze in the domestic water tank ah
It was not so cold here, around 30F and yes there is anti-freeze coolant.  It is usually the coldest that you can get in winters here on the isle of Elba.
In your second response did you mean that the coolant might not drain from the block but from the external side of the head gasket? Maybe no crack in the block?
Yes only saying the gasket under exh man hides the head gasket and if leaks there?, only this matters now, top evidence here. all 4 sides actual but sides leak first)
Maybe when new head + new head gasket were replaced the head bolts were tightened /torqued wrong??
It is the mechanic who replaced the head who told me of the crack in that area of the engine block but I'm sure the exhaust manifold needs to be removed to look properly where the leak comes from? (or under car with flash light straight up)

yes , to all that.  and welcome to Italy to USA texas,,  ive help lots there and in Spain too.  Is this car , 8v or 16valve head)
just freeze damage
or overheat can just warp the head and sure head not torqued right, sure.
you need to know more about what he saw exactly.
yes any external leaks need to be found and seen by direct eye balls close looks.
may shops fail to do head correctly,  here is my list.

head off, the top deck on block all checked for cracks obvious and shown to customer. cylinder cracks, ? (my 8v froze (PO girls own) and cracked water jacket #4main bearing)
deck checks for warp Using  flat ruler,  steel , with feeler gauge. .001" max per foot , or less warp is spec.
same check on bottom on bottom of head. same rule. .001"
the cam bearings not wrecked? ( CAM RIDES IN HEAD machined bearings)
if head is warped it is then put into the oven to DEWARP the head.  340f  ? depends on alloy, pros in shops for heads know what is best oven temp.
if not done this, and milled  out of order, (not de-warped first) the head is  doomed later.
next is is head pressure tested and passes this test and or corrected cause of failure, even 8v has freeze plugs in the head. one 16v I had, VC pulled and freeze plugs top of head all are busted loose floating about, freeze damaged.
milled, head. now. (nobody mills useless heads pass all tests first., logic1) (even have  pro grade Toyota head machine shop check the head, they know what to do first)
now valve. and guides , grind or new as needed.
and seals, and done.

the oven trick puts the head back to its original new state relaxed and normal.  not overheated warped.(driving)

heads are torqued in stages and a pattern, seen in the FSM manual. and my torque page. (links)
the bolt can fail now , this old,  so new bolts are best. seen the snap later , soon after new head put on, used old bolts. they fail, from just being heat stretched so many time, (0ld)
the head bolts at as springs, this is a fact.

I am hoping for you that only head bolts failed.
something easy and cheap.
one can check the torque easy.


my page here covers torque and correct horrible errors done by GM (GEO tracker books)

https://fixkick.com/torque

in imperial measurements sorry. (google translates easy)

see the sequence page. there. a link
this covers 8v and 16v,  and shows that not to just remove bolts , willy nilly  but to stage them up or down, as needed. never wildly.
3 stages, head off, and on. is the rule for small alum. heads

check your bolt toque now at 52ft./lbs

70.5 nm  newton meter

 check them first. (if AF is/was 50% ratio that was not the cause)

long ago, 1966 , the machine shop put the wrong (fresh bored block) wrong freeze plugs in the block, and they blew out the side of the block, at 5mph, I saw it with trans cover removed, in shock me. I never trust any shop again. Test with care.