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TR2/3/3A What are the running symptoms........

When you start getting coolant in your rings, valve guides, and cylinder walls...there is a good likelihood it will affect your spark plug color and amount of carbon build up.
Well that is the mystery about this whole issue: There is no coolant at all in the cylinders or valve guides? There is not even any indication of where the head gasket blew when I examined it yet there was evidence of leakage where the head meets the block on the drivers side.
 
Glad to hear you got the car running again. Did you remove the dizzy? Incorrect timing and point dwell can lead to cold spark and carbon. The points need to be set first because their setting will effect timing. I would check the points for wear. Points should be clean no gray color then move to timing with a timing light. My experience is the window to see a timing marks with timing light is difficult. Aim the timing light on the passenger side and aim the light just past the generator pulley and shine the light on the crank pulley, there is a small spot there were you can see both timing marks. First find the little hole on the crank pulley and mark it with some chalk or soap stone. You can probably see the pointer on the timing cover. Set the timing with a low idle about a quarter inch past the pointer on the timing cover. That means the correct timing is when pulley mark is a quarter inch past the pointer on the cover looking towards the passenger side.

Steve
You may be thinking of a different post? I still have the cylinder head off my car and am waiting till Spring to install a head gasket. In the mean time I am speculating as to why there was "carbon build up in the intake manifold and on the plugs" at the same time as the blown head.gasket with no evidence of coolant in the cylinder hed when I removed the head.
 
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