Head Gasket questions and coolant in oil.

[Allanw]

I suspect we have a head gasket issue on our 29 Tudor.

I am concerned it may be a crack in the valve chamber too though!!!

Symtoms: 3 balls of coolant in the "Rear Main Janitor", about the size of my thumbnail. 3 tiny balls of coolant in the sump - maybe 1/8" (for you imperialists ).

Would I be correct in assuming that the coolant in these locations could have easily come from the valve chamber, because it made it out the rear main in blobs, rather than being mashed into the oil by the pump? This concerns me!

I'm aware of the head gasket Torque settings (stages up to 55#, and retorque it 200 times in the first 90 minutes )

IF we're lucky, and it's just a head gasket somehow getting to these locations, which head gasket do I use? I will be having the head planed, but not the block. I know lots recommend the copper gasket with copper permatex spray, and other recommend the "modern" with very clean surfaces.

We've got a stock motor, and I just want a long term reliable solution.