yes, i knew all engines i have ever seen had a head gasket. it must have had a fairly tight seal. i have been pulling a trailer 12 miles round trip hauling 1 apx.80 lbs of weight coming back the last 6 miles. my next trip will be monday, maybe i will have a tad more compression, which will = mo power. anyway, the important thing is, everything looked good, & now i have a head gasket, so i guess it's all good.