The holes/slots, I speak of, in the head gasket, ARE for coolant to flow through. Trust me.
There are 4 U-shaped holes/slots in the cylinder that match up with the head.
There SHOULD also be '4' U-shaped holes/slots in the gasket to match.
2 on the left side,,,,,, and 2 on the right side.
Or,,,,you could say there are (2) 'towards the front',,,, and (2) 'towards' the back.
Also 1 large E-shaped hole at the very fornt of the cylinder.This is fine.
My gasket only has 2 U-shaped slots.The other 2 are only 1/4" holes.
The 2 'towards the back' ARE U-shaped holes/slots . They are fine
The 2 'towards the front' are only 1/4" dia holes..NOT U-shaped slots. This "IS" where coolant flows. But for some reason mine are restricked to 1/4" holes instead of being U-shaped slots.
I know the difference between stud/KIPS holes and coolant holes. Belive me when I say they ARE for coolant.Sorry for sounding so abrupt but this rare time I do know what I'm talking about.
There should be enough room to weld the crack.It can be accessed by going through the exhaust head once the center exhaust valve is removed.
Thanks
Joe