If these engines were used in other vehicles did those other vehicles have the similar head gasket failure propensity?
A Google on this suggests there were other factors such as who produced the cylinder liners and possibly who built the engine. Lotus is mentioned but did they just take the engine for their purposes or did they modify it with regards to head gasket etc?
Anyone have “history” on this, and if so what is now the accepted wisdom should a new gasket be required?

Lotus partially stripped the engines including fitting an upgraded head gasket. HGF is not unknown on the Elise though either. I visited the Lotus factory in 2000 and they had a warehouse full of K Series engines stacked 10 high, quite a sight.
 


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