Problem-engine ingesting coolant!?

[Bandit]

Hey guys,
My engine has recently started burning up coolant at an increasing rate. It started when I installed my new head gaskets, they are flat copper gaskets--I found out later that the block should have been o-ringed for proper sealing. Anyway that wasn't done, and some coolant seeps down from the heads in one area on the driver's side. But the worst problem is that it appears to be sucking a lot of water through one of the passenger side combustion chambers, you can see it spit out the tailpipe, especially on cold startup. I have had to add about a gallon every 50 miles or so and it seems to be getting worse.
There is no coolant getting into the oil--the oil is staying nice and clean. But there is obviously a bad seal between a water jacket and the combustion chambers because you can smell gas in the radiator.

Is it OK to keep driving it like this for now? I am running pretty much 100% water for now, since the weather is warm. I plan on installing new heads soon, and I will get the correct gaskets then. But will driving it while it's sucking up water hurt anything?

Also, if you have any good recommendations for head gaskets for a BBC 402 (About 9:6:1) I'm all ears!!

Paul

[WS6]

Too much water and you'll bend a rod since water does not compress like air. My suggestion is to fix it now or park it now until you can fix it.

[Madspeed]

You need to get the heads off quickly
I cant stress enough how quickly.
you let water sit in the combustion chambers and your gonna find rust forming and piting the cylinder walls.
This in turn will fubar everything about your sealing (comp, oil and blowby)

You are running a N/A BB chev? and who told you you need copper head gaskets?
are the heads aluminum? if so felpro makes a gasket for that no big deal.
If you arent running sick amounts of boost or N2o then take those gaskets off and stuff them up the A55 of the guy that sold them to you.
just go get comteks or felpro gaskets

[Jagarang]

If you switch to Cometic gaskets you still need to mill the block and heads for a "SMOOTH" sealing surface.

Cometic gaskets are all you'll ever need, if you install them right.

[LowBuckX]

I second to get them off asap and do not drive it. beyond bending rods and rusty cylinders you can be grooving the block where the coolant is traveling across the block.head surface. The copper may be a sacraficial lamb though but a grooved block or head will be a bad thing.

[Bandit]

Wow, I guess it's more serious than I thought. I will be pulling the heads within the next week or 2, probably, then I will get the casting #'s so I can order up my new aluminum heads. Any recommendations on the heads? What kind of runner length should I be looking at for a potent street build making about 500 hp?

Madspeed, to answer your question, I am running only a Holley 750 carb, no nitrous or boost, 9:6:1 CR or so. I put the copper gaskets on there in anticipation of installing a procharger centrifugal blower--but now I probably won't do that for at least a few years, if at all.
The heads are the stock iron oval port affair.

Thanks for the advice--
Paul

[HILROD]

If you use copper head gaskets you need to coat them with hylomar, a non hardening sealer, or get the new ones with inprinted sealer on them. I have a car I built that will eventually come apart for the new style copper gaskets. FRANK