96 legacy sedan 2.2 164k

my nieces car,..I bought it for my son who is turning 16 in august

check out this section of the head gasket...corrosion..had more of a rust color before I power washed the engine

 

Anyone have an idea if this is a precursor to the gasket failing?

should I scrape it loose...spray a little wd-40 so maybe it does not keep corroding?

.....ok ...how do I attach an image?

You should be able to scroll down below the area where you input text, and there's a button that says manage attachments. If you click there, you can attach a picture.

EJ22 - highly unlikely the head gasket will fail unless the cooling system is improperly treated. the fluid isn't changed, properly burped, something leaks, radiator clogs and causes an overheat - along with t-stat, radiator cap, water pump, etc. i usually replace all that stuff to avoid leaks/overheats, except the radiators i usually just wait until they start leaking unless they're really bad shape. dont' overheat it and you won't have head gasket issues.

 

i guess you're talking about the external protrusion of the headgasket rusting? not sure what that means.