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There are some engines in which you can see two adjacent exhaust valves in cylinder head. The following head (Chevrolet Small Block) is an example:

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Is it true that this particular head design causes a weak spot between the two exhaust valves and results in premature head gasket failure in the blue spot due to extreme heat of the valves?

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    I've never considered this an area for concern on the SBC head, but it might be for other designs. There's quite a bit of meat between the chambers, which I'm sure helps as well. I mean, Chevy successfully used this style of head on the SBC for over 40 years before they changed the spacing with the LS1 head. The SBC was the most produced V8 engine ever at that point. If there was an issue, they most likely would have done something else. JMHO, though.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Nov 23, 2022 at 21:35
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    These engines are actually known for their durability. If the head design had an inherent flaw, I doubt that would be the case.
    – jwh20
    Nov 24, 2022 at 3:05

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Well, they handle the cooling issue there with good design of the water jacket and attention to water flow there.

Throw enough water at it, and it'll cool anyway.

Note how with the intake ports not there, there's plenty of room for water passage.

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