Is Your Head Gasket Blown?

When it will come to your vehicle, a blown head gasket is just about the most costly diagnosis there is, brief of what occurs if you continue on to drive with your head gasket blown. The result of that could be catastrophic motor failure and a excursion to the junk yard for a new engine — or to a car or truck dealership for a new car.

What is significantly distressing about how costly a head gasket is to switch and the complete requirement that it be performed, is how very simple and low-cost the part truly is. Head gaskets are merely skinny slices of metallic, maybe a composite, with a assortment of holes in them. They never transfer, produce a spark, transfer a fluid, develop energy or seriously do nearly anything. They’re just there.

What Is a Head Gasket?

The head gasket in a car is just a metallic divider, a fraction of an inch thick, that stands concerning the shifting sections of the engine that require oil lubrication and reasonably awesome conditions, and the combustion chamber of the motor that requires gas, air and fire to generate an explosion. Oil in the combustion chamber fouls up the will work and stops it from functioning effectively. Warmth from the combustion chamber can burn up the relocating pieces. Coolant leaking into the motor oil lessens lubrication and gums up the mechanical factors that make the wheels change. And substantially, considerably more.

In other terms, that straightforward head gasket stands between a smooth-managing motor and disaster. When a head gasket leak develops, oil can seep into the coolant and vice versa. The heat and tension of the combustion chamber can trigger warping in the cylinders. Oil can drip through the gasket into the combustion chamber and prevent combustion or trigger the motor to misfire. Oil in the coolant can lower its cooling capacity and injury a host of sections like the catalytic converter.

If the mechanic diagnoses a blown head gasket, it requires to be fastened right away. Failing to do so will direct to full engine failure, and soon.

What Is the Price to Substitute a Blown Head Gasket?

You can generate with a blown head gasket till the engine is destroyed. An motor overhaul is a main enterprise and charges $3,000 to $5,000, mostly in the a lot of hours of labor demanded. Rebuilding a truck engine can charge significantly more than that.

By that evaluate, replacing the fifty-greenback head gasket is cheap – an ordinary of $1,500 to $2,000. But when it’s coming out of your wallet, it feels like a fortune.

Why does a blown head gasket substitute expense hundreds of dollars when the aspect itself is under a hundred bucks? Due to the fact there is so significantly labor associated. The head gasket sits in between the engine block and the cylinder head, all the way in the again. Nearly every thing less than the hood ought to be taken apart, moved or eradicated to entry the head gasket.

That is no basic make a difference. The battery will have to be disconnected, and the oil and coolant drained. Wires and hoses that are repositioned or taken off ought to be labeled so they can be reattached. Several parts these as the valve deal with, cylinder head, and consumption and exhaust manifolds need their fasteners be eradicated in a specific sequence to keep away from warping or cracking.

Just after the head gasket is replaced, the timing belt or chain must be reset to its right alignment and all the things else have to be returned to its earlier placement. If all that appears complicated, it is just a preview of the complexity of the operate. Head gasket alternative is a occupation that can simply acquire 10-20 several hours.

As extended as you are spending a mechanic to choose all the things aside, it tends to make feeling to have them do an inspection of all the sections. If something is close to needing substitution, this is the time to do it. That will help save you dollars in the extended run, but it can thrust the head gasket invoice larger.

How Do You Know Your Head Gasket is Blown?

Lots of of the signs and symptoms of a blown head gasket are signals of other challenges as properly. Conversely, lots of seemingly easy problems are the initially indicators of a blown head gasket. It is significant to spend particular attention to these indicators mainly because early prognosis might be in a position to save you thousands of bucks.

1. The radiator regularly demands supplemental fluid. This is a typical difficulty that normally does not show nearly anything as disastrous as a broken head gasket. It could be a smaller leak in a cooling system hose or in the radiator alone. If you discover yourself topping off the radiator continuously, get it checked for leaks. It’s probable just one will be discovered and the dilemma solved. If no leak is recognized, a mechanic ought to lookup for other indications of a blown head gasket.

2. The temperature gauge reveals the automobile functioning hotter than typical. Once more, this could or may possibly not be linked to a head gasket leak. Particular ordinary situations can heat up the engine. Towing a heavy load, jogging the air conditioning comprehensive-blast, and cease-and-go driving on a blazing incredibly hot day can all drive up the temperature. So can loss of coolant, which can come about for a wide variety of explanations. A mechanic can research for additional probably causes in advance of concluding it is a blown head gasket.

3. Bubbles are forming in the radiator and coolant reservoir. This could be absolutely nothing. It may well be a blown head gasket. Bubbles can kind when air gets into the cooling system. This can outcome from a inadequately fitting radiator cap or even from absolutely nothing at all. If it persists even right after correcting the cap, it is time to suspect problems.

4. Thick white smoke is coming out of the exhaust pipe. It is critical to distinguish white smoke from steam. Condensation can manifest when a automobile is started out just after standing continue to on a cold working day. In that circumstance, a skinny stream of obvious or white smoke can emanate from the tailpipe. It is not a trouble and really should disappear soon after a moment or so.

Thick white smoke, specially if it is emitted in bursts, is a sign that coolant is leaking into the engine’s combustion chamber. This is never a superior point and should be investigated. Even if it is not a blown head gasket, a crack in the cylinder head or engine block is also big difficulty.

5. The dashboard temperature gauge has pinned. Quit the car or truck! Make positive there is coolant in the radiator. If not, tackle the coolant challenge and obtain time to decide if there is an fundamental situation.

6. The oil is discolored. If coolant crosses the head gasket and leaks into the motor oil, it can give the oil a frothy appear, like anyone has just whipped up some warm milk. Milk is very good for you, but frothy motor oil is not.

7. The motor misfires when commencing up. Once more, this could have a host of leads to, most of them not quite as possibly catastrophic as a blown head gasket. When merged with white exhaust, that is a inform-tale indication that coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber. Get that checked quickly.

If Repairing the Head Gasket Is not an Selection

If the head gasket is in truth blown or broken and executing a challenging part repair isn’t an solution, employing a head gasket sealant is a excellent option. BlueDevil Pour N Go Head Gasket Sealer is poured into the radiator and circulated via the motor to locate and seal leaks in metals and composites. It then bonds to a wide variety of surfaces for a long lasting seal.

When nothing at all is superior than the original components or replacement areas designed precisely for a car or truck, sealant is a fantastic backup plan that can deliver a everlasting remedy though averting huge car or truck repair expenses.

BlueDevil Merchandise can be discovered at AutoZone, Advance Automobile Areas, O’Reilly Car Parts, NAPA, Areas Authority, Car Price, Bumper to Bumper and other key automobile elements merchants.