Head Gasket Repair
Author: JRAutofix Date Posted:23 October 2019
Head gasket is often the part that get damage when an engine overheat.
The head gasket is located between the engine block and the cylinder head.
The purpose of the head gasket is to seal the different oil , coolant orifice and contain the cylinder compression.
Any head gasket damage would seriously damage your engine.
Consequences of a blown head gasket , if the head gasket is not performing as it should role you might find the following :
- Water in the oil (oil become yellow) contamination
- Loss of coolant
- Exhaust smoke (white)
- White smoke coming from the engine
- Engine heating up
- Loss of oil
- Loss of power
Further consequences
If the problem is not addressed quick enough you can damaged your cylinder head as they are made of aluminium and to much heat will deformed them .
If you loose too much oil or the oil is contaminated your engine might seized .
Often head gasket blow because of engine overheat, it also depend on the engine design .
Cost to repair the damage can quickly escaladed, a head gasket itself is not expensive but the work involve can add to the bill.
The point is if the head gasket went, you need to understand what really happen what could be the cause .
The mechanic don’t want this problem to happen again so he will have to investigate why it happen but he will have to check if some other components have been damaged too .
The main component normally affected by a head gasket is the cylinder head.
Before changing a headgasket some checks need to be performed on a cylinder head and the engine:
- Permeability check, to make sure there is no crack or internal leaks.
- Planeity on the cylinder head check to make sure the cylinder head is still flat.
Depending of those result the cylinder head can be repaired or replaced depending the tolerances.
Once the cylinder head is removed the cylinders and pistons can be visually checked.
Ckeck the flatness of the engine block .
In order to check if the engine itself hasn’t overheated you need to drain the oil and check for metal contamination .
Further to this remove the sump and check the crankshaft and rod bearing .
So a head gasket can become quite a big job .
According to the finding of this investigation you will to define the corrective actions to perform.
The corrective action that is often required is the cylinder head need to be rectified according to the manufacturer tolerances.
Following this operation you need to choose the correct head gasket to compensate the removal of material from the head.
How to prevent a head gasket blowing :
- Keep an eye on your coolant gauge if you notice a change act quickly
- Make sure you have enough coolant in the reservoir
- Make sure your radiator fan works
- Make sure there is no external coolant leak
If When you replace a head gasket the cylinder head and the engine block need to be perfectly cleaned before installing a new gasket .
Check with the manufacturer if a sealant is required and follow the instructions to torque the bolt .
An alternative solution to fix headgasket or cylinder head leaks is to use a sealant.
Headgasket sealant can be added to the coolant.
The sealant will go into the cracks in gasket or head and form a permanent seal.