What is a Head Gasket?

The head gasket is a piece of material that is situated in between the cylinder head(s) and the engine block. The purpose of a head gasket is to create a seal in the engine to prevent engine coolant and oil from leaking into the cylinders. It’s considered the most vital sealing application in the combustion chamber, actually inside of the engine in general.

A head gasket can fail in various areas of the piece. For instance, there might be a compression leak due to the coolant overheating. You may notice no symptoms at all from a blown head gasket, or you may notice one or several symptoms such as coolant in the engine or the engine misfiring. Sometimes, the signs of a blown head gasket are the same as other issues, like a restricted radiator. There is no way to tell if or how much damage has occurred to the head gasket by just looking at it. It requires the gasket to be removed and tested to determine the extent of the damage. 

How Much Does It Cost to Repair a Blown Head Gasket?

The price of a blown head gasket requires you to pay for the cost of repair, along with the cost of the part itself. Although the price of a gasket isn’t much, there is a high price associated with repairing it. The mechanic will need to take apart most of the engine apart, in order to gain access to the gasket. He or she may discover additional issues that need to be repaired. Depending on the complexity of the engine in the make and model of your vehicle, some V6 and V8 engines have two heads. The mechanic may recommend replacing both heads, which increases the cost. 

Should You Repair a Vehicle with a Blown Head Gasket?

If you’re wondering if you should repair a vehicle with a blown head gasket, you must take into consideration the value of our car versus the cost of the repair. If the car is only worth a few thousand dollars, then replacing the gasket may not be feasible.

Having the gasket repaired at your dealership is more expensive but oftentimes more effective since they have experience with your particular engine. You may save money by going to a local mechanic, but there isn’t a guarantee that he has experience with your specific model’s engine. Once the mechanic is inside your engine, you never know what additional issues he or she may find. Not to mention, there isn’t a guarantee that something else won’t happen to your car once you pay for a blown gasket to be repaired. You need to take into consideration the price of a rental car and if it’s covered and how much time it will take.

 

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