When is a head gasket leak the first sign of trouble?
Engine overheating is often the first sign of trouble; when a head gasket is leaking. If the gasket loses its ability to seal the cylinder head to the block; coolant can start to leak past the gasket. So, a head gasket leak can be classified as either an external or internal leak. First of all, an internal leak can be worse than an external leak.
What causes a MGF head to overheat?
And the only thing that causes the softness is serious overheating. The other serious problem that overheating causes is the block collapsing around the liner seats, resulting in the liners dropping and preventing the head from getting the correct clamping pressure on the gasket.
Can a head gasket cause a V6 engine to overheat?
I had this job about a week ago and thought it would make a good article. I’ve done many head gaskets over the years, and it becomes kind of a no brainer for me, but this is a common problem on the V6 engines so it deserves some recognition.
Why are the head gaskets on my MgF being replaced?
(Exception: early engines had plastic dowels between the head and block which were prone to failure; later engines/replacement gaskets have steel dowels) On many occasions, head gaskets have needlessly been replaced, or cars even scrapped, because the mechanic (or owner) has leaped to the wrong conclusion because of hearsay.
Can a blown head gasket be repaired without overheating?
Not every case of head gasket failure is a guaranteed dent in your wallet, though. If your car can run safely for longer than 15 minutes without overheating, there are chemical repair products designed to seal the leak without the need to disassemble your engine.
How can you tell if your car has a blown head gasket?
The old mechanic’s trick is to take off the radiator cap, start the car, and look for bubbles in the coolant. However, these will not show if there are any other failure spots in with the head gasket, so the absence of gasses in the cooling system does not guarantee a healthy head gasket.
What causes a radiator head gasket to blow?
If a radiator hose suddenly blows off its water outlet, or the dipstick won’t stay put, this could be the reason. If a head gasket has failed between the water or oil passage and the outside of the engine, the result can be a simple coolant or oil leak.
Can you pay a mechanic to repair a gasket?
Paying a mechanic to repair the gasket with a new part can be extremely expensive (and may not be worth it if budgets are tight or the car is not worth the cost of repair), but depending on the severity of the failure, there are some alternative options to consider.