As time goes on, while cars have definitely become better on the number of miles they will cover during their lifetime, but in some ways, they have also develop new fatal weaknesses that were fixable before.
While in the old days, a car over 100,000 miles may have been near its end, nowadays vehicles can deliver twice or three times as many miles. However, due to cost and also lack of mechanical skill, some issues have become too expensive to fix.
Enter the new death sentence for a car: A blown head gasket. Usually means a death sentence on the newer cars after 2005 – Many an owner has no choice but to sell the car when this issue arrives. Car ends up in death row.
What is a blown head gasket? A blown head gasket is a critical engine issue that occurs when the gasket, which seals the gap between the engine block and the cylinder head, fails and allows fluids, such as coolant and oil, to mix where they shouldn’t. This breach in the gasket can result in a variety of problems, including overheating, loss of engine power, white smoke from the exhaust due to coolant entering the combustion chamber, and even potential engine damage if not addressed promptly. Repairing a blown head gasket is a complex and labor-intensive process. Usually caused when the car overheats, or the disintegration of the gasket after a long time.
The problem is that in the old days, this may have been a two shop job, the first mechanic would disassemble the head of the engine, while another specialized shop would do the resurfacing to ensure a flat mating surface. This helps prevent future gasket failures. The mechanic also inspects other components for damage or wear as the high temperatures usually affect the cooling system.
However, I can’t find in my nearby towns any shops that specializes in the critical step of resurfacing the head anymore. A new head would be a significant expense. Furthermore, the cost of repairs has skyrocketed and a head gasket job properly done may take 6-10 hours of labor. Dealerships would rather throw all new parts at the job, and independent shops don’t have the equipment and personnel to do head resurfacing. Additionally, newer engines are smaller, but now run hotter than ever, so other components, such as valves could be affected in the case of a catastrophic head gasket failure.
So, unless you know the way around an engine block, and you can find a place that will help you resurface the head gasket, it wont work. Keep this in mind as you take your next project where the head gasket has blown. Caveat Emptor.
