Ultimate Guide to Replacement Diesel Engine Head Gasket – Everything’s You Want Know

Nowadays, the accuracy of cylinders and heads has improved, and angle fastening methods have become the mainstream for stud bolts, but the importance of gaskets remains unchanged. It must withstand the combustion pressure and contain the leakage of combustion gas, unburned fuel, oil, and cooling water.

Some flexibility is needed to improve adhesion, but you must maintain the clearance between the block and the head. The combination of flexible metal and O-rings for sealing is currently the best choice, such as ford 6.0 head studs. Head gaskets that used to be asbestos. As the engine’s manufacturing accuracy improved and, at the same time, the compression ratio increased, it is replaced by the more airtight metal gasket with O-ring.

Whatever, the diesel vehicle’s head gasket is an important part that prevents cooling water and engine oil from flowing into the cylinder. If the head gasket is left with a stairwell, it is more likely to cause significant damage to the engine. Perform regular maintenance to extend the life of your car. Here, the article will introduce the guideline of wages and costs for replacing the head gasket in an easy-to-understand manner.

How challenging and expensive is it to replace by yourself?

Replacing the head gasket by yourself can be difficult if you are not familiar with vehicle maintenance, as you may have to remove the tank and cam cover and use compatible tools. Also, if the oil leak is at the bottom, the difficulty will increase significantly. If the cylinder head is scratched, parts will need to be replaced, so unless you have specialized knowledge, we recommend that you ask a specialized vehicle shop.

On the other hand, if you are accustomed to maintaining your vehicle, use a suitable tool to replace it. When replacing the head gasket by yourself, the cost of the head gasket body is $320. Also, if you do not have enough tools to remove the gasoline tank, you will be charged a separate tool fee. You should check the necessary tools by referring to the maintenance manual.

What is the cause of the head gasket coming off?

The engine overheats:

First, when the engine overheats, the cylinder itself undergoes thermal expansion and is greatly distorted. Since the engine is basically made of aluminum, it has a high coefficient of thermal expansion, and once it is overheated, it will be significantly distorted. When the cylinder is distorted, the gasket loses its adhesion, and high combustion pressure is blown on it, causing the gasket to break.

Lack of maintained performance:

The gasket itself deteriorates, and it cannot maintain the sealing performance. It is another possible cause of the aged deterioration of the gasket itself. Gaskets that have been exposed to high temperatures and pressures for many years gradually lose their sealing properties and cause gaskets to come off.

What are the Symptoms of the head gasket when need to change?

Loss of horsepower:

If the head gasket comes off and the compression itself comes off, the engine’s horsepower will be incredibly lost if you feel that it may be better to suspect that the head gasket has come off. Also, if the compression loss is severe, even the engine cannot be started.

White smoke comes out from the muffler:

Cooling water circulates inside the engine, but the cooling water will flow into the cylinder if the head gasket comes off. The cooling water poured into the cylinder is discharged from the muffler as it is, so white smoke appears to be rising from the muffler.

Also, the amount of cooling water is not infinite, so it will eventually disappear if left unattended. If left running out of cooling water, it will overheat and damage the engine. Besides, if a large amount of cooling water enters the cylinder, the compression will increase, and the piston and connecting rod may become unbearable and break.