Seals and Gaskets /Head Gasket

Head gaskets are the most important sealing application in the engine. Being part of the combustion chamber, it must be as strong as the other pieces of a vehicle’s combustion chamber. The head gasket is located between the engine block and cylinder head. The head gasket is designed to keep the pressures exerted by the motor sealed within each cylinder of the engine. The head gasket is designed to ensure that the maximum level of compression is prevented from mixing with the coolant that flows through the engine's coolant passages around each cylinder.  It also seals water and oil passageways between the head and the block. Many modern engines are fabricated with MLS (Multiple Layers Steel) gaskets. These consist of three steel layers with contact faces that are usually coated with a rubber-like adhesive which grabs onto the cylinder block and head, leaving the thicker center layer bare. Solid copper sheets are another way of manufacturing these gaskets, but they usually require special machining called 'o-ringing'. This process surrounds the cylinder with a piece of wire to bite into the copper. These copper gaskets are some of the most durable, and many companies have even started producing them with all of the sealing wires needed to allow the newer gaskets to be adapted to the engines without necessitating removal of the engine block for machine work.

What happens when your head gasket is compromised?

A blown head gaskets can cause serious engine damage if not addressed imediately. If the issue with your cylinder head gasket is not addressed the costs associated with this repair will surely increase. , and if left untreated, can require more expensive work than to repair the initial problem. Aluminum is lighter than iron, but expands much more rapidly with heat. This causes more and more stress to be put on the head gasket. Head gasket failure will cause a variety of problems to occur in your diesel engine. The most common warning signs are:

The most common warning signs are:

• Compression loss in one or more cyinders.
• High coolant temperatures resulting from exhaust gasses being forced into the cooling system.
• Engine to overheats and coolant pours out of the expansion tank
• Coolant mixing with the engine oil. This will cause your engine oil to look like mayonnaise,
• The apperance of Blue or White exhaust smoke indicatives oil or coolant burning during the combustion stroke.
• You can hear air moving throught the heating system in your vehicle.
• Increased engine collant temperatures but no sign of a coolant leak.