Intake Gaskets & Head Gaskets

South Edmonton – Best Choice Automative

Having to replace a faulty head gasket may be a factor in determining whether you keep your vehicle or not. A common symptom of a faulty head gasket may be as simple as an external oil leak, rough running from a loss of compression, or your engine blowing a thick white smoke from the exhaust, to your heater blowing hot then cold air. Many of today’s engines comprise of aluminum cylinder heads and cast iron cylinder blocks. These dissimilar metals expand and contract at different rates. This put enormous pressure on your head gaskets to seal the high pressure of compression at a wide spectrum of temperatures.

780-466-8244
AMA Approved Auto Repair Facility
South Edmonton Intake & Head Gasket Repair – 9 automotive service bays

From cold start up’s to hot highway driving, your head gasket must keep the pressures in and the fluid’s contained. The coolant running through these gaskets becomes acidic with age and begins to weaken and corrode the gaskets. Once a weak spot has been established, the pressure will drive through and begin to cause further problems. The many different engine valve train combinations can make replacing head gaskets a major undertaking. Furthermore, once a cylinder head has been removed, it should be disassembled and inspected for warpage or cracking, then planed straight before reinstalling. New head bolts are an absolute must to ensure proper clamping forces on the new head gaskets. Once an engine has been overheated, the thermostat must also be changed to ensure proper operating parameters. These repair costs may add up to be higher than the vehicle’s worth. The accurate diagnosis of a head gasket is paramount in confirming its failure.

Intake manifold gaskets either leak externally, resulting in fluid loss, or leak internally, mixing with engine oil, turning it milky, or burning through the engine if leaking on the intake side. The repair procedure is not as intensive as a head gasket repair, but must be done if one is to salvage the engine, or prevent further damage. Antifreeze contaminated oil can ruin an engine by causing bearing failure in the crank and camshaft areas of your motor. Low coolant may cause an engine to run hot, possibly causing a cylinder head to warp or crack.

Diagnostics of an intake gasket may involve a pressure test for leakage, or a chemical test to detect hydrocarbons in the cooling system. Regular coolant system flushes will help maintain the integrity of ph levels of your coolant system, while keeping heater cores and radiators clean and properly functioning as required.

780-466-8244
AMA Approved Auto Repair Facility
South Edmonton Intake & Head Gasket Repair – 9 automotive service bays

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