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The head gasket plays a crucial role in keeping the engine cool by providing a channel for the coolant and oil to get into the engine at specific intervals – when necessary. Repairing a blown head gasket instead of replacing it depends on the level of damage on the head gasket.
Now, if you’re looking for how to fix a blown head gasket without replacing it, that is precisely what this article will teach you. But is it even possible to repair a blown head gasket instead of replacing it?
Yes, it is possible! You can fix a blown head gasket and it’d still function normally – as it used to. However, you shouldn’t expect an improved performance after the repair.
Understanding the Purpose of Head Gaskets
When you don’t understand its purpose, you probably would think a head gasket isn’t too important. Well, a head gasket comes in-between the engine body; typically, the engine of every car has a top body that houses the valves and pretty other things, and then the bottom where the cylinders and pistons are located.
To keep the engine running smoothly, the top and bottom bodies need to be as airtight as possible – the head gasket is what ensures that the engine bodies are as airtight as possible. But, of course, over time, the head gasket can wear out and break, or get blown.
Driving with a bad gasket is putting your car’s engine at great risk; hence, you need to fix a blown head gasket as soon as possible.
The good thing is, that you can repair a blown gasket for less than $200, instead of installing a new one, which should cost you above a thousand dollars.
How To Fix a Blown Head Gasket Without Replacing It
Basically, you may think that repairing a head gasket would mean bringing down your car’s engine and disassembling it – no, you don’t have to do that. Actually, there are chemical sealant products you could use to “seal” up the leaky parts of the head gasket without disassembling it.
A blown head gasket can be fixed by pouring a sealant chemical/product into the coolant, and then, when the coolant flows to the engine through the head gasket, the mixed sealant would close up the leaky parts of the blown head gasket.
In other words, you need a head gasket sealer to fix a blown head gasket!
Using Head Gasket Sealers
These sealers are chemically formulated compounds, which can seal leaky parts of a metallic surface. There are actually lots of them in the market, with the popular options being products from K-Seal, Blue Devil, and Steel Seal. These products are sold in gallons – they come in liquid form.
You could buy them from Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and other online stores, as well as offline auto care shops. To apply these sealants is pretty easy; you just pour them into the radiator and that’s all; it’d flow with the coolant onto the head gasket, and seal the blown parts.
However, some head gasket damages cannot be fixed with mere sealant. In such cases, you’d definitely need to go for replacement; but the sealant compound can give you a temporary fix – allowing you some more time to save up the replacement cost.
See Also: How to Repair Overheating Car
How To Use Head Gasket Sealers
- Buy one from any of your favorite stores that sell auto products
- Pour it into the radiator – allow it to mix with the coolant
- Start your car and allow it to idle for about 1 hour
- The sealer compound would flow with the coolant onto the head gasket and fix the blown parts
However, when buying a head gasket sealer, you need to have in mind the size of your engine. Sealants work best on small engines than on big engines. Also, if after using a head gasket sealer, you still experience blown head gasket symptoms, then it’s apparent you need a replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Head Gasket Sealers Reliable?
Yes, head gasket sealers work for most head gasket leak issues, especially in cases where the leak is not too big, or the damage on the head gasket is not too big. To confirm if the head gasket sealer worked, after applying it, monitor the car for two days to see if the head gasket leak symptoms persist.
Can You Fix Head Gasket Leaks Without Replacing It?
Truly, most minor head gasket leaks can be simply fixed using a head gasket sealer. In that case, you don’t need to replace the head gasket.
That said, at first, when you start seeing signs that your car’s head gasket is failing, it is advisable to buy a head gasket sealer and apply it, then check if the signs persist. If the signs keep showing, you may need to get a brand new head gasket.
Is Head Gasket Sealer Permanent Fix?
No. When you use a gasket sealer, it is simply a temporary fix to allow you more time to plan for a complete replacement of the blown head gasket. The truth is that when a head gasket is blown, it should be replaced with a new one – that’s how to guarantee your car’s engine would function smoothly again.
How Long Does Head Gasket Sealers Last?
Most head gasket sealers can last for 2 – 5 months, some may even last longer than that. However, one important thing to note about head gasket sealers is that they won’t last as a permanent fix. Also, depending on the severity of the gasket damage, the sealer may last just a few weeks.
Can You Use Head Gasket Sealer Twice?
You can literally use head gasket sealers as many times as possible. They are sold in a liquid state, so, if you didn’t pour it all in at once, you can use the remaining content when you start noticing new signs of head gasket failure.
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What More?
This article clearly explains how to fix a blown head gasket without replacing it. Replacing a blown head gasket can cost up to $1,000 or more, so a lot of people opt-in for sealers, which typically cost less than $50.
Repairing a bad head gasket using a sealer is something you can do on your own – simply pour the sealer into the radiator and that’s all!