Car Care Tip – Expensive repairs – Blown Head Gasket?
When you think of a blown head gasket, we automatically jump to the conclusion that this is going to be an expensive repair. What most people do not know is exactly what you are paying for. The majority ofthe expensive costs come from the hours of labor to fix the problem.The head gasket sits between the engine’s cylinder head and engine block. In order to replace this gasket you need to remove a significant portion of the engine and its accessories. Besides removal, putting the engine back together is not simply a matter of replacing components and tightening bolts. It is a very complicated process.
To fix a blown head gasket is one of the most expensive issues on your car. Like on all repairs, the costs vary depending on year make and model and cost of parts. But as we mentioned previously, the majority of the high costs come from the time in labor. Many of the components that need to be reattached after a new head gasket is installed require specific torque settings to ensure a proper seal and no damage to be done. Also,removal of the cylinder heads on any engine means you have to make sure when it is reassembled that the engine is timed correctly to make sure further engine damage does not occur. All of these reassembling complications take time and a high level of skill so it is very important that it should only be done by very experienced technicians.