When the head gasket blows, some of this oil or coolant might leak as it passes through. For example, the oil or coolant travels through a channel in the block and goes straight into a perfectly lined-up channel in the head, passing through the gasket at the transition point. The head gasket contains precisely-engineered holes that allow the oil or coolant to pass through it in exactly the right position. It’s the same situation with the head gasket. Due to this, it doesn’t do its job correctly. When the exhaust is blowing, it has a hole or cracks in it somewhere it shouldn’t. We also talk about other components of cars “blowing” – for example, exhausts. When we’re talking about a “blown” head gasket, we are referring to a head gasket that no longer does the previous job of sealing in oil, coolant, and the contents of the combustion chamber.Ī head gasket can “blow” by warping, wearing down, cracking, or otherwise splintering or disintegrating. Because of the head gasket, oil and coolant flowing between the block and head shouldn’t leak out from their designated spaces.Įssentially, the head gasket keeps the oil, coolant, and everything in the combustion chamber exactly where it should be as it passes between the head and the block. Its primary function is to make the gaps between these two components negligible or non-existent.Įngine oil and coolant flow in channels through the block and head, keeping everything lubricated and at the optimal temperature. The head gasket sits in between the engine block and the cylinder head. You find other sorts of gaskets all over a car. It sits between two surfaces and is slightly compressible, causing the original two surfaces to be flush. In contrast, Sidevalves have both exhaust and inlet valves housed in the block.Ī gasket is something you can think of as a seal. Inlet-Over-Exhaust engines also have exhaust valves in the block. Older engines, such as Overhead Valve, Sidevalve, and Inlet-Over-Exhaust models, have the camshaft in the block. This fact is true of most vehicles with SOHC ( Single Overhead Camshaft) or DOHC ( Double Overhead Camshaft) engines. Most modern cars will have all three of these sets of components in the cylinder head. Depending on the specific engine type, the cylinder head may or may not contain: The engine block contains your pistons, cylinders, con-rods, etc. In a standard engine, the cylinder head sits on top of the engine block. Your car’s engine is made up of an engine block and a cylinder head, with slight variations on the names’ particulars. I’ll also explain what you should do and how much you should expect to pay for a repair or replacement. In this article, we’ll be considering why having oil in your coolant often represents a blown head gasket. You’ll need to get the car towed to the nearest workshop that agrees to work on it. Without panicking, now’s also the time to accept that the repair costs aren’t going to be insignificant. There aren’t many other possibilities in this situation – you, unfortunately, may well have a blown head gasket. With a feeling of dread, you open the hood and find oil in the coolant reservoir.Īll the signs are pointing towards a blown head gasket.Īlthough now is not the moment to panic, a reality check is also necessary. It’s lost power and misfiring, and there might be white smoke coming from the exhaust. So, you’ve noticed a few problems with how the car’s driving, and it’s leaving a pit in your stomach.
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