The head Gasket Centre - Nottingham Engine Specialist 0115 9790818

� Head Gasket

� Blown Head Gasket

� Headgasket

� Nottingham Head Gasket

� Midland Head Gasket � Overheating � Cracked Head � Head-gasket �

Welcome

The Head Gasket Centre

Part of the rblindley.co.uk group.

Welcome to The Head Gasket Centre, we are Nottinghams leading Head Gasket repairer. As members of the Federation of Engine Re-Manufacturers, Federation of small businesses and a 5-star rated garage on the GoodGarageScheme.com, you can be totally confident in our service. Feel free to call us on 0115 9790818 for a quote or any questions.

The Head Gasket Centre is part of the rblindley.co.uk group, R B Lindley & Son are celebrating their 50th year in business and are also Nottinghams leading Engine Reconditioners, make sure to visit their website www.rblindley.co.uk

Make sure you print the discount voucher below and produce this voucher upon payment, not before!

Click the voucher dicsount voucher for the printable version

Head Gasket related

Q. I have to keep topping up the water in my engine - what could this be?

A. Providing that there are no visible external leaks, it may be your head gasket leaking.

Q. How can I tell if the Head Gasket is leaking?

A. Normally if the gasket is leaking an obvious "telltale" sign is water in the oil, this is where the water from the cooling system has gone into the engine mixing with the oil and looks brown white in colour. Condesation in the engine sometimes causes a "smutty" build up in the rocker box area but if the oil in the sump is contaminated with water it normally means that the head gaket has gone.

Q. The temperature gauge tends to go into the red very quickly, what could this be?

A. There could be one or two reasons, the cooling fan may not be working therefore as the engine warms up the fan should kick in to cool it down but it doesn't. The water pump impellor ( The inside part of the pump) may have disintergrated or become insecure. The thermostat may have stuck in the closed position and not allow the coolant to flow freely in the engine. Finally it may be down the the head gasket leaking causing the combustion gases of the engine to leak into the cooling system.

Q. What can be done to check if the head gasket is leaking?

A. A simple "colour change" test can be carried out in a matter of minutes, This is done by removing the expansion cap and positioning the tester tube containing the test fluid over the neck of the header tank/radiator cap. The engine is then run hot and if the head gasket has gone the liquid will change from blue to a green/brown colour. The test fluid detects exhaust fumes in the cooling system which indicated that the head gasket has gone.

Q. Is it a big job to change the head gasket on a car

A. Some cars are easier then other, some cars take 3 to 4 hours, others can take a lot longer.

Q. What is the process behind changing the head gasket.

A. The cylinder head is removed from the egnine block and in the majority of cases it is sent to the engineering shop to be "refaced" this is where the face of the head is machined to make sure that it is perfectly flat before rebuilding to the engine block.

It is good practice to check at the same time for any visible cracks but to also check for aninternal crack. An internal crack can only be checked by having a pressure test or crack test carried out. This is where the head is put under pressure and any internal cracks are deteced by the visible leakage of air after the head is submerged under water. At the same time a visible check of the cylinder bores can also be carried out.

Q. Can my local garage reface and pressure test my cylinder head?

A. Normally garages that take on cylinder head jobs have to send the heads to the engineering shop to have the work carried out as they will not have the neccessary specialist machinary on site.

Q . Will I need my cylinder head to be refaced and pressure tested?

A. Under no circumstances after the gasket failure should an aluminum cylinder head be fitted back to the engine block without be skimmed or pressure tested as there is a high risk the cylinder head will be distorted and leak again.

Q. Where can i get my head gasket checked in Nottingham?

A. R B Lindley & Son will do a free check on your head gasket or any other engine fault you have, just pop in and we will do our best to help.

Gasket problems

Occasionally, the compression in the cylinder will cause a leak to form in the gasket and the gasket will have to be replaced, or severe damage can take place (a "blown" head gasket). This problem has been exacerbated by the use of aluminum rather than iron cylinder heads; while lighter than iron, aluminum has a much greater thermal expansion rate, which in turn causes a great deal more stress to be placed on the head gasket. Engine makers have responded to this by adding a non-stick coating such as Teflon to the surface of the head gasket.

head gasket

If the gasket fails, a variety of problems can occur, from compression loss (leading to power reduction, or a rough engine), to exhaust gases being forced into the cooling system, leading to the engine overheating and increased engine wear due to the motor oil being mixed with antifreeze. Coolant can leak into the cylinders, causing the exhaust to issue steam and the catalytic converter to be damaged. If a very large amount of coolant does this, hydrolock can occur, causing extensive engine damage. Sometimes, all that may happen when a head gasket is blown causing excessive steam erupting from the tailpipe and the engine may act and drive like normal.

block

Head gasket condition can be investigated by checking the compression pressure with a pressure gauge, or better, a leak-down test, and/or noting any indication of combustion gasses in the cooling system on a water-cooled engine. Oil mixed with coolant and excessive coolant loss with no apparent cause, or presence of carbon monoxide or hydrocarbon gases in the expansion tank of the cooling system can also be signs of head gasket problems.

Driving with a blown head gasket (if possible) can cause additional extensive damage due to overheating or loss of lubrication.

Blue exhaust smoke may be indicative of oil-burning.

Head gasket types

MLS - stands for "Multiple Layers Steel,". Most modern head engines are produced with MLS gaskets. These typically consist of three layers of steel.

The contact faces are usually coated with a rubber-like coating such as Viton that adheres to the cylinder block and cylinder head respectively whilst the thicker center layer is bare.

Solid copper - A solid sheet of copper, and typically requires special machining called 'o-ringing' that places a piece of wire around the circumference of the cylinder to bite into the copper. When this is performed copper gaskets are extremely durable. Recently companies have started producing copper gaskets with integral sealing wires permitting their retrofit into engines without the removal of the engine block for machine work.

Composite -- an older technology. Typically these are made from asbestos or graphite but are more prone to blowouts than newer gaskets. Asbestos gaskets are becoming increasingly rare due to health concerns.

Call 0115 9790818 for any further questions, we are always happy to help