If you have a vehicle with a damaged or blown head gasket, then you are looking at a serious cost. Having a blown head gasket fixed is not cheap and can often cost around $1000 or even more. In order to fix it the mechanic will need to dismantle the top portion of the engine which may often take a couple of days.
This why many auto owners often wonder whether they should actually get the head gasket repaired or sell the automobile to the scrap yard near you. However, it is wise to know as much as you can about the signs and costs of a blown head gasket, so you can make an informed decision. All you need to figure out, if you want to keep or sell a car with a blown head gasket.
A head gasket is located at the top of the engine block under the cylinder head. Basically, it forms a seal between the bottoms half of the engine and the cylinder head. It also seals the oil, compression and coolant passages in different compartments of your engine. If you have a blown or damaged gasket it is due to high engine temperature. In simple words, it means coolant is externally leaking from the head gasket.
Although the head gasket is an expensive part, but installing it also involves extreme labor costs. Generally, you would have to spend between $30 to $50 to get it replaced. The head gaskets consist of several layers of steel and are usually coated with rubber-like material. They are not actually expensive to manufacture, but the labor required in the process makes it so costly.
The repair costs of head gasket range from around $1000 to $2000 and may often cost more. If your vehicle has two engines, then the cost of replacement may increase. However, the repair expense usually depends on the make, model or manufacturing year of an automobile. Its repair process is very cumbersome, as it involves intensive labor work to disassemble the upper half of the head gasket. Usually, replacing it would mean fixing the other expensive issues too.
Additionally, it may not be worth it to spend money on repairing a gasket, as it alone is a costly repair and may even cost more than your automobile’s actual value. This is why, most of the people decide to sell their cars for cash when they have a damaged head gasket.
Just like a blown or a flat tyre, damaged head gasket is a problem that you can’t ignore. If your vehicle has a blown head gasket, you won’t be able to drive it until it is fixed. One reason to have a blown head gasket is overheating of auto engine. When the auto engine get extremely overheated, you must look out for the signs of a damaged head gasket.
Just lift your vehicle’s bonnet to check how hot the engine is. When it is cool down, you can pull out the spark plug wire and check whether its end is melted or charred. As this often indicates if the gasket is blown or not. Other than this, you can also have a look at the engine oil and pull the dip stick to check its color. If you see a white liquid creamy consistency over the dip stick, it means the head gasket has been blown.
However, if you are already dealing with an automobile that has a damaged head gasket, you may know how expensive and lengthy the repair process can be. It is best to check your available options and decide wisely whether to have it repaired or not. Either way you can sell your car to a Car Wreckers or knowledgeable cash for cars outfit in your region.
