Head Gasket

The head gasket is a critical seal that sits between the engine block and the cylinder head. Its job is to keep three major engine elements from mixing: engine oil, coolant, and combustion gases. It has to withstand extreme pressure and temperature, which is why a failure—called a blown head gasket—can cause big problems like overheating, white smoke, or even complete engine failure.

Most modern head gaskets are made of multi-layered steel and are designed to last the life of the engine. Still, overheating or pressure spikes can cause them to fail. Replacing a head gasket is a big job because it means disassembling much of the engine. Fun fact: Our model engine is inline, so it only has 1 head gasket, but other engines shapes such as V or flat have 2!