How to Prevent Cylinder Head Gasket Failures

Does your car keep blowing its cylinder head gasket frequently? Read on and discover some measures that you can take to prevent the inconveniences and costly repairs associated with cylinder head gasket failures.

Watch Coolant Levels

Many cylinder heads blow once the car overheats due to an insufficient quantity of coolant circulating within its engine. The first step towards preventing the gasket from blowing is to ensure that your car has a sufficient quantity of engine coolant. You should also change the engine coolant at the recommended interval so that the old coolant that has degraded does not stay in your car for long and compromise the performance of the vehicle.

Monitor the Water Pump

The water pump is responsible for pressurizing the water and the coolant so that they circulate to all parts of the engine. Thus, cooling efficiency may be seriously compromised to the extent of causing the cylinder head gasket to blow if the water pump is damaged. Listen for unusual sounds coming from the pump in order to detect any pump problem early. You should also observe the water pump components, such as the pulley, to ensure that they are not wobbling or loose. Correct any pump defect noted immediately.

Keep an Eye on Turbo Chargers

Some car owners retrofit their cars with turbo chargers or super chargers. Others come equipped with those systems. In either case, it is necessary to keep track of how much boost your car is getting from the turbo or super charger. This may be monitored from an indicator on the dashboard of your vehicle. Any abnormal elevation in the resultant boost may create excessive pressure within the combustion cylinders of your car. That excessive pressure may cause the gasket on the cylinder head to blow.

Use Your Brakes

Some people who own manual transmission cars try to prolong the life of the car brakes by using the gear system to slow the vehicle instead of using the brakes. Such people shift into low gears so that the car engine increases its rpm (revolutions per minute) while reducing speed. The high rpm causes the engine oil to become elevated in temperature. This can increase the temperature of the engine to levels that are not safe because lubricant viscosity may reduce at those high temperatures. Prolonged use of this method to slow a vehicle may eventually cause the cylinder head gasket to blow.

As you can see, the longevity of the gasket on the cylinder head of your car's engine may depend on how you use or maintain your car. Implement the suggestions above and you will notice that the gaskets will blow less frequently. Consult an auto service professional for help in case you are unfamiliar with the implementation of any of the measures above, such as checking the water pump frequently.