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Cars for Sale - car needs a head gasket!

Posted on: Sunday, December 13, 2009

Cars for Sale - car needs a head gasket!


We see those Ads for sale way too often. What does it mean "car needs a head gasket"?
Well, it means 85% of the time - "Car needs a new engine".


Lets' see what makes a head gasket to go bad.



Engine head gasket is not a part that affected by wear and tear and it can not go bad if engine was operated normally. Period!
Only one thing can make it go bad - engine overheating. Not just any overheating - excessive overheating which translates to a very bad thing - excessive engine wear during pro-longed time.
It does not matter what seller of the car will tell you - if engine was not re-built by the professional after overheating - it does not have many miles left in it.
If you hear that engine just had a head gasket replaced and it did not have cylinders honed and crankshaft bearings replaced to a new specs and head repaired - this engine is soon to be gone South.

Engine overheating


Many things could contribute to engine overheating. Depending on a length of time it was overheating and the actual temperature it was reaching damage could be very excessive.

Contributing factors to engine overheating:


Engine life expectancy.


Unless you know exactly all contributing factors to engine overheating and how long and how extensive was overheating - always treat the engine that needs a new head gasket as a dead one! No ifs or buts. Better be safe than sorry!
There are no miracles in this world and engine only needs a new head gasket when it was overheated or somebody did a major repair on it without proper technical knowledge and experience.
There is nothing worse price-wise than fixing somebody else's errors in repair.
Drive safely and always consult with knowledgeable mechanic if in doubt - never take car seller's word.



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