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HEAD GASKET FAILURE ANALYSIS

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Update time : 2022-01-17 16:04:25
We know what a pain it can be when you blow a head gasket.But this seemingly simple issue can actually reveal a larger problem in your engine.
In this post, we're going through what might have caused the head gasket failure and what you can do about it. 

ABOUT HEAD GASKETS
Your head gasket is the component that creates the seal between the cylinder head and the engine block. This seal allows combustion to happen.
If your gasket is leaking, you might notice a decrease in performance, as well as other issues in your engine. That means addressing the problem right away is vital to the overall health of your engine.

BLOWN HEAD GASKETS
It's actually very unlikely that your head gasket will blow spontaneously.It's more likely to be a symptom of a larger issue in your engine. That's why it's important to diagnose the actual cause of the failure.If you replace the gasket without addressing the actual issue, not only will the gasket blow again, you might experience further damage to your engine.

SOME CAUSES OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE,
The potential causes of head gasket failure include:


DETONATION
In some cases, you might notice damage to the fire rings. If you only see damage on one fire ring, but not on the ring of the adjoining cylinder, it's likely that detonation causing thermal push broke the fire ring, leading to head gasket failure. 
This means that the failure was caused by extreme heat that distorted the cylinder bore edges of the head gasket. Detonation is a combustion problem where the temperatures and pressure exceed what the component can handle. This is a volatile and uncontrollable problem.
With this type of failure, the bore edge might look like it was pushed out of place.


POOR SURFACE CONDITIONS
In some cases, you'll notice a variation in the thickness of your gasket. Lines on the gasket might be caused by the surface of the head being too rough.If the side of the same gasket has no lines, then this, too, points to an issue with the surface of the head.
Variations in thickness of the gasket can reveal a lot about how flat the surface of the head and engine block are, as well as the force of the head bolt clamp.In some cases, where there is scoring on the gasket, combustion can leak out and damage the seals.


SEALANT USAGE LEADING TO WATER LEAKAGE
If you're seeing water leaking from your o-rings, it might be because sealant was used around the water and sealing areas.A sealing compound prevents the gasket from seating correctly, which creates uneven loading. This can cause further problems on the joint and gasket.It's not usually necessary or recommended to use sealant on your gasket, as it often leads to more problems.Because it's a liquid, it isn't compressible and it actually lowers the friction and torque value, which can cause more problems for your engine.

If you're having problems with your gaskets, give us a call! We have a team of expert technicians who can help you diagnose your diesel engine problems.