About a leaking head gasket

Question

can u check to see if u have a leaking head gasket without taking the motor apart.and how much would it cost to get it fixed if u take it to a independent garage at labor at $30/hr

Answer 1

yes you can have a pressure check done on it to see if ts actually blown that will usually tell you if its the head gasket or another leak coming from it,that's the best test to do if you suspect a head gasket being blown on any vehicle,good luck.

Answer 2

Wow we get 60/hr and yes the head gasket can be checked without pulling the engine now days we use a dye in water in water that changes colors with the head gasket is blown or a creaked head

Answer 3

there are warning signs, like white smoke coming out the tailpipe, collant in the oil.

Answer 4

Let me guess, you have a Ford Taurus? I have one and my head gasket was blown, one way I found out is from a compression test, it cost me around 60 bucks to do.  

Answer 5

Depending on the model of engine and mode of failure, there's a couple of generic ways to look for evidence of a leaking head gasket.  First, check for coolant in the oil or oil in the coolant.  Open the oil filler cap and look for a whipped emulsion (like chocolate whipped cream).  Then check your coolant (with a cold engine, please) by opening the radiator cap (if your car has one) and inspecting both the coolant level and condition.  Oil emulsion in coolant or coolant emulsion in oil can mean a blown head gasket, a cracked head, or a cracked block.  Only disassembly will tell.  Also, if you pull the spark plugs, look for a white chalky residue.  

As far as diagnosis and repair, I'd guess 2-5 labor hours for teardown on a common engine.  It could be much more for an oddball.  Repair costs depend on the level of repair work needed.  You're lucky you found a shop with a cheap labor rate.  Most shops are twice the rate you quoted.  Just a blown gasket on a common four cylinder with no machine work on the head ought to run you about $500.  Good luck.

Answer 6

There's a list of checks to tell if it's leaking. Replacing it can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours depending on the car.

Answer 7

there are a few ways to check for a leaky head and or gasket, the first is checking for oil in the water and vise versa. a compression test on ech cylinder should be done as well. even having the fluids analized, but is rarely done. usually there are symptons such as over heating, lose of water in the rad,steam coming out of the tail pipe.  as far as the cost that depends on the time it take the mechanic to do the job, most shops have a book to tell about how long it take's but even then thats if nothing goes wrong such as twisting off bolts or other un forseen problems. but if u do have the head removed i highly advise using new head bolts and check the head for cracks and both the head and block for warpage.