The head gasket is one of the most critical gaskets in an engine because it has to seal all of the combustion chambers as well as the coolant and oil passages between the head and block. The gasket has to provide a leak-free seal from the moment it is first installed, and maintain that seal for the life of the engine - which might well be 150,000 miles or more on many of today?s vehicles.
When a head gasket fails to go the distance, there?s usually a reason why. The reasons can be lumped into three categories:
* Design issues with the engine or gasket (hard-to-seal engine, thermal stress created by bimetal engine or weak gasket design).
* Installation errors (head or block not clean, smooth or flat; wrong surface finish; using the wrong sequence; procedure or torque specifications when tightening the head bolts; reusing stretched, damaged or dirty bolts; using a sealer on a gasket that does not require a sealer, etc.).
* Operating conditions that overstress the gasket and cause it to fail (preignition, detonation and overheating).
