Blown Head Gasket

Samurai_Blue

Yolo Whippin'
goldiesmom said:
Yeah, I have the Haynes manual and I've been reading it and using it to diagnose some issues. I'm no mechanic though, I just like to keep my car in good shape. Maybe I should invest in some tools and go at it though? Hah!
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yeah you should. it helps
 

goldiesmom

New Member
Good question

SpooledupRacing said:
if I remember right you said the dealer did your radiator. I cant see how the acura dealer will send out a car that is not running right.

and how do u go to a shop that does not work on gasket repairs?
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The Z radiator repair shop diagnosed the cracked head gasket last summer, but they don't repair head gaskets. I took it to the W auto shop and they changed the head gasket and the radiator. When I got it back from the W auto shop, the hot/cold needle was was running high at itle. Then I took it to the Acura dealer who said that the by-pass hose was not connected properly. Acura only fixed the by-pass hose, they did not do the radiator or the head gasket.

Today, I took it back to the Z radiator shop and they said that the head gasket was busted again. Now, I have to see if the W radiator shop, who allegedly replaced the head gasket, will stand by their work and fix my car.

I don't know why the radiator shop doesn't fix head gaskets, but they only work on radiators.
 

rockadilla

thats right.
That's really too bad... I fixed my head gasket for the first time myself recently and it only cost about $100 and 5 hours of work but I'm guessing that a shop wants something around $1200 or so :( I hope they fix it again for free :D
 

goldiesmom

New Member
rockadilla said:
That's really too bad... I fixed my head gasket for the first time myself recently and it only cost about $100 and 5 hours of work but I'm guessing that a shop wants something around $1200 or so :( I hope they fix it again for free :D
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Wow!! Only $100?!?! I am truly impressed!! I don't know if I could do it myself, but I might have to try if they don't fix it again for free. I now remember what happened the last time. Apparently, the hole that supports the screw that closes the thing around the head gasket was somehow stripped, and the mechanic could not close it. This meant that the work could not be completed until the problem of the stripped screw hole was repaired. The mechanic told me that it would cost an additional $500.00 to purchase a kit to fix the screw hole so that the part could be sealed. I told them no way, and they told me that I would have to pick up the car as is--with half of the engine taken out. I complained, and then they agreed to fix it. I don't think that they ever fixed it correctly though. I think that they probably never fixed the stripped screw hole and that caused the problem of the erratic hot/cold needle.

I have to take this car back to them, but the idea of going back there is stressing me out.
 


mirrorimg

Well-Known Member
goldiesmom said:
Thanks. I just had the radiator shop do a compression check and they said that it was the head gasket. This shop is reputable--they didn't charge me for it, but they don't do head gasket repairs. I took it to another shop last summer that replaced the head gasket and the radiator (incorrectly, I'm guessing.). I'm going to call the head gasket shop to see if they will fix the problem. My warranty was for 12 months or 12,000 miles. It's been 14 months, but only 10,000 miles since they did the work. Hopefully, they will stand by their work. If not, I'll never give them another dime!
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If this is the case, its PROBABLY which ever you get to first. If you hit 12k miles before the 12 months, then its expired. Otherwise once you hit the 12 months the warranty is over.

Im doing my own headgasket fairly soon, but I plan on having the head resurfaced and getting new head bolts (along with new valve seals and guides for the valvetrain). What rockadilla probably did was just take the head off and put a new gasket on there. That is not the best method, because you cant eyeball any warpage on the head, and from what I have come to understand, you DO NOT want to re-use your headbolts.

You can probably take the car to a performance/machine shop and have them put a helicoil in the stripped hole. I cant see that costing more than 50 dollars, but I dont have any first hand experience with helicoils.
 
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rockadilla

thats right.
Yep only $100 for the gasket and a few extra things that I broke hahaha... I think the gasket by itself was only $60

Yes the screw may have caused the head to not be as tight as it should be which caused the headgasket to fail again.... If they don't fix it again which I think they should, u may need to get ur hands dirty... But u should be warned if u don't usually work on cars it could take 7 or 8 or so hours of "work" to fix it if things go smoothly theres a lot of stuff u have to remove :(
 

mirrorimg

Well-Known Member
^^ But once you do it the first time, you have all that knowledge to tackle it again and have a shorter working time. Its like time trials, see how quick you can get ;)
 


rockadilla

thats right.
mirrorimg said:
If this is the case, its PROBABLY which ever you get to first. If you hit 12k miles before the 12 months, then its expired. Otherwise once you hit the 12 months the warranty is over.

Im doing my own headgasket fairly soon, but I plan on having the head resurfaced and getting new head bolts (along with new valve seals and guides for the valvetrain). What rockadilla probably did was just take the head off and put a new gasket on there. That is not the best method, because you cant eyeball any warpage on the head, and from what I have come to understand, you DO NOT want to re-use your headbolts.

You can probably take the car to a performance/machine shop and have them put a helicoil in the stripped hole. I cant see that costing more than 50 dollars, but I dont have any first hand experience with helicoils.
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^^
Yeah that's basically what I did... buuut u can check warpage yourself by using a ruler or any straightedge and checking to make sure that it is touching everywhere on the bottom of the head, there's a diagram somewhere on how to check for warpage yourself in the chiltons/haynes manual,
And for them to resurface it would have cost ME about $50.... But I did use my original head bolts it had on there and didn't buy new ones, I don't think it makes a difference, u CAN use the original head bolts u just are just supposed to remember which bolt went in which hole... but I think they had a kit at autozone for about $120 that included new bolts and things with it... but I just bought the gasket :D
 

rockadilla

thats right.
mirrorimg said:
^^ But once you do it the first time, you have all that knowledge to tackle it again and have a shorter working time. Its like time trials, see how quick you can get ;)
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^
This is true as well I understand a LOT more about working on cars and about the engine then I did before replaced the gasket... And I have worked on cars a lot before then too I even replaced an whole engine before... but like mirrorimg said if u do it once then u have all that knowledge and skill, if something else breaks u maybe won't even have to take it to a shop because u know how to replace it yourself :thumbs up
 

rpalma001

New Member
goldiesmom said:
Wow!! Only $100?!?! I am truly impressed!! I don't know if I could do it myself, but I might have to try if they don't fix it again for free. I now remember what happened the last time. Apparently, the hole that supports the screw that closes the thing around the head gasket was somehow stripped, and the mechanic could not close it. This meant that the work could not be completed until the problem of the stripped screw hole was repaired. The mechanic told me that it would cost an additional $500.00 to purchase a kit to fix the screw hole so that the part could be sealed. I told them no way, and they told me that I would have to pick up the car as is--with half of the engine taken out. I complained, and then they agreed to fix it. I don't think that they ever fixed it correctly though. I think that they probably never fixed the stripped screw hole and that caused the problem of the erratic hot/cold needle.

I have to take this car back to them, but the idea of going back there is stressing me out.
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i do recomend you change shops if you dont do the work yourself and i dont recomend you doin it yourself the first time unless someone you know someone has knowledge of doing that kind of work and help you through the prosses what i suggest you do and dont tell everyone about this cus then everyone will start doing it find an automotive school like a college or high school and talk to the instructor lean more to the college or trade schools they do it for ...... wait for it.........FREEE!! YES PEOPLE FOR FREE :twisted: All you do is buy what you need to get the job done. They are not suppose to charge at all, but they welcome the experience that the students can receive. Now its not a professional work but just as good cus you got someone with knowledge helping them besides eventually they are the ones you take your car to anyway.
 

goldiesmom

New Member
Repair Shop Will Repair Again At NO Cost

Hey everyone. Just wanted to let you all know that the repair shop has agreed to repair my blown head gasket absolutely free of charge. The bad news is that I don't really trust them to do it again. I'm on the fence now deciding whether I should take it back to them. They didn't seem to get it right the first time (they even tried to get me to pay an additional $500 the first time because they stripped the screw that holds the gasket together. Apparently, a repair kit to fix a stripped screw is pretty expensive.) When I told them no way, they said that they could find one for about $300.

A friend of mine who's a mechanic said that the shop probably just glued it together (which would hold for a while, then end up busting again.)

Any thoughts? How many good faith efforts do I need to give this shop? I don't want them to mess up anything else while they're in there!

Thanks!
 

heykosal

Angkorian
You should demand for them to pay for the fix at an ASE-certified, reputable shop of your own choosing.
 
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