what can cause a blown head gasket? :confused: and what kind of problems follow it?

Is your car overheating?

I blew 2 head gaskets on my old car..............was caused by water seeping out of a crack in the head of the engine, or so the mechanic told me. He didn't charge me for the second gasket replacement because the head integrity check he ran beforehand failed to pick up the crack. Either that or he was trying to rip me off.

:(

Anyway, to answer your question, one possible cause of a head gasket is caused by overheating, which in turn could be caused by something else. (In my case a crack in the head). A head check could be in order for you.

I just got my car back due to this problem.

My car kep over heating .I knew that my radiator was weak but I kept putting it off. Then it along with the water pump failed messed up my head gaskett and head .... $$$$$$$$$

so overheating can cause it huh? and that means it could have a crack in the head? are the cracks noticeable, as in being able to see it?

Shops have this little pressure test kit that can show you if you have a problem.. There is a pump that they can hook up to your engine and if the fluid turn s from Blue to yellow ... you are having head problems...

RUN RUN RUN .... and get this checked out

Originally posted by AznVirus
so overheating can cause it huh?

Yes.

Originally posted by AznVirus
and that means it could have a crack in the head?

Yes. Or it could be warped. Or the block can even warp.

Originally posted by AznVirus
are the cracks noticeable, as in being able to see it?

No.

if the head is warped, or block is warped, that means its pretty much over for the engine right?

Originally posted by AznVirus
if the head is warped, or block is warped, that means its pretty much over for the engine right?

Well technicaly no!! You can deck the block and mill the head but then your cam timing is off a bit. Nothing adjustable cam sprockets can't fix. But its easyer and cheaper to replace the motor.. 400 bucks for a Good clean SR20DE motor and about 5 hours to R&R the motor. If you haul ass on it and don't lag and you have a lift and air tools.

this scenario is not on my engine, im getting a BB DET soon, and the guy is going to sell it to me for $550, but it has a blown head gasket, im going to check it out, but if its bad, im just going with a good DET, but it costs around $1300 for it. but comes with tranny ecu intercooler, engine.

Originally posted by AznVirus
this scenario is not on my engine, im getting a BB DET soon, and the guy is going to sell it to me for $550, but it has a blown head gasket, im going to check it out, but if its bad, im just going with a good DET, but it costs around $1300 for it. but comes with tranny ecu intercooler, engine.

Run away.

I have a friend here in Texas who bought a "bargain" DET and his blew a head gasket pretty quickly. He put in a new head gasket, but the block was fried and wouldn't seal.

no B.S. w/ what Geo is saying there. You should get quality because you almost always get what you pay for. The last thing you want is to sink a grand into this *okay* engine only to have to replace it with the 1300$ later because it's a lemon. Besides, if it's gasket is blown, it probably overheated and the damage there could be EXTENSIVE. not to mention expensive.

Everyone refers me to SR20Development in san diego for BBDETs. The sources I get it from can't all be wrong, Geo being one of their biggest pimps and all...

oh so your part of SR20Development. your site really needs to get updated. btw... for the P10, is it possible to use the 94-96 wiring harnesses instead of the 91-93?

Originally posted by AznVirus
oh so your part of SR20Development. your site really needs to get updated. btw... for the P10, is it possible to use the 94-96 wiring harnesses instead of the 91-93?

Ya I am building the site I have been laging..

In November, My 1985 Nissan 720 KingCab pickup lost power on a drive home and sounded as if it had Bad detonation, or worse, a rod knock. Got home, shut down and checked that plug wires were connected and inspected distributor cap for a crack. I was not so lucky. Got out the compression chkr and had only about 60lbs on the back two cylinders and about 120-125 on front two. The sound it made over was weird when it spun over .... kinda a phfff-sssss. The sound of compression slipping into the other cylinder. I suspected the head gasket burnt between 3 and 4 and wondered how this could happen on a Z-24 engine with only 116,000 miles. Rare stuff for this engine. When I finally got the head off, it stuck out like a band-aid on a super-model. Gasket was gone between last two pistons

This was my dads truck and I inherited it after he died. The truck had about 88,000 then and, as long as I can remember, had always run cold.
This did not worry me and I far as I knew it had always been a cold running truck. Cold is better than hot, Right? Not really. The bottom line
is after running cold for 8 or more years, I theorized that with the thermostat stuck open, water pressure was not sufficient to circulate coolant all around the block. So water stayed cool near front of block and near the temp sender but much hotter at back of block. Over the years it took its toll and toasted the gasket. Lesson learned is I used to wait for thermostats to fail then replace, now it's gonna be a maintenance item to replace with hoses and belts. Oh, and keep that chain tensioner in place with a block of plastic or wood because if it comes out you'll waste 3 hrs trying to get it back in. but that's another post. Luckily, no warpage but still shaved the deck and did the valves while I was there. Works great now and the heater kicks ass, it used to be like old VW beetle heat.