95 Camry Head Gasket leaks

[WHoDEy]

Is their anyway that a leaky head gasket can be repaired without the $1,000 pricetag the toyota dealership claims it will cost. Are their any quick fixes? Is $1,000 way to much especailly for a $3,000 car? Does a leaky head gasket mean a cracked head gasket?

[gator2764]

Make sure that it is not the O-ring on the distributor first. I was told the same thing about a bad head gasket and it turned out to be the o-ring, they tend to get brittle after a few years and miles.

[Toysrme]

No $1000 is a good price for a v6 headgasket.


It should be obvious when you blow a HG gator2764. If not, do a compression check.

[WHoDEy]

I forgot to say above that my camry is a 4 cylindar.

[gator2764]

Originally Posted by Toysrme

No $1000 is a good price for a v6 headgasket.


It should be obvious when you blow a HG gator2764. If not, do a compression check.

I am familiar when a head gasket is blown. Just so happens that a Goodyear and Toyo dealership told me that the head gasket was leaking. After looking myself it was the o-ring. As far as the price on a head rebuild I just paid $300 for my Tercel. It was around $800 total in parts for the head, new oil and water pump, timing belt and tensioners, gaskets and Bass Ale beer!!

[Brian R.]

Whodey: What was the engine doing that caused you to investigate this? Coolant leaking? What?

[WHoDEy]

We just took the car in shortly after we bought it for a 26 point inspection. The mechanic told us they thought the head gasket was leaking because they felt moisture. They said the problem could worsen or stay the same for the rest of the cars lifetime. We then decided that we would rather wait and see what happens than spend 1,000 for a 3,000 car. Hopefully the problem is the o-ring so I will mention this to our mechanic if the problem does worsen. So far I have noticed no drop in oil or coolant so the problem is not terrible yet.

[Brian R.]

Keep a close eye on the appearance of the oil. If it shows any sign of changing appearance (other than getting darker as normal), start to be cautious and think about the head gasket (if the O-ring has no effect).