I heve brought a car and the head gasget has gone.riped off or what?
Answers:
You bought a car with a blown gasket? Yes, ripped off, for sure, unless the car cost less than a tenner.
Running the engine with a blown gasket can mean no coolant flow, engine overheats, head block warps, and you kill the engine. Or more likely it happened the other way round: the coolant level isn't looked after, engine overheats, head block warps, head gasket no longer seals. There may also be a crack in the block.
You can't replace the gasket with a warped head; it won't seal. You have to skim the head at the very least, which is probably a lot more money than it's worth. If the block is cracked, it needs welded. I've seen those jobs done on truck engines, but only in Brazil, where mechanics are cheaper than new engines, and where people will do anything to get some heap of crap back on the road.
If the head hasn't warped and all else is well, replacing the gasket might get it back on the road. But for me, there would be too much doubt about what happened (and why) to accept a car like that.
PS I'm with Phish on this.
So what? whats your damn question man.
Head gasket costs less than a tenner to buy, and maybe £100 in the garage to have fitted, so maybe not that bad. However it depends on why the head gasket went - could be a radiator problem, or god knows what else. It is a criminal offence to sell a car in an unroadworthy condition though.
It would be interesting to know what the car is, make and model etc. Some cars are prone to head-gasket problems more than others, but it's possile you have been ripped(note spelling)-off, as the previous owner may have got wind of a developing problem, and outed it sharpish.
To do the job properly it will cost money, despite what the 'Haynes manual and £50' crew may care to think.
The head WILL be warped, and need resurfacing, if the car is OHC you will need a new cambelt and associated tensioners etc, new head bolts, gaskets, etc. etc.
The head may be cracked. A crack test for the head is about £100 on it's own. If you cannot definitely pin it down to a head gasket failure when stripped-down, then the head may be cracked, and it may have gone internally where you can't see it.
A generally miserable situation, you may have been subjected to a very thorough taking-down of the trousers.
If it was a vauxhall then i'm not surprised, Headgasket can go anytime but on a vauxhall it's every other week!
add details what car??
If the head gasket was gone when you bought the car then you were the stupid one I'm afraid, any decent mechanic would have seen the signs
Knowing what make, model and engine size would help as I`m sure someone would be able to offer advice. If you only very recently bought the car then unfortunately you may have been turned over, but head gaskets can go at any time. Usually there`s a build up to this and they`re unlikely to go from perfect to unuseable within a moment` notice.
Most garages will charge about £250 upwards for head gaskets and labour but you might strike lucky. Failing that bodge it up and stick it in the auctions, someone will buy it.
you possibly have cos if the car is quite old & was an upmarket expensive car when new the previous owner probably thaught it would be easier to sell the car on rather than have a costly repair.
You were ripped off big-time. Sorry. Next time you buy a car, esp. 2nd hand from a private individual, check under the bonnet/hood. Take a careful look at the engine - any oil over the engine indicates that the head casket or seal may be broken. Check under the vehicle for oil drip. If the vendor agrees, place a clean sheet of newspaper beneath the oil sump and come back in a couple of hours, if there's oil drip, don't buy the car. If you're in UK you can get AA or RAC to check out any vehicle for you.you pay a fee for this service but you don't get ripped off.
The answers post by the user, for information only, UKQnA.com does not guarantee the right.