Thursday, August 25, 2011

Head Gasket Repair: Things You Should Know About It

A head gasket is a gasket that seals the top part of a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. It should last for the life of the engine, but it requires proper maintenance if you want to make sure it will last for a long time without any damage.

If it is damaged or broken, you will have to get it repaired. However, any seasoned car owners will tell you that the repair can cost you a fortune.

Factors That Require You To Pay More

So, what makes the repair cost high? Well, there are several factors that contribute to the repair cost. The cost of head gasket inspection by a professional mechanic overshadows the cost of repairing the gasket itself.

When you take your car to a car repair workshop, the mechanics will thoroughly check the overall condition of your car, find out what causes the damage, determine damage intensity, and so on.

These are some of the factors that require you to pay more. Additionally, labor cost, the cost of the tools and equipments, and the cost of a new head gasket (if the old one needs replacing) also add up to the repair cost.

Another reason why the repair cost is so expensive is the position and the complex mechanism of this part.

The head gasket is located within the engine of your car; the exact location is between cylinder head and engine block. Hence, its location makes it very hard to reach.

Mechanics will have to pass through numerous delicate vehicle parts such as pistons and fuel valve, and hence careful handling is needed.

When the mechanics have completed the repair, they will have to fix the other parts of the engine and make sure that everything is where it should be.

The Amount Of Money You Have To Spend For The Repair

Now you know why the cost of head gasket repair is very expensive. But the question is, how much do you have to pay for it? A typical repair would cost you somewhere around USD 1200 to USD 1400. This amount already includes the cost of the parts as well as the labor.

For parts, you usually have to spend around USD 400-500 and for labor you will have to spend USD 800-900. As mentioned previously, the high labor cost is due to the complexity of the repair procedure and the time required to finish the job.

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