Changing the cylinder head gasket, or separating the cylinder head from the engine block for other common reasons like excessive oil or coolant consumption, can cause the cylinder head to seem warped or deformed, not always, but most of the time.
Why is the cylinder head warped?
The most common cause of engine overheating is a lack of or insufficient cooling of the engine.
I’ll make a list of all the reasons why the engine’s cooling system isn’t working properly:
- poor quality engine oil,
- poor quality coolant,
- the engine has suffered excessive modifications that altered the cylinder head
It is unavoidable that you will warp or deform the cylinder head if you boost your engine’s performance, but if you have the same water pump, an engine radiator that is weak and you drive aggressively, and a weak coolant, you’ll end up with a warped cylinder head.
If you don’t follow the specifications of your engine’s manufacturer, you could end up with a warped cylinder head due to loose cylinder head nuts. If this happens, the cylinder head could develop flares, which would force the cylinder block to twist and possibly crack.
Depending on how far you take the screws out, the cylinder head gasket may begin to delaminate and the engine’s compression may suffer, or it may allow oil and/or water leakage into and out of the cylinders.
Compression leakage from the cylinder head gasket results in excessive cooling system pressure, resulting in the loss of the cooling agent and a lack of heat in the cabin.
Can a warped/ deformed cylinder head be repaired?
It is possible to repair a warped cylinder head, correct it, and replace the old cylinder head gasket, but it will cost you a lot of money.
If your engine has been modified to improve performance, you should also improve the cooling system’s performance to avoid the need for these repairs. This is because the car manufacturer bases the car’s power on the engine’s performance and uses that information to calculate the cooling system, the lubrication system, and the braking system.
Depending on the weight of the vehicle, it is determined what braking system, tires, and so on are needed. As a result, the car maker takes into account the performance of the vehicle while deciding on additional automobile parts. In order to improve the performance of your engine, you must also consider the various parts that support it, such as the cooling system.
If you don’t have a modified automobile but want to drive it more aggressively, the first step is to use a high boiling point grade coolant. Even if the coolant maintains its cooling properties, it might still cause issues if it does not adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Adding to the confusion, relatively few antifreeze makers have regulations in place.
Cause of cylinder head warping
When it comes to a car’s engine, the temperature sensors aren’t actually fixed. The area immediately surrounding the combustion chamber is the engine’s hottest spot. When the explosion happens, the flame in this combustion chamber reaches a temperature of 2000 degrees Celsius (3632 degrees Fahrenheit) for brief intervals, and the metal components surrounding the combustion chamber become extremely hot.
There are a number of critical functions that the engine oil performs, including lubricating, cooling, and cleaning moving parts in the combustion chamber, where temperatures can reach as high as 572 degrees Fahrenheit.
In those extremely hot regions, the coolant must quickly transmit heat. It’s not clear what this means. Using a coolant with a boiling point of 110 degrees Celsius (230 F) instead of 140 to 150 degrees Celsius (284 to 302 F) as needed, when the coolant is close to the combustion chamber, where I said it was the hottest point in the engine, will result in the coolant evaporating and causing the engine to overheat.
It is possible that the cylinder will distort if the engine remains hot and you continue to drive very hard.
Many motorists only consider the coolant’s freezing point when making a purchase, neglecting to consider the fluid’s boiling temperature. Even yet, the boiling point of most coolants is not specified by the manufacturers.
Car manufacturers also establish specific guidelines for the use of coolant, which are routinely flouted by drivers.
Conclusion
Failure to maintain an engine in accordance with the manufacturer’s standards is a major factor in the cylinder head’s demise.
It is possible that the cylinder head will flex as a result of the high pressure and rapid temperature changes created inside the combustion chamber.
There is no flat area on which to install the cylinder head gasket, which might lead to significant problems later on, such as engine replacement or extensive repair work.
Aluminum cylinder heads have a tendency to bend or distort.
Cylinder heads that have distorted can be repaired.
Overheating an engine can cause warping in its cylinder heads, thus it is vital to arrange a resurfacing of the heads to restore them and ensure proper sealing.
Since most modern engines use a sheet cylinder head gasket, the roughness of the flat surface of the cylinder head should be 10 microns.
Cylinder head gasket failure can occur if the cylinder head surface finish is defective.
It is important to adjust the valve seats to meet the manufacturer’s quotas once the cylinder head has been plan corrected, specifically the elevation or deepening of the valves in comparison with the cylinder head plane.
