# Blown headgasket **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** explorer, ford\ **Created:** [September 30, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/blown-headgasket/37359 "2009-09-30T10:03:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TONYAIO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TONYAIO](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TONYAIO)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/blown-headgasket/37359/1 "2009-09-30T10:03:35Z")
BLOWN HEADGASKET -ON A FORD EXPLOYER - IS HERE ANYTHING THAT WILL FIX IT IDONT HAVE MONEY TO REPLACE GASKET AND LABOR REPAIR IS 15000 DOLLARS ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 10:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/blown-headgasket/37359/2 "2009-09-30T10:12:07Z")
$15,000? That’s too much. Perhaps you meant $1,500, but in your excitement you pressed the “0” key one too many times. If you’re asking if there’s an “additive” that will repair a blown head gasket, the answer is, no. Sorry, but that’s the truth. The only cure for a blown head gasket is to replace the gasket. And can you PLEASE turn off the cap lock? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/blown-headgasket/37359/3 "2009-09-30T12:35:29Z")
Mcparadise is correct. Despite the claims on some of the bottles and cans of additives at Auto Zone and other retailers, there is no “miracle in a can” that will fix this problem. Sorry for the bad news. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/blown-headgasket/37359/4 "2009-09-30T12:36:37Z")
I’ve had success stopping head gasket leaks using sodium silicate [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium\_silicate#Automotive\_repair](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_silicate#Automotive_repair). A bottle of this can be purchased from a local pharmacy for about $20.00. Tester ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/blown-headgasket/37359/5 "2009-09-30T12:41:53Z")
Any additive that worked at all would only be a temporaty fix. If the car is pretty much gone anyway you can drive the motor until it dies. If you feel the car with still worthwhile, then bite the bullet and get is fixed soon. Driving it will just cause more damage and eventually kill it outright. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/blown-headgasket/37359/6 "2009-09-30T23:39:05Z")
If you want a proper repair you’ll need to replace the gasket. Additives are worth a try to squeeze a bit of extra life out of an old beater that won’t be missed of it dies completely, but they are no substitute for a proper repair. Nor should they be considered a permanent repair. ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/blown-headgasket/37359/7 "2009-10-01T01:12:53Z")
Which engine? HDYK the head gasket is blown? ---
**Author:** ![euryale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@euryale1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/euryale1)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/blown-headgasket/37359/8 "2009-10-01T01:16:05Z")
The materials to DIY should be about $750. But you might be better off finding a used engine since you did not say how the head gasket died. If you toasted the block then its a lot of money. You just did not tell us anything useful to give a better opinion. Like how many miles, what year of the car, and all the other stuff.