# Head gasket or Intake gasket?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-intake-gasket/60933>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** ford, expedition\
**Created:** [February 5, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-intake-gasket/60933 "2011-02-05T19:16:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tchurch25](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@tchurch25](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tchurch25)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-intake-gasket/60933/1 "2011-02-05T19:16:03Z")

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I am losing heat intermittently and temperature gauge spikes out intermittently. Got down to intake gasket and it is visibly bad but wonder if i should keep going to replace head gasket?

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**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:** [February 5, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-intake-gasket/60933/2 "2011-02-05T19:23:56Z")

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Have you done a pressure leakdown test?

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**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-intake-gasket/60933/3 "2011-02-06T17:31:17Z")

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Not a lot of info here, but… It sounds like you may be having a head gasket issue. FIRST you need to determine if you lost any coolant or have added any…if you did add it where did the old fluid go?

If a head gasket is failing then it will or can pump air into your coolant system If this happens you get an air pocket in the system obviously…when that happens your temp gauge will jump around due to the air pocket and the heat in the car will come and go…

Need more info about coolant and what has been happening with it as you drive? DOes it mysteriously go away, does it leak? If not then a head gasket issue will cause all this.

If you have a minor or hell even major head gasket prob a $60 bottle of Blue Devil will knock it right out of the park…

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**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-intake-gasket/60933/4 "2011-02-06T17:40:22Z")

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A leak-down test or a simple cylinder compression check should tell you if the head gasket is leaking. You can do these without the intake on. Also, pull the plugs. If any look steam-cleaned, there may also be head gasket issues.

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**Author:** ![Roadrunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@Roadrunner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Roadrunner)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket-or-intake-gasket/60933/5 "2011-02-06T21:35:25Z")

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Your post shows a contradictry (sp?) of terms.

The first sentence indicates the engine is in the vehicle and is together and in the second one you’ve already got it partially stripped.

I’m going to venture you’ve got it stripped down to the heads. If so, continue and make certain the previous overheating hasn’t warped the heads.