# Head gasket **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 9, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055 "2007-11-09T01:26:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dentman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc79bd/32.png) [@dentman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dentman)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055/1 "2007-11-09T01:26:30Z")
how to fix a head gasket cheap ---
**Author:** ![hemi567](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@hemi567](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hemi567)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055/2 "2007-11-09T01:36:32Z")
what kind of car, motor. do it your self on my car it only took 55 bucks and a weekend mopar man ---
**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:** [November 9, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055/3 "2007-11-09T01:39:45Z")
Impossible! Head gasket repairs are expensive. There is no cheap shortcut. If the head gasket is leaking, you need a new head gasket. Doing it yourself would be much less expensive than paying a mechanic, but you need the necessary tools, equipment, and facilities. Do you have these? ---
**Author:** ![hemi567](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@hemi567](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hemi567)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055/4 "2007-11-09T01:45:29Z")
what are you talking about i did my head gasket for only 55 buck and only had to use a torque wrench and a pilers there are attives at your local auto parts store that you put in you coolent and it may stop the leak but i have never tryed it mopar man ---
**Author:** ![mr\_josh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mr_josh/32/3008_2.png) [@mr\_josh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mr_josh)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055/5 "2007-11-09T02:50:52Z")
Concrete mix. And plenty of it. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055/6 "2007-11-09T11:42:35Z")
I heard that using instant mashed potatoes can plug up leaks sometimes in a coolant system. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 12:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055/7 "2007-11-09T12:18:53Z")
While you may have been able to do your own head-gasket cheaply and correctly, it would have required tools and knowledge that are not common to most car owners. I might add that you may have been lucky and you may have had a car that did not require nearly the effort that most cars today require. ---
**Author:** ![wyattspappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e495f1/32.png) [@wyattspappa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wyattspappa)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055/8 "2007-11-09T14:59:44Z")
Don’t know about mashed potatoes but I had an ole fella tell me to use raw eggs and black pepper. I tried it and it worked got another 6 months out of the old heap.Still wasn’t leaking drive shaft fell out no food fix for that. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/7055/9 "2007-11-09T16:01:09Z")
The cheapest way monetarily is do it yourself and even that depends on the type of vehicle. Some vehicle head gasket sets are very pricy. Oil filter, coolant, spark plugs, oil, new thermostat, and even cylinder head resurfacing should be figured in since most people don’t have a surface grinder at home. If you don’t know what you’re doing or what you should be looking for it can be more expensive doing it this way after a screw-up occurs.