the sounds of mechanical issues

Gaskets are undoubtedly one of the most common car part failures that most people deal with. In fact, it's likely that if your car is a few years old, it already has a gasket that has either failed or is in the process of failing. Depending on the gasket in question, a failure can be anything from a minor annoyance to a major repair bill. In many cases, gasket leaks are small enough that they go unnoticed for long periods of time, especially if the leaking fluid is not dripping onto obvious locations or is burning off on hot surfaces. Why do these parts seem to fail so often? Read on to understand.

What are Gaskets and Why is Your Engine Bay Filled with Them?

Gaskets come in all shapes, sizes, and materials, but ultimately, they are all just simple seals for mating two parts together. They fill the dual purpose of both keeping fluids in as well as keeping dust and other debris out. Both of these roles are important, as there are many parts in your engine bay where even a small speck of dust can potentially cause a large amount of damage. Gaskets are used throughout your engine bay because parts are never machined so well that they are able to form a perfect seal, thus requiring a gasket to fill in the gap.

I Hate These Things! All They Do is Leak!

Unfortunately, most people don't really pay attention to their gaskets until they have failed. Most of the gaskets in your engine bay go happily unnoticed, doing their job of keeping the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. Even worse, when a gasket does fail you may discover that replacing it will cost several hundred dollars (or more) in labor despite the gasket itself costing only a few dollars.

So why do gaskets go bad in the first place? The most common cause is overheating. Gaskets are made of a wide variety of materials ranging from paper to metal to rubber. Depending on the position of the gasket in your engine bay, it is likely frequently subjected to extreme cycles of heating and cooling. Over time, this has a detrimental effect on just about any material. Rubber gaskets, in particular, are susceptible to hardening (sometimes referred to as plasticization), losing their flexibility and ultimately their ability to form a tight seal.

In some cases, gasket failure may be the result of a previous repair. Gaskets should usually be replaced if they are removed, but if a gasket is reused, it may begin to lose its sealing ability even if it was working fine beforehand. Uneven pressure on a gasket can result in leaks too, and this can sometimes happen if a part is replaced and the bolts compressing the gasket are not torqued to proper specifications.

Can You Do Anything to Prevent Gasket Failure?

The common causes of gasket failure are essentially just normal engine operation and there is little you can do to stop leaks from happening sooner or later. The best way to minimize the chance of failure is to always replace gaskets if you remove them for another repair and to make sure that compression surfaces are tightened to proper levels. Although following these guidelines will not prevent your gaskets from failing, it will avoid unnecessary failures due to user error. You can find gaskets and other auto parts for sale at an auto parts shop near you.