You're nothing but the best. A lot of people out there are looking for a quick fix. But you like to do it the right way. By finding out what caused the problem in the first place. Whatever you do don't stop what you're doing it will pay off in the long run.

Watching the dismantling and the long boring video of switching sockets for tons of bolts etc is how some people learn (like me) give a book on how to dismantle something, it isn't going to end well, Watching someone actually doing the work, helps and teaches us how to do the job....

I started 15minutes working on pick your parts and then getting car scanner and lean and search on you tube for tools and how to work with engine, so far I work on a dismantling auto job and almost all the time they work with head cylinders I'm a driver and once in a while I watch and this you tube teacher explain everything in the books. Thank you it's being almost a year and I learn a lot thank u for this videos

Youre a great person. I know a few mechanics like you who do my car work for me im glad that theres still people out there like you.

The most interesting thing I learned about your video is that head gaskets do not just go bad. Something causes the car to over heat and that causes the gasket to go bad. Which totally makes sense because the only two friends I had that had this problem ended up with the same problem again after replacing the head gasket by their mechanics. most mechanics just replace the gasket and don't really check for what caused the problem.

Recently did a head gasket on changing out a cylinder head on my car and used a lot of the knowledge you passed. Thanks for the info, helped me out a lot.

This is a great video! This guy doesn't pretend to be a master mechanic because he doesn't need to be. He's a scientist who works methodically and precisely to get the diagnosis right first time. This guy truly knows his stuff and conveys the findings really well. We can all learn so much from watching this channel.

The message from every video is about having a deeper understanding about whatever it is that your doing. This makes me appreciate this craft and put more time into learning it.

I cant explain how much this helped me. Going to be replacing a 2002 Mustang GT and making some mods to it. I knew there was more to the game than most other videos were missing.. Really appreciate the level of detail you take and elaboration on most things. I feel confident in doing the gasket now.

Your time, effort and expertise are priceless..my 15 year old Honda head gasket fixed and rockin again . Cause of blown gasket, thanks to you for finding the reason for the issue, failed radiator. Replaced radiator replaced head gasket. all ok thank you. Canada

This guy simply doesn't get nearly the recognition he deserves. Such a great mind coupled with a natural talent for teaching. For diagnosis tutorials, there is no one else on KZfaq who even comes close.

Well, 71 years and I still learnt something new. Thankyou.

I'm a software developer, who also works on my own vehicles. Never saw you before, but your troubleshooting approach is spot on. It doesn't matter what you do, *ROOT CAUSE IS KING*. This applies everywhere. You rarely get to it on a hunch. It always comes from a very thoughtful chain of processes that could go wrong to boil down to a singular cause. I live by this. Very smart dude and I wish I could hire him to work on my cars. These guys are a rarity in the auto repair industry.

You are awesome brother. Keep that knowledge coming. I am learning a lot of good stuff from this video. This is the stuff i love to learn and get my hands dirty on. Thanks for taking your time to teach the noobs like myself.

I watch everyone else's KZfaq videos to get a general idea of what's involved. Then I watch the videos on this channel (and your Quantum Mechanix), ScannerDanner and a few select others to understand how to properly diagnose, confirm and perform the job correctly before I even consider attempting it. Great job Matt, your dedication to the scientific method and actually addressing the root cause of problems (not just the symptoms) is greatly appreciated by those who are capable of doing so.

Don't let people sway you from what you're doing. Your videos are very informative and trust me you're helping lots of people. Those morons out there that believe that their way of doing things is the only way are idiots. You have a natural ability to simplify the most complex repairs. Keep up the outstanding work. 👏🏽👍🏽

This has been a good series, I think because of your science background. Most other videos of this topic don't spend so much time on critical diagnostics. I didn't know about fire rings, either. It's too bad TTY bolts don't have a universal label. Can you explain the process of magneflux to find occult cracks in a block? Also can you go into relative costs comparing junk yard vs rebuilt vs machining the head?

You're absolutely right about finding a reason as to why the head gasket failed. Except one: Subaru engines. Those head gaskets go out simply because of faulty craftsmanship in the gaskets. Thanks for the great video.

I can’t express how thankful i am for the effort you made to explain things in detail and the risks. You are genuinely the best I am seen on Here

Excellent video. I was able to determine a solid logical approach to solving my specific head gasket situation for my 2000 Chevy Silverado 5.3L. In my case performing the chemical and compression tests showed non-positive results for a blown head gasket, but was still helpful in determining the nature and extent of the coolant leak. I simply had coolant leaking externally out of the head gasket from a coolant jacket, which gave me some time to plan the proper fix and work around with other modes of transportation. I ran into a few snags when performing the job as can be expected, but feel confident that everything was done right on my end. The truck has been fixed now for over a month and still running great with no leaks. Thanks for the help! Oh and I forgot to mention this was all done spending under half the estimated minimum cost to fix. Plus, I get to keep all the new tools.

You just taught , head gasket replacement, 101. Thank you, Sensei.

"Good block surface and good head surface, nothing like good head" 🤣 always catches me off guard lol

Dude, your head gasket videos are by far the best on KZfaq, really good.

If you follow the advice given in the video you will have the best possible chance of a successful repair. I just replaced the head and gasket/s on my 1997 BMW 318is. I'm no mechanic but it started - first time!. One of the most important tips I took onboard is to make sure everything is CLEAN! Secondly make sure you have the RIGHT TOOLS! I had to buy a torque wrench and a Torx socket. Thirdly TAKE YOUR TIME! I did the job over 5 days. Matt's presentation style is spot on. Not too in-depth but all the critical information is spelt out in reasonably simple terms. Forget the 'Pro's' on the forums. This is the place to find the PROPER answers. WELL DONE MATT!

Nice video... just an old gearhead myself... I am though Certified Class A Gas & Diesel with around 40 years of experience.... a couple of comments. You use a "thread chaser"... well that's all well and good but what IS a thread chaser? On diesels the compression ratio is much, much higher than a gas engine so cleaning out those head bolt holes is of even greater importance. I would imagine that most readers don't understand that there are different "thread chasers", or what they perceive to be "thread chasers"... the proper "Tap" (to use the correct term) to use is a "bottoming tap". A standard tap has a tapered head, tapered to help in creating the new thread. But at the bottom of the hole it doesn't cut complete threads. They are angled towards the center. But a bottoming tap is has no taper and is made to ensure that threads are cut completely all the way to the bottom of the hole. On another note... I had a friend who used to race motorcycles on the roundy round circuit. He would build his engines without gaskets! I wouldn't recommend this for head gaskets... but the rest of the engine he would lay out a piece of glass and then spend hours flattening out his engine parts by rotating them around on the glass with valve lapping compound until they actually were flat! Hence, no leaks and no gaskets! On diesels the head bolts stretch! I always replaced them no matter what. On gas engines I've always re-used the bolts if they passed a visual inspection... I've done well over 100 heads on cars, trucks, heavy and light equipment and high horsepower 60's, 70's and 80's era Hot Rods. bikes and boats and I've never had a problem at all. Take that as you may. For anybody who might be reading this... I cannot overemphasize the importance, as did the creator of this video, of cleanliness. Do it right the first time and you'll save yourself a world of grief. This is one of the best KZfaq mechanic video's I've seen... and I've seen a bunch.

"turned a lot more pages than they do wrenches" ------>bingo haha. i always enjoy your videos man.

10 years later, this video was of great help to me. Thanxx

Been watching your videos for a while now, I must thank you. As you alone were the reason why I was able to ditch my screwball mechanic who convinced me to fork over hard cash for part swap jobs on a simple vacuum leak.

really good video man! thanks for the information, keep it up! seriously - this was perfectly educational!

Thanks alot for making this video! You're awesome

There is a time to cut corners (in the interest in time and money) and a time to do things properly. This guy understands that.

Thanks for the very detailed video and advice! I’ve always wondered how mechanics do this! I’m about to tear down an old 5.7L V8. This video is very helpful for me!

You rock!. Love the videos. Learning alot.

Love this video ! Enjoyed watching it !

I appreciate how thorough your videos are. You the man!!

holy crap! My head was blown from how much insightful information I have acquired from this video, dude you kick ass. Amazing.

Damn Good Video. One of the best I`ve seen. Thanks :)

When he said "Nothing like good head", I IMMEDIATELY went to the comment section.

Outstanding. About to work on a 05 1.8 Sentra. Now you can get a dye penetrant kit and use it to find cracks you normally cannot see with the bare eye. I use it checking welds all the time on boiler flanges and such. Keep up the good work.

A very well thought video, plus you explain the science behind every step as well. Watching this leaves me in awe of you great mechanics out there.

Really inspired to DO things RIGHT.

I have watched many of your videos, I always do my own work I don't trust others work, been doing it for years always learning something new, sometimes wife gets upset why don't you just call the shop , we have the money , me , nope I doing it myself, I made mistakes and learned a lot the votec never teach you, in started years ago with a $5 lawn mower and the motor and wheels got bigger, With that said let say this Haynes Manuals suck. I watch a lot on KZfaq most I laugh at, but you know your shit know the Ins and outs, thanks for making great videos keep it up.

By the way.....I learned a lot from your video. I can tell by the way u performed your work that you are an experienced mechanic. Most people would say hey I have a bad head gasket and need it repaired and never think twice about the other damage that could be caused by the gasket and the defective parts that caused the gasket to go bad. I was watching your vid because I was contemplating on buying a van from my job that has a bad head gasket and realized that it could be way more trouble than just replacing the gasket and it wouldn't be known until you start pulling things apart and testing them. Now that I've seen it done and know what issues could arise I think I'm going to pass on the purchase. So thanks again for the vid it helped me tremendously.

Not all of us are mechanically incline. It really does help a lot when you can see what parts need to be remove. I did my first head gasket and i had not a single clue what to remove or where to start. That's why they get so many views because you are helping the community. From special tools to the timing all learned from ppl explaining and the how, where and what is required on the job your doing.

Holy shit, this was a good video.

17:02 "nothing like a good head" haha

Your explanations and logic are a breathe of fresh air. Thank you.

thanks for the video, dude!! just successfully completed a top end rebuild on my 98 f150, and this video made me feel 10x more confident. it was more of a job than i thought. took me about 30 hours, but I did it right, and it paid off to take my time and be meticulous. thanks again for the vid, bro. time to crack a beer. cheers to you,and cheers to good head!!

Don't use sandpaper! Use a Stanley blade and take your time.

Nothing like good head I fell out of my chair laughing 17:00 minute mark ish

Thank you Sincerely for your help and prompt answers sir. IT'S a Blessing that I found you and your expert advice rte now.. When I need it the most. Keep up the great work Sir. You are truly helping ppl and Christians as well my friend! Take care! Sincerely, Angelo M.

spelunkard I totally agree with you 100% I have been watching Schrodinger a long time and hes always spot on. He goes into fine detail always many of the others are just parts changers and dont goe into deep diagnostics like Schrodinger does... maybe the haters are just jealous who knows this world has all kinds.. hes awesome and my #1 goto guy... thumbs up

this is everything but how to do it yourself..

"They have turned more pages than wrenches." It has never been said better. Great video.

thank you very much for the video ! at the moment im at university so i cant afford a mechanic professional, with this video i was able to save my 17years old vw golf, it will keep me going until end of uni best regards many thanks again

I'm actually in the process of replacing my head gasket so I'm glad to have came across your video. I Love the way you thoroughly explain things! Oh and love the "nothing like good head" surface comment! Liked and subscribed!

Case and point why I watch your channel. If you want the learn the "how", there are MANY other channels on youtube (but if you need the "how" chances are you are gambling with your car's future lifespan. I am NOT professionally trained and whenever it comes up that I need a bigger job done I hand it over to the pros) but on this channel I can learn the "why". Still not going to attempt this job on MY 99 Camry with this 2.2 engine when/if that time comes, but learning the "why" facinates me. Thanks for doing what you do, and I'll always be a subscriber!

I like the words " you have to find out the cause" which is pretty a good guideline and of course take much time.

Thanks for the great video. Watched both parts twice, and felt pretty confident going into what I thought was going to be a head gasket replacement.... but I got lucky and during the tear-down I found a single bolt missing on the lower intake manifold.

I can tell you worked hard to be where your at now, keep the videos coming

Man... I really enjoy watching your videos. After watching all your videos I think that I could top you... Great Teacher 👍

I'm about 4 minutes into this guy's video never seen him before. omg thank u for all this side informstion. this is why I watch do many videos and ur condensed ING it for us . ur a beast msn

This man here def has a spot in heaven. Thank GOD for you my guy.❤

Thank you, I learned some very important aspects that I hadn't thought of... Appreciate you man!

Awesome video / tutorial. Nice to see an advanced DIY video with some in depth analysis of the issue. I do agree to some point that it sometimes does not make sense to record the whole process of removing the head and each bolt & hose in the process. Even the description of your channel states - "This channel is for Advanced DIY auto repair" which should imply that the viewer is familiar with some previous automotive repairs. Then again I think there is a need for the channels / videos that go more in depth of the process of removal itself. I guess its something like school. You can't jump to solving differential equations before learning basic calculus (and a lot more stuff before). Anyway big thumbs up for the video.

This is very informative I was planning to DIY SLAP A HEADGASKET AND BE DONE WITH IT but this has enlightened me to prep for more stuff to look out before doing such a thing and avoiding making mistakes.

I will follow you because the way you reason and the way you support what you say and you do. Thank you for all that you do for us.

Other videos of guys ratcheting bolts out and stuff can help you make sure you have the right tools. However, these videos provide you with an EDUCATION and thorough understanding of when, how, what and why. I recommend checking here first to learn what you need to do. Then if you want, you can go watch a video on what bolts you need to turn. Great work on these videos!

Great video!!! thank you for your time going through all the details cause it shows you really have a gift with mechanics! please keep up with the good work!!

When I first bought my 2004 Volvo S40 I took it to an auto shop in San Diego to have it inspected before I bought it. They said it was fine, but the main crankshaft seal was leaking and it would need to be replaced or I would need to add oil a lot. I decided to buy it and over 2 years they did many repairs to it including new struts, new timing belt, and plenty of alignments. I noticed that the same problems kept coming up and at this point I had enough and took it to another shop. It took them 2 hours to inspect the car and gave me a grocery list of what was wrong - including the failure of the head gasket. They said with the amount of encrusted oil and dirt its obvious it had been leaking for years, probably before I bought the car. The first auto shop most likely knew this and chose to keep silent because they saw it as an investment on their part. I just wanted to say thank you for being an honest mechanic! It's so hard to find mechanics who just want to help instead of profit. I, myself, am now studying automotive mechanics with the goal of working with cars long enough to consider engineering. But I promise any car I work on until then will be towards the best interest of the customer and not the shop. Thanks again!

Thank you so much for making this video. I think you saved my whole project by providing advice that is not in the manual.

Really nice video and thanks for the knowledge! I saw this prior to starting my Jeeps head gasket. I took the advice and had the heads checked at the shop and sure as "ish" the head was cracked! This video saved me a whole lot more time!

Great video chief, thanks for your time. Doing my first rebuild on a 7.3 PSD. A person is dim if they reuse head bolts, even on a lawn mower, I broke one off in a mower once trying to reuse it.

Nice work, well explained. Now prepping my Citroen XM 2.1 TD block and head for new headgasket. Monster job on the XM as the engine has to come out to pull the cyl head off. Good job I love working on cars...

you sir are awesome. I wish all mechanics had your knowledge.

I really appreciate how articulate this gent is!

As always, extremely thorough. Great job!

Man I love your videos, just because they always make scene. Keep on doing this great job.

I've lost track of how many times I've watched this video. My first cylinder head removal was about 5 years ago.. Had absolutely no compression on cylinder 3 on my 3.5L Chevy engine. This thing was literally reading zero. I had brought it to a shop for a lower intake manifold gasket and when the car was returned to me it had a dead miss. After fighting with the shop, they would not look at it and insisted they didn't do anything wrong... Well they did. One of their techs swapped the intake and exhaust push-rods while reassembling the engine, causing a valve, and the guide in the head, to bend violently. I replaced the head with a used head and it was good to go. If I could have proved at the time that they were the ones who caused the head to fail, I would have pursued legal action.

Excellent video sir. I agree with you on the head bolt thought process. Simply put, if I (or whoever is paying me to do the work) is putting the money into diagnosing a concern, removing a cylinder head, troubleshooting the head, and putting it all back together, there is no sense in risking that whole job over again because of a head bolt set. Anytime a head comes off in my shop, new bolts go in.

Hey thanks for all the help I been fixing my car with all your tips and advices you are a great mechanic

Amazing guy. U helped me understand how to replace gasket. next week im going to replace mine. thanks a lot

Excellent presentation and well presented. Never mind the know-it-alls, keep it up!

I have NO idea how you would have ANY haters, your videos are top notch. Extremely informational and damn near necessary. Would you mind my asking about my latest project - likely blown head gasket on a 1987 Dodge Mini-Ram (Caravan essentially)? It has the Mitsubishi 3.0L 6G72 V6 engine and 3-speed trans, cast iron block w aluminum heads. I'm watching this video again because this is a job I would like to do myself (I maintain all our vehicles, just wish I owned a prof lift!). I use this van to haul my Hammond B3 (organ) for local shows, I have a larger van for touring, etc. Problem just happened recently, I pulled up about a block away from the venue/stage we were playing, and suddenly noticed a stumbling idle (misfire - still kept running though, and ran well when giving it gas) and lots of steady white smoke from tailpipe, my heat in car went from hot to cool eventually (I immediately said, oop there went the head gasket). Thankfully I was close to the show so was able to shut it off before overheating. I could see temp gauge hinting it would go towards getting hotter and hotter so I shut her down. Then take out the Hammond, did show (yep, made the show. Hahah, it was great too!) and setup to have it towed to my home garage. Once I turned the vehicle off however I could not start it when I tested, just a click and no crank, it was dead (suspect coolant in 1 or more cyls). So: Lots of white smoke, sudden stumble/misfire at idle, heat in van went from hot to cool. Also test restart failed, no start. I pulled into a safe space and had her towed to my garage. I'm at the sleuthing part first here to find the what and why. I'm thinking it's just that the HG failed and/or intake gaskets. Worse, aluminum head crack (but not so quick to judge that as i was able to shut down before overheat). I sure hope it's not in the block. It's cast iron and i read that these old engines are pretty tough. I keep reg oil changes, coolant, fuel filters, any and all maintenance religiously. The radiator is pretty new as are the upper and lower hoses. PCV was new and just did the water pump and timing belt as well this past summer. Drove really well, good cooling/heat, then...this. I do see the tan froth under the oil cap (never have had that before) so HG is likely here, but seeing no signs of tan/milky oil on dipstick. I drained what coolant was left in radiator via the drain plug and saw no oil in that (green reg coolant). I will take off lower rad hose and check further though. Can you provide any tips and info on this engine in regard to sleuthing the issue and doing this job on this engine? There's lots of room to work in these old vans, there's so many reasons to keep her going and I will enjoy doing this job actually (NOT a pro of your caliber but have the tools and am damn good with all the vehicles I own). Thanks for any tips, thoughts, on this

Great thorough video and well explained. You would be a good doctor!

I have experience with NDT and as a mechanic so this is a lil me-specific, but it's not complicated... The last head gasket job I did was a 3400 in a 04 Impala. I knew where the problem was already from my scanner and the look of the chamber. (#6) I glued some sandpaper to a large slab of glass and resurfaced the heads myself. I was skeptical about it until I got to the second head, (246) and saw the low spot in the sanding around cyl 6, and it took a LONG time to sand until it FINALLY sanded out. After that, I had way more confidence. I also was able to take the heads to a friends machine shop (not an engine type shop) and was able to check them for cracks using flourescent dye penetrent before doing any work to them. Also did the normal leak testing and seals. So, ya, if you have the right experience, and some common sense, you CAN, sometimes, avoid the machine shop.

totally invaluable info. Great guy and sound advice ! (I'm in the middle of this job !)

I am totally amassed by the way you xplain! all my respect and, thank you ! wish you many happy days!

Very helpful..you have the best 2 Qualities..COMMON SENSE AND EXPERIENCE..thx for posting videos..

early 03 mustang cobra's have head gasket issues, well some of them do. with my luck mine will blow very soon and i haven't even hit 15,000 miles yet. this video definitely helped.

I open my heads and all coolant ports were blocked.... I didn't open due to low compression but did it for overheating issues. Excellent video. Ty.

Totally agree with everything you stated in this video. Definitely change the head bolts especially after all your hard work and effort. I'm a new subscriber and find all your videos very intuitive and insightful. Laughed at the Haynes manual mechanics-spot on. Keep up the great work.......

Very good video.all about the task . this was explained very well I'm amazed. Most of these guys that do diy videos are assume the audience knows things that they know .I don't see that here . once again ty!!

Being a beginner this was very useful. Great Job!

Excellent video man really informative, im going to be honest, the first time i watched one of your videos i was kinda skeptical, mostly because of the "Haynes manual" guys that were religiously yelling "No way man! that's not the correct way to do that stuff!" in fact i was somehow doubtful because in some sort of way Haynes manuals are pretty useful, but just for the basics, that's it, but in the end i learned from you the logical way to solve problems.. here in my country mechanics are known as part swappers and they dont really do ANYTHING to solve any issue with a car.. Another thing i wanted to tell you is that you mention that the head bolts that were used to join the warped cylinder head with the block cannot be reused because of the mechanical stress resulting from the warping of the hed and the stretching they suffer, you are absolutely right on that and not just only because of that but also those bolts had been heat cycled many times!. Keep it up man!.

I have a 91 Toyota Pickup truck 22re with water in the oil...I was already in the process of ripping the head off when my 20 year old son told me to wait after we did a Compression test. 165 Lbs. in Number 1 and 170 lbs. in all the others. Never even considered Intake Manifold...I will watch the rest of your Video. Thanks Liked/Subscribed

Hey Schrodinger .... your beautiful Box is bloody brilliant, boy :-) (My phony cockney slang is actually a supreme complement) Here downunder in NZ, even ex-pat Brits are forced after 50 years residence, to know to watch the experts...or even, god forbid, RTFM. Your advice is so-o-o helpful... so-easy to follow,. Thanks a billion :-) MikeR

thanks for giving me this details I’ve been looking for while not frustrating me (nor insulting my intelligence); If I need to be told to pop the hood first, or what tool to use to unbolt… anyone needed that type of info has no business under the hood.

Thanks, your video saved me from taking the cylinder head off and replacing the gasket and putting it back on. wont do that now

Excellent video. I'd suggest also inverting the cylinder head on the bench and pouring some gasoline into each opening to test for leaks. Also, this test can be used in cylinder/piston gap situations. That might indicate more work to be done, even if not related to the overheat condition. Occasionally, cracks or gaps, either in the block or the head will be found in this way.