blown head gasket?

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gp - 09 Dec 2006 22:58 GMT

Appreciate any thoughts on this!

I had the head replaced on a mercury mystique (ford contour) 2.0 zetec
90k miles about 10 months ago when the gasket blew after overheating
caused by a hole in radiator and of course losing coolant.

After new (remanufactured) head replacement the car ran as it did prior
to head gasket blowing although noticeably cooler than before. I
suspect the running warmer before new head (although never previously
overheating) was a gasket problem that started small and then a hole in
the radiator put it over the edge when it did overheat(?)

I checked the oil about a week after head replacement (maybe 200 miles
max) and it was 2 quarts low. Took it back to shop. They topped it
off while scratching their heads. Since then it has consumed approx a
half quart of oil every tank of gas. The only blue smoke I had noticed
from the exhaust was during first minute or so after starting in the
morning. Before the overheat and head replacement the car did not leak
or burn any oil at all.

Last week without any warning or anything unusual, it lost power almost
completely. Stopped to check and it had blown oil all over left side
with enough force it blew out through wheel and all over brakes and
wheel well.

Shop says little to no compression in two cylinders. I have used these
guys for a number of years, however as with many shops they do not
rebuild the heads themselves and am wondering if it may not have been a
bad rebuild from the begining with the way it was using oil.

Thank you for any input!

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Jeff - 12 Dec 2006 12:38 GMT

> Appreciate any thoughts on this!
>
> I had the head replaced on a mercury mystique (ford contour) 2.0 zetec
> 90k miles about 10 months ago when the gasket blew after overheating
> caused by a hole in radiator and of course losing coolant.

Actually, it overheated because the driver wasn't watching the gauges
carefully enough. There should be a low coolant light. And there is a gauge
for engine temperature.

The steam coming out of the hood should have been another clue.

> After new (remanufactured) head replacement the car ran as it did prior
> to head gasket blowing although noticeably cooler than before. I
> suspect the running warmer before new head (although never previously
> overheating) was a gasket problem that started small and then a hole in
> the radiator put it over the edge when it did overheat(?)

These engines are not known to have lots of gasket problems. Either way,
the loss of coolant through the radiator was probably the way most of the
coolant escaped. And the ignoring of the low coolant light was an expensive
mistake.

> I checked the oil about a week after head replacement (maybe 200 miles
> max) and it was 2 quarts low. Took it back to shop. They topped it
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> morning. Before the overheat and head replacement the car did not leak
> or burn any oil at all.

If you're burning oil slowly, you might not get blue smoke. The oil may be
combusted by the catalytic converter. Not only will this damage the engine,
it will ruin the cat.

> Last week without any warning or anything unusual, it lost power almost
> completely. Stopped to check and it had blown oil all over left side
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> rebuild the heads themselves and am wondering if it may not have been a
> bad rebuild from the begining with the way it was using oil.

Oopsie. I told you. You should not have let the

Does it matter? It is either a bad rebuild or a bad assembly. It is the
responsibility of the shop to fix the engine either way. And you took it to
the shop after 2 weeks. Their problem, not yours.

Jeff

> Thank you for any input!

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