Cylinder Head Services

About Cylinder Head Repair

Lube Mobile, the mobile mechanics perform all types of repairs on your cylinder head.

Lube Mobile is the fleet of mobile mechanics who travel to you for all of your car repairs and car service needs, including a cylinder head repair. Choose the more convenient option of mobile technicians who arrive at your location with everything that they need to fix, service and maintain your vehicle and book online with Lube Mobile today. Whether it’s a cylinder head repair or a cylinder head service, our fully qualified mechanics are ready and equipped to tackle the job. You can book your next service or repair at your home, your office or even while you’re on holiday anywhere in Australia. We have mechanics near you ready and waiting in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Canberra, Hobart and Adelaide.

We can also ensure that your vehicle stay at  peak efficiency by doing your logbook services for you too. Book your next service online and enjoy the convenience and peace of mind that a mobile mechanic brings, knowing that your vehicle is taken care of wherever you happen to be.

How do I check my cylinder head for cracks?

The head gasket in your car is responsible for maintaining a sealed area between the cylinder head and the engine block. The cylinder head houses a range of components including the valvetrain, camshaft and fuel injectors. Your engine block houses the rotating assembly of the crankshaft and pistons as well as a cooling system and other lubricating components. Both assemblies need to be in peak working order for your vehicle to function properly. The head gasket helps with this, allowing coolant and oil to circulate where it is needed the most without those lubrications becoming contaminated. A head gasket is specifically designed to blow out first when an engine becomes dangerously overheated to prevent the risk of further damage to other components due to an overheated engine. If the head gasket is not fixed and you continue to drive your car then you risk causing further damage like cylinder head problems or a damaged cylinder head resulting in the need for either cylinder head repair or cylinder head replacement.

If a blown head gasket is not replaced, then you are essentially driving a ticking time bomb which will likely leave you stranded on the side of the road in a cloud of steam. Fortunately, Lube Mobile are a fleet of mobile mechanics and if you do step outside of your house and your car fails to turn over then we can come to you to carry out the necessary repairs or replacements that you need to get back on the road sooner rather than later.

If you have blown the head gasket then your mechanic will check your cylinder head for cracks. This is done in a few different ways as cylinder cracks and sometimes not detectable through visual inspection alone. The mechanic may use metal power or metallic fluid to determine the magnetic flow on the cylinder or a dye may be applied which will quickly penetrate cracks and show where they are located.

How do I fix a cracked cylinder head?

Signs that you have a cracked cylinder head include the check engine light may be on, indicating a problem that your engine management system has identified, and a poorly performing engine. Cracks in the cylinder head allow compressed air to escape the combustion chamber and the result with a slow running engine or poor power performance, including your engine misfiring. Another indication will be the exhaust smoke. Exhaust gases can leak out due to the cracked cylinder head and this should be attended to immediately. Oil leaks are also another possible indication and you may be able to see whether there is oil near the cylinder by checking under your bonnet.

If you are experiencing problems with the cylinder head and a repair is necessary, then the first thing that the mechanic will do is inspect for cracks or corrosion. Using the methods outlined above, if the mechanic believes that a crack or area of corrosion can be repaired, they will then quote you the cost of the repair and once accepted, begin work.

When it comes to cylinder head repair, pinning is the most popular technique used. This is because it’s usually quicker and more affordable. It involves drilling holes into the cracks, installing overlapping pins to fill the crack and penning over the pins to seal and blend the surface. They will then pressure test the cylinder head to ensure it is fixed.

Cylinder head problems, however, are rarely only to do with the cylinder head. It is most like that there is another issue with the cooling system, such as the radiator, thermostat, hoses, water pump or coolant tanks that has actually caused your blown head gasket and subsequent cracked cylinder head. Your mechanic will inspect the cooling system at the same time to check whether that is the source of the overheating and, therefore, the reason there are cracks in the cylinder heads.

Repairing a cracked cylinder head is also quite costly as the labour and time involved can easily stretch into a couple of days work. The location of the cylinder head can be difficult to get to and often the time to remove the cylinder head is the most expensive part of the mechanic’s bill. Before your mechanic starts any repairs, however, they will ensure they have completed a thorough investigation and diagnosis. They will then provide a detailed quote of the works to be completed.