What causes a Blown Head Gasket? & Does Blue Devil really work? More Q&A with Danny Soliz

In this video, we give you a bonus round to last week's Q&A!
If you liked this video, check out our last Q&A here: • Can You Straighten a C...
For more info on Hill Country Performance, check out their Facebook here: / hillcountryperformance
To get caught up, watch part 1 here: • Lessons Learned !! Sup...
Part 2 here: • Rebuilding my 7M Cylin...
and Part 3 here: • How to straighten a cy...
www.pistonsandpixiedust.com
IG: @pistonsandpixiedust
FB: @pistonsandpixiedust

[@xmalcom8198]

By god I've been a mechanic for 35 years but Danny sure taught me something today about pulling the spark plugs I never thought of that but that makes all the sense in the world!!!!!!!!..... You're never too old to learn!!!¡!

[@rallymanize]

The " Faye and Danny show" So much knowledge that anyone can learn from, and sometimes it's the simple things that we overlook. Nice one guys for another informative and entertaining video.

[@crowmancaveman2gen-xer280]

A podcast is warranted

[@chads3642]

I could listen to Danny talk shop for hours. I am very proud that he built my 408 Chrysler. You guys are entertaining! "It's not a steam engine!" My buddy had a beautiful old Toyota he kept adding water to, and ended up having 100% water. A steel line corroded, he lost his coolant and cracked his block on the highway

[@Traveling_with_FIVE_Cats]

I lived in Kerrville (HillCountry)😢 and I didn't know about Dan at the HillCountry Shop. 😅

[@ReddList]

The knowledge Danny has is insane! I've learned so many cool techniques and facts from these videos that are absolutely invaluable. Thanks a ton Faye!

[@FayeHadley]

Me too!! Thank you so much!!

[@ryanpyoung1]

I’m a technician at Love’s in Ohio and I work on big trucks and I just wanna say I love your videos and I think you’re an awesome mechanic. It’s great to see someone like you in the repair industry and I really like the way you do your videos. I can tell you like what you do. Keep it up!!

[@FayeHadley]

Oh my gosh thank you! That's crazy I can't imagine working on big rigs !!!

[@ryanpyoung1]

Faye Hadley it can be hard work sometimes because most everything is bigger on them but I enjoy. Plus, I think every boy has dreamed about working on big semi trucks sometime in their life! 😉🤣

[@jackiegammon2065]

OMG! I love this!! Again, not a car mechanic... but am a bike/ski mechanic simply because someone along the line did not fix my bike/skis correctly. Now, I've had the same issue with vehicles, so these channel and these videos have encouraged me to start working on my van. THANK YOU to Faye & Danny for all of the info; hope you will continue this series down the road at some point.

[@FayeHadley]

Absolutely! I still have 3 more videos filmed and in the editing phase right now; you'll get another on Monday!

[@jackiegammon2065]

Awesome!! I'm looking forward to it, thanks for everything that you are doing!

[@black85chevy]

I could listen to Danny for hours. Please make more videos of you two. Thanks Faye for all your videos 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@markt7291]

No shortcuts for for experience and knowledge. Your channel is real and put in Lehman’s terms for the amateur who like to tinker with engines. Thanks 😊 .

[@kevinjohnson9736]

Technical Knowledge and Common Sense is why I love these two!!

[@mattway3496]

I love the enthusiasm. It’s truly contagious.

[@mattway3496]

You can tell when someone really knows their shit

[@rbspider]

I needed this info in 1997 Head gasket went at 126k. Blew again after another 25k .He is spot on. Chevrolet said the vehicle was know for blowing gaskets, it was a weak point. Awesome video.

[@pietropetralia7600]

Definitely on point! I solved my blown heads by “Ringing” the heads. And never had a problem with my Chevy 350 ever again, even when I hit the NO2!!! 10 1/2 seconds quarter mile style, 135 mph crossing the line in my daily driver! Back in the 80’s no less! Old Guys Rule! Old School Baby!!!

[@brandono.4945]

You two should have a garage podcast! That would be awesome! Like always, love the content Faye and Danny!

[@jdguillot8647]

Oh wow, Faye's face when Danny says "pull the spark plugs"! :D I /love/ seeing smart, talented people geeking out and sharpening each other!

[@phxamigo]

Amen 🙏🏽!!!! People ask what car to get? You tell them Toyota or Honda, and they end up buying a Chrysler!!! Ugh 😫!!!!!!

[@collinhopper7542]

Or an Audi that has just gone out of warranty.

[@lordjaashin]

@@collinhopper7542 man, audis are such money burners that I'll never buy them again. fuck'em

[@southtexasheat]

This was so awesome! Everyone forgets or doesn't want to bother in asking "what caused it" and much less patient in waiting for a response. I enjoyed this conversation so much!

[@RacerRickxx]

Some engines have bad reputations for head gaskets, but it really was the factory service procedure to fix it. Quad 4 GM's were known for head gasket issues, because they had a poor gasket design from the factory. The replacement gasket was good however. The initial factory service procedure was literally to unbolt the head without even removing the timing belt. Just tilt the head up, slide out the bad gasket, and slide in a new one. Done in a few hours. Then they wonder why it blows again when the deck and head are warped because the engine went hotter then the surface of the sun the first time it blew. Remember that every car is a system of its parts. You need to find out why something broke so you address the root cause affecting the system, and are not just addressing the symptoms.

[@skittles1624]

The energy Danny brings... I'M ALL HERE FOR IT

[@NS1.]

His energy is intoxicating.

[@p.o.9964]

Love it when you talk to Danny. It's great that you and he is sharing his lifetime of knowledge. Love all your video's thank you! Glad to see you getting more comfortable in front of the camera.

[@stephenmoxley3004]

Awesome video, Faye. It's really cool of Danny to share his knowledge with us. Looking forward to the next chapter. And top it off with chickens...yay!

[@scflooring8658]

Really enjoy You and Danny you guys work great together and you can tell Danny really enjoys his job as much as you do very rare to find!! Keep those videos coming he is a very knowledgeable man could listen to him all day

[@FayeHadley]

Thank you!!!

[@kellywren9215]

I really love the information being put out here. Doesn't hurt that both of you are very entertaining while doing it.

[@pospc2]

I have used the headgasket in a bottle fix once. Blew a gasket racing.well after the race ended,my fan relay quit working and my fans didn't kick on.which caused it to overheat very quickly. Did the headgasket sealer fix. Got 1 more race out of it and that was all. Currently have the engine apart and am getting new heads along with full rebuild for this up coming race season.

[@bentnickel7487]

Learned so much in the first 18:26, that I went back and doubled my understanding the second time. Thank you, Faye.

[@FayeHadley]

Oh my gosh, thank you so much !! I've watched it several times myself 😂😅

[@rogerjohnson2515]

Thanks Faye, love the information. I still enjoy learning about all the nuances of an engine. Keep the great videos coming.

[@yourface8698]

I bought my first Toyota last year with high miles and it's been the best car I've ever had. love the channel thanks for all the great info.

[@CravinMorehead420]

Can't tell you how many times I heard "Well, it was in the red, but I pulled over".. This man is a wealth of knowledge.

[@layurhandsonme]

That dude is like the Einstein of mechanics

[@VivKittie32]

He’s a trip.

[@Unobullito]

I own a 99 Camry and I love it. You’re the best Faye and Danny is a wealth of knowledge. Awesome video!!!

[@majork4114]

Man I just appreciated this video so much. Thanks a lot guys. Have had a small coolant leak from behind motor. '94 Teg. And this helped out a lot! Thanks for the honesty.

[@mrmagoo9901]

Excellent presentation folks...much appreciated!

[@1977jelliott]

Great video, Faye. It is a basic in diagnosis to find out the cause of a symptom before the repair.

[@paulone-off7286]

I always add water, Faye's expresssion at that, pricesless. Another great video with the man Danny. Definitley need more of these, so much knowledge

[@moisesjpagan]

So much knowledge!! Would love to see more of this!

[@cubedomatic]

Holy silky chickens, the amount of knowledge you guys are droping is super insightful! Thank you guys!!

[@gpam03]

Another great vid, You two are a hoot to watch, love it.👍🤣

[@chvytom]

She's so fun to watch great personality and energy

[@camaro72_justin9]

Motortrend get this man a show 🙏

[@MrMccurley]

I've overhauled a few engines, thought I was pretty good. Watching and listening to you two, I feel like I'm back in school... ;)

[@richardprice7107]

Thank you for the explanation and the educational class!!! I love my 1993 Toyota Pickup 4x4 with the 22RE engine!!!! Runs forever!

[@patrickdooley4031]

Amazing content. Thank you!

[@joubess]

Love the Faye and Danny show! Thanks for the bonus footage! Always an education when you two get together!

[@efraingonzalezcruz4278]

She's a talented. Lovely. Beautiful girl

[@VivKittie32]

This was awesome and eye opening!

[@cruzrobledo6631]

Thank you for all that great information

[@Korium84]

Love the energy and solid knowledge of this series! Faye, your being the Abby of cars doesn't hurt either! (Sorry for the repost almost an hour later, didn't notice my previous glitched with the last word I typed on my phone at the beginning of it until now)

[@robertdarcy2168]

Most Informative diagnosis. The cause!!! An Appreciative Raptor Rob(England)❤️ ❤️

[@wademiyataki9221]

Always great to learn things from those who truly understand things. 👍👍

[@winfield841]

My mother’s name by the way, but this was so informative! Probably 1 of the smartest mechanics I’ve heard. After doing different jobs on my car, my respect for mechanics has grown tremendously l, because a lot these guys or gals are super smart! A cars engine is chemistry, it’s science.

[@t2stone1966]

Always informative... absolutely must watch ...🙋 IMHO TY

[@kurtzimmerman1637]

another great video faye. always look forward to seeing your videos and never miss you on all girls garage.

[@erich9244]

Fantastic video.. great information... from a truly remarkable set of inidividuals

[@fdems330]

Excellent! Why did the head gasket blow? It's so important to understand how these things work and how problems occur. Danny is 100% correct in that shops will just replace the gasket and then the car comes back. Such a great series on such a complex issue!!

[@dustyroads204]

Wealth of knowledge that Danny!! I agree with his love of Honda’s and Toyota’s ....really can’t find a better vehicle and the resale value is tops!! Great vid Faye.....keep them coming!! 🐓🐓

[@ubangiestomp]

Well this video reminded me. My 2007 F150 with 61,000 miles needs a coolant flush when I change oil in April. Thx for the awesome and informative video! 🤘

[@dannydyer9961]

Another video that is fluffy chicken approved 👍 Keep rockin Faye🤘❤ Its great to see how many videos you have done lately

[@Todd936]

Great job... good info... again u r doing a awesome job keep up the good work love the video

[@canadianmarauder1923]

OMG that was fantastic! I could listen to you guys talk about cars all day. I’m takin notes again

[@don.richard8823]

Thank you guys ! 🤘💀

[@Max-ik9qb]

Here is one for you two. Blew a head gasket in a Ford 302 5.0L at high rpms racing. When I pulled over and looked at it I could see fire coming out from between the head and block from number 7 cylinder. Lost NO coolant, Had NO coolant in the oil, did NOT overheat and drove home on 7 cylinders. After pulling the head the gasket failed right at the edge of where I was seeing fire shoot out and NONE of the cooling passage sections were damaged....... Head gaskets sometimes DO fail on their own!

[@jpegjake]

You know a spanish italian looking guy is always the right guy to work on your car. Or just anybody that is articulate and excited like this guy.

[@funfun5656]

I love how passionate you folks are. If mechanics in my area cared the way you do maybe I'd be willing to let someone else work on my car lol...I do everything myself from oil changes and headlight bulbs to turbo wastegates and transmission rebuilds...It's 2007 BMW abused by the previous 3 owners so there's been plenty of learning opportunities.

[@FayeHadley]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@omegamanRA28]

Alright, said it once before, this guy is a God. Info given at 12.30 min, was priceless. Next time i see him and get blown away, I subscribe. 😜

[@jcsuperstars1100]

unthreading the plugs will not help. the rings will not hold compression after the engine is shut off. see my full comment above.

[@mrcokez1]

Faye youre so adorable haha... love the channel, been binge watching all of your videos lately. keep up the great work!

[@FayeHadley]

Thank you so much!!

[@Autofusionchannel]

Another awesome informative video great job guys. 👍👍

[@pyronitro]

Love that you pointed the head gasket issue out. at work we call this "root cause analysis." RCA. part of critical thinking skills. Fix it for good!!! on the blue devil usage. thats a really good distinction! nobody ever said that before! Thank You!!! and yessssssh the chickens!

[@RealWorldGarage]

On the 7m’s my old man worked at the Toyota dealer when they were new, and told me the factory warranty replaced a lot of heads on the first generation due to oiling issues. On another note when you over heat an engine severely you need to look at servicing the automatic transmission as well. I’ve seen many times it can scald the fluid.

[@Firedog-ny3cq]

These two are a blast. Masterclass here, people.

[@lacampos1164]

Faye i like your videos and the advices you give.. you're so smart..! Good for you.!✌

[@talham709]

This guy's so smart and I think it's so cool that you've done this series. Also, my mate got really unlucky in a Civic Type R and it skipped timing and the first cylinder sort of blew up causing a mess. he ended up scrapping it.

[@mr.z4973]

Best Q & A on KZbin

[@bowmanjeff8]

Great example of problem solving .. :) And getting good at problem-solving and troubleshooting helps throughout life as a whole.. not just in automotive mechanics .. Excellent video.

[@yogib37]

great Video Faye. Always so nice to watch your videos. Just love you. Your laugh is so addicting. :) I am sure I am not the only guy that thinks that. :) Keep up the great videos. I also love this Danny guy.. he is so great and passionate about his work. looking forward to your next video

[@jackandblaze5956]

Another great little vid getting right down to the nitty-griity! LoL - doorbell "bleep"! You're so creative 😊 Love your enthusiasm!

[@FayeHadley]

Haha thank you!!!;

[@DonnerPassWhisky]

Excellent point. When my 90 Toyota PU blew it's head gasket I was zipping down the highway ignoring the temp gauge with a bad water pump. Just saved my 98 Subaru when the thermostat stuck by paying attention to the temp gauge. Did blow the plastic radiator tank but it had 200,000+ miles. Still running great at 232,000 miles. 👍

[@franciscolopez7481]

Your so right!and I just learned the hard way

[@darkiee69]

Great info, cute smiles and giggles, and chickens. Now THAT'S good content. ;)

[@edwinlomonaco6754]

This is why in recent years I usually just write up a head gasket as replace the engine. A lot of engines these days are all aluminum. Often as a Technician you're not getting paid to inspect the block and or head for warpage. You can't always see how much damage was caused by the overheating condition. And the head gasket is actually not what usually fails. It's the mating surfaces due to warpage. Most modern engines use MLS head gaskets. Those don't fail. They simply can't seal because the cylinder head and or block is now not true. But for sure. Most techs have a bad habit of seeing only the end result and not finding the root cause. 👊

[@brendanwilson8977]

Awesome video Faye, keep it up!

[@irishguy200007]

I knew someone who replaced a blown engine where a conrod came out through the block and never replaced the thermostat or even considered it, he was driving it and said to someone else that there was great heat getting into the cab and the guy said to him stop and touched his hand on the replacement engine which was literally on fire. The second guy got ripped the thermostat out of the machine and that was the end of the heating problemm. He got the thermostat and threw it accross the street to the dismay of the owner but guess what since this machine was an older machine without an ecu it went on for a number of years without any problems.

[@MrSupernova111]

Very informative! I always wondered why gaskets get blown. I'm brand new to your channel. Subscribed! Thanks!

[@charlesb4267]

This head gasket issue reminds me of what to me was an upsetting situation due to the care I took of the truck in question and yet it happened. Yes this dates back well before your time Faye as it was a 1982 Toyota SR5 short box standard cab 4x4, that was the 22R engine with cast block and aluminum head and they were a carb engine at that point yet. They were a very cute pickup and sought out to this day if one can be had that isn't a rust bucket. Anyway I was the second owner but it had very few miles on it when I bought it and was like new, did regular rad/engine block flushes and coolant changes to make sure it was perfect mechanically, a few years of ownership and still not that many miles on it and I started to notice the coolant level was dropping in the over flow reservoir and I discovered it was smelling slightly off in the exhaust. I pulled the head and there was one compromised area of the surface of the head gasket where coolant had seeped into a cylinder and it had caused some rust damage on that cylinder as the truck would sit at times for weeks on end not being used as I could see what looked like a water stain on that cylinder wall. The head had a factory surface flaw in a spot and that was where it had been seeping internally. I had the head machined to renew the surface but I honestly don't know if the head had any warpage or not as that was never said one way or the other by the machine shop but being an overhead cam engine I've wondered if that head was handled properly, I had no reason to think it had ever been overheated and its not like the head gasket "blew". So I put it back together and yes it ran fine but then I realized it was burning oil, not a smoke cloud or anything notable but it was using a quart every 1000 miles which it never did before, that rust damage in the cylinder obviously damaged the rings just enough. I've always thought since, yes there was that little casting flaw in the surface of the head but I feel part of the problem with these cast blocks and aluminum heads is the expansion rate of the dis similar metals and over time all that expansion/contraction of an aluminum head finally breaks the seal for coolant integrity as it literally is breaking down the surface of the head gasket material with all that movement. I expect Danny has his thoughts on the issue of cast blocks mated with an aluminum head and what if anything can be done other then installing a new head gasket every so often ... and who would want to be doing that and yet with my Toyota that would have saved the engine damage by prevention.

[@Klevra96]

Danny has great energy. Very entertaining

[@atticstattic]

How did I miss this? This is great!

[@nbrowser]

Gearheads talkin engines with facts not fiction, more of this please Faye!

[@peterzenner2020]

Ya had me at "it's not a steam engine, stop adding water." Ha ha. Made my morning.

[@elrobo3568]

As a master mechanic with 55 years experience you hit that on the head, the other thing I have seen is someone who used gobs of ether starting fluid and caused over pressure blowing out the gasket and sometimes worse damage.

[@johnmiller5092]

Glad I watched this during the 50 min process of using blue Devil. About to pull the spark plugs.

[@FayeHadley]

Damn, perfect timing!!!!!

[@johnmiller5092]

@@FayeHadley new to you're channel. Making mental note to watch future videos to support whatcha got going here. Good stuff 👏👏👏

[@raywalz4952]

4:20...staring into the abis....searching for a word..Thermocoupler if measuring exhaust temp..270F+..thermister if measuring 210F coolant temp. Not a big fan of electric fans...better fuel MPG..but give me a fan belt for ease of main. ..easier to monitor a belt with a good visual. Loose belt means it has reached end of life...replace belt then repeat replacement cycle when loose again. But electric seems to be the standard going forward....Thanks to you and Danny for taking the time to post this vid. Best to you and yours.

[@xmo552]

Damn Danny pulling the spark plugs was genius!

[@MikeyAlbertin]

Great info from you all. Dig those purple highlights you have. Really cool 😎

[@DaKineGuy]

Thanks for bringing up the 7M torque :) Toyota was definitely still learning when they put together specs on that engine. Did a partial head rebuild with an OEM head gasket on mine back in 2002 with a torque down to 68-72 ft/lbs, no head gasket issues between then and now *knocks on wood*. Granted I've kept mine stock the entire time though, which I'm sure has helped with the reliability.

[@saulsandoval2313]

8:00 "it is not a steam engine, you don't have to add water ... " 😆

[@BucketList22]

I actually had an old mechanic tell me that the Blue Devil stuff worked, and until this I never would have believed it. Yes I understand that it only seals and doesn't fix the actual head gasket.

[@adammorton9311]

Jeff H it does work. Did it to my car 60,000 miles ago and it’s been good ever since

[@Longtrailside]

It also plugs up the radiator and heater core.

[@adammorton9311]

Longtrailside not if you do it correctly and only add as much as your coolant system requires. I only used 1/4 of the bottle as my coolant system is very small.

[@charles_wipman]

Listening to Danny and you or watching your videos... i won't have any doubt on bring my car to any of you.

[@CCROSS5882]

Sometime they are good mechanics but they keep it for a few hours after its fixed or work on multiple cars at the same time while your hours are adding up! People are people you know when you go an honest mechanic he will tell you you don't need that or you just know by what they tell you! great video

[@danielsmith-ze3wy]

Thanks Faye for anuther great video ✝️🇺🇸👍 god bless and stay safe

[@PureEvolution]

OMG i could so sit and talk with you both for hours i feel lmao great video

[@vm722]

Nice 👌 Faye is amazing 👏 Amazing teacher she has. Both of you are a encyclopedia of knowledge. Keep up the great work Faye 👍

[@FayeHadley]

Thank you so much!!

[@Czech91]

Bout to get a 92 Bronco for $200 and it's leaking coolant something fierce so I'm gonna try the Blue devil. I always use mechanics to write me my grocery lists then if I can't do it I go to someone I trust.....which is hard to find but I love how forward thinking these two are.

[@maingun07]

Lot's of good information here for an old cast iron guy like me. But the one take away that is common for both aluminum and cast iron here is _why._ _Why_ did the head gasket blow? It really ticks me off when they only treat the symptom and don't search for the cause.

[@FayeHadley]

So true!!