I have a 200 in my 4 door and have noticed lately a faint smell of antifreeze. Checked into it and found a very small amount (Just Damp) at the head/block on the driver side. This is my first 6 cyl. All my other Mavs are 302's. Is there a history or problem with head gasket or should I be worried about a warped head. I will change the head gasket this weekend no matter what and see what happens. Just looking for some thoughts. Also any thoughts on brand of head gasket. I will probably go with Felpro. Thanks Mike
oil seepage down the side of the block between the head and block is pretty normal, dont know about antifreez though. make sure its not the waterpump, t-stat housing, or water temp sensor leaking i would avoid changing the head gasket "just for the hell of it" if its not damaged because the parts store replacments are slightly thicker then the stock steel gasket and your going to get a slight compression drop, and 200s arent exactly well stocked in that department
Radiators and caps that aren't holding also allow odor... Sniff it out a little better and fix the real problem...
If you do need to change the gasket and If one is in your area, get your head gasket at Car Quest. They carry the Victor Reinz line and that gasket is thinner than the Fel-Pro. The Fel-Pro is .050 compressed thickness and the Victor is .043 compressed thickness. That will get some of your compression back. Of course, if you are going to change the cylinder head gasket and it is in your budget, have the machine rebuild the head and take .015 off the head. That plus the Victor gasket will put you back at the factory compression ratio with the steel gasket.
So I am guessing there is no problems with Head Gaskets going bad on a regular basis. I do know that the engine is leaking just below the head. It is not leaking from the front of the engine because it start at about the third cyl back. Thanks for the responces!:Handshake
source I would consider throughly cleaning the motor...gunk and pressure wash..then run it to operating temps (short drive) and see if in fact you have a head gasket leak to begin with. If so, the suggestions posted above are the solution. Have the head rebuilt by a reputable machine shop and reinstall. Properly milled , new seals, ect.