How do you change a head gasket on a 1993 Mercury Cougar xr7?

Answer 1

You did not specify which engine your vehicle has. That being said, a head gasket is a BIG job (I had this done on my 92 Cougar LS with the 3.8L V6), and requires the disassembly of the upper half of the engine. Unless you're a very good mechanic yourself, take it to a professional! If these aren't done just right, you'll only ruin your engine. This job will cost $850 - $1000 at a professional shop, assuming you don't have anything else wrong. Other problems with head gaskets include: warped cylinder heads, warped valves, galling of the cylinders, fouled spark plugs and of course the possibility of anti-freeze in your oil or vice versa. If you have ANY of those problems, your costs will be astronomical. Mine ended up running me just over $1500 Unless your car is in phenominal condition, you may want to save your money and use it as the down payment on a new car! Cougars are wonderful to drive, but a real pain to maintain, especially at 15 years old.