has the car been overheated?
hi you have to remove the oil pan then go to autozone or oriley and tell them you need a oil pan gasket for 96 dodge neon then you would place blue siacone on the oil pan ,then you would place the gasket on the oil pan ,make sure that you can see the screw holes ok very easy.
a cylinder head gasket is called in French "un joint de culasse"
A compression test will tell you if a head gasket is blown on ANY engine. Also, white smoke tells you that your burning anti-freeze, which means a head gasket is blown.
To tell if the head is cracked, you have to remove it from the car, so you will replace the head gasket, anyway. Take the head to a machine shop and have it magnafluxed to see if it's cracked.
HeyMar==This is a pretty good job. Get a manual from the parts store and it will tell you how. GoodluckJoe Replacing the head gasket on any vehicle is a long and complicated process, however if you wish to see basic step-by-step instructions go to the related question on the right side of the page "How do you replace a head gasket?"
Just look at your engine oil and you can tell, if it looks milky there is water getting into the oil and that's the sign of a blown intake gasket or head gasket.
A compression test will verify if the head gasket if blown or not, the majority of the time.
You can tell if you're head gasket has been compromise by looking into the coolant reservoir, with the engine running. When the head gasket is compromised there will be air bubbles in the coolant reservoir.
Take it to a mechanic nobody can tell you how to replace a head gasket over answers.com it requires someone who knows how to rebuild engines when a head gasket blows it requires the engine to be disassembled and rebuilt.
I hate to tell you this but I just paid $3,500 at the Nissan dealer for head gasket replacment.
A good way to tell is change your oil. When a head gasket blows you will have water in your oil or oil in your water system. Check these 2 areas for water and oil.
The head will need to be inspected at a machine shop. They can tell you if it is warped or cracked.