Mazda Repair: head gasket, head gasket problem, head gaskets

Question
I have been told a numerous of things and i am confused. My car is overheating (1993 Mazda 929). Once water is poured into the radiator it comes back out. The car will start with no problem. I was told that this is a head gasket problem and that this costs as much as having the entire engine redone. What should I do? I have seen advertisement for  something called "Steel Sealer" for head problems? Help me please

Answer
Hi Victoria
Thanks for asking. From what you have descibed to me, it definitly is a prolem with the head gasket, when the engine is running the pistons go up and down in there cylinders causing alot of pressure on the upstroke of the piston, With a bad head gasket some of that pressure escapes into the cooling system, That is why the antifreeze is getting blown back out when you are dumping it into the radiator. Head gaskets are very expensive to replace, It requires alot of the engine to be disassembled, and I strongly recomend having the heads sent out to a machine shop to check for cracks and resurfacing. Bad heads can sometimes be the cause of blowing head gaskets. Some mechanics say it is better to just replace the engine insteads or installing head gaskets because they are just lazy,and we can make more money and save head aches by just doing an engine, But i strogly beleive in redoing the engine you have, and it shouldnt be as expensive as an engine job, The job should run somewhere around 1500 dollars max, depending on where you take it. And i stongly recomend that you dont put in ANY after market sealers because that will cause  damage to other parts and cost even more money to repair. These sealants block uip heater cores, sometimes radiators and does damage to water pumps. And these sealents only mask the problem temporaroly and the same problem will come back shortly and even worse than it is now.
Good luck
Chris P