A typical car engine is comprised of a cylinder head and the engine's main block, which contains the combustion chambers. The engine's head gasket creates a seal between these two main elements. If it leaks, the engine loses power.
The gasket is a thin pre-cut template that is placed between the cylinder head and the block. This seals off each of the combustion chambers and creates a vacuum inside. The gasket also covers the chambers housing the coolant and the oil that circulate in the engine block.
When the head gasket is blown, this creates a leak within the engine. Because the combustion chambers are no longer a vacuum, they cannot fully compress the fuel inside. This means there is a loss of power in the engine itself.
A leaking head gasket does not mean just a loss of power but can also lead to a blown engine. Coolant and oil can leak into the combustion chamber. The engine will not be able to properly lubricate the moving parts. Because of this, the engine will eventually reach the point of seizing up or otherwise failing.
