“My engine blew a head gasket and now it overheats.” That’s a fairly commonly heard knee-jerk diagnosis. However, it’s wrong. When an engine overheats or if the gasket allows coolant or combustion gasses to escape, do not automatically blame the gasket. Cylinder head gaskets can be viewed similar to a fuse. If the gasket “fails,” this is a symptom that something other than the gasket itself caused the failure.