1986 Ford Contour One Mechanic Needed Replace Head Gasket Told By Another That

The head must be removed and crack tested, there is no way of telling if the head is cracked short of seeing water bubbling through a visible crack which is most unlikely. In most cases cracked heads are readily repaired it will depend on the extent of the cracking to determine costing. Some cracks are not repairable but they still need to be checked first.