What are the causes of a blown engine cylinder head gasket?

[MacBennett]

Engine cylinder head gasket failure causes: 1. Elongation or loosening of cylinder head bolts/nuts, resulting in insufficient pressure and uneven pressure distribution between cylinder head and engine block mating surfaces, allowing high-temperature high-pressure gases to escape through areas with lower local pressure and burn the gasket; 2. Deformation of mating surfaces between cylinder head and engine block - if these surfaces warp, uniform gasket compression cannot be maintained, causing gas leakage and gasket burnout; 3. Improper installation procedures including unclean mating surfaces, incorrect tightening sequence of cylinder head bolts/nuts, insufficient or uneven torque application, or inadequate/uneven protrusion of cylinder liners above engine block surface; 4. Substandard gasket quality issues such as uneven thickness, imperfect rolled edges, insufficient elasticity, poor material quality, surface irregularities, or physical damage during handling/installation.