Liquid head gasket repair

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I know if a vehicle has a blown head gasket it should be replaced. However, I am wondering if anyone has ever used the products that allegedly seal the leak without clogging the engine or causing other issues such as "Steel Seal".
 
I don't believe in "mechanic in a can" fixes. How does the compound know the difference between a head gasket leak and fine coolant passages?
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
I don't believe in "mechanic in a can" fixes. How does the compound know the difference between a head gasket leak and fine coolant passages?


It hardens when exposed to air?

OP: YouTube sensation Scotty Kilmer has done a couple of videos on these products.
 
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Someone else on here posted about a mechanic that charged for a head gasket repair but really just poured a bunch of stop leak goop in it. I don't know what product was used.
 
A friend of mine used K-seal and it worked temporarily. None of them will work permanently. Plus they can gum up areas in the cooling system.
 
Depends on exactly what is wrong with the head gasket. I recently replaced a head gasket on a beater, and was ready to try a fix in the bottle until I pulled the valve cover gasket and found a broken head bolt, and two loose head bolts. A sealer isn't going to fix that. However, all I otherwise had was an external coolant leak and yes a fix in a bottle would have otherwise fixed that.
 
I tried k seal several years ago in an old ford Taurus 3.8, was a beater car for work....temporary fix at best
 
It may make sense using this product if you want to unload the car to someone else or if you want to squeeze a few more miles out of a junker.... but not for a long term fix.
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
I have never seen any of it work, I have seen it plug up heaters and radiators though.

Originally Posted by Kestas
It may make sense using this product if you want to unload the car to someone else or if you want to squeeze a few more miles out of a junker.... but not for a long term fix.

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Kestas's comment applies to any "quick fix" IMO.
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
I have never seen any of it work, I have seen it plug up heaters and radiators though.


Is this based on personal experience?
From what I can tell, it's mostly stupid people who think a stop leak will fix a leaking hose, cracked plastic part (elbow, or radiator part), a pump seal, or something else that this clearly won't fix. Now a tiny leak in a heater core might be an appropriate reason to use a stop leak, in moderation. I would not use stop leak for a radiator either, even though in theory it might work for a small leak on the metal part.
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
I have never seen any of it work, I have seen it plug up heaters and radiators though.


And how many of those people put in too much, or were trying to fix something like cracked plastic on a radiator and kept putting in more, and let air get into their system, put in more than one kind, were trying to fix a large leak, etc.?
 
Many of the block seal type products have fiber material that can clog radiators. The Blue Devil brand doesn't and is all liquid. I've used it on two cars with success but you have to follow the directions exactly. It's not something you just pour in the radiator and drive off. Many people who dismiss such products have done so only from word of mouth and have never actually used them, or used them incorrectly.
 
Originally Posted by nthach
Isn't a lot of that stuff sodium silicate with copper powder or aramid fibers?


Supposedly some of them are, which is why Scotty Kilmer says not to use them if the head gasket involves coolant getting into the oil.
 
Most don't work if coolant and oil are mixing. It really depends on the nature and severity of the leak.

I'm actually using it in a vehicle I drive regularly and have been for about a year and 6,000 miles. I dug my Explorer out of a tow yard inop, no key, and decided the body was too good to just part out. Once I got it running, it was blowing exhaust out of the coolant reservoir, so I decided to try something in a bottle since it was a $250 vehicle that I still wasn't sure about fixing up/driving. Decided on K-Seal, the big bottle, and so far it has worked like a champ. I may eventually do a proper head gasket replacement (vehicle has NO rust), but not before the K-Seal quits working. Heat works great, engine runs great, and I don't even get little bubbles in the reservoir. Will it last forever? Probably not, but in my case it worked exactly as described and far exceeded my expectations. I completely expected to be throwing away $35, but it has bought me at least 6000 trouble free miles.
 
Coming up on one month...my brother came to me with his truck that was running hot. I determined it had a blown head gasket. I pulled each spark plug and cylinder #1's spark plug was extremely clean whereas the other 7 showed signs of normal carbon/burning. Classic symptom of a head gasket failure.

I told him what just the parts would cost him and he said his financial situation wouldn't allow for it. Certainly can't keep driving it as is and he had to be 80 miles away at a jobsite the next morning. His only option at the time was to throw a hail Mary at it and hope for the best.

Off to the parts store we went. Bought a bottle of Blue Devil head gasket repair. I've never been a fan of gimmick repairs either all the years I was in auto service. I followed the directions on the bottle to the letter. The problem was...that his radiator doesn't have a cap...it's a pressurized reservoir off to the side. I removed the thermostat and flushed the system with my garden hose per the instructions. I let it run until the liquid coming out was clear. I then bolted the vacant inlet back on the motor. Had to pour the product straight into the upper radiator hose and buttoned it all up.

The directions said to start the engine and allow it to circulate for 40 minutes at idle. After the cycle, I shut it down and allowed it to cool enough that I could reinstall the thermostat. Buttoned it all up the final time and topped off the system with coolant. It hasn't attempted to overheat a single time since.

Like I said, it's been about a month. He puts serious mileage on this truck....averaging over 700 miles a week with his work. I check in with him every few days for updates...waiting for him to tell me it's back running hot again. His coolant level hasn't changed and he says his heater puts out as good as it ever has. Temp gauge maintains 205°F just like it always has.

I am a bit optimistic that this stuff worked as advertised for us.
 
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