# head gasket sealer?



## technotrash (Dec 27, 2012)

just checking here to see if anyone's had any luck with this stuff: "bar's head gasket repair"
apparently my head gasket is leaking (but not totally busted, can idle just about forever without overheating) and a $30 bottle of stuff seems a better option than $1000+ in repairs....


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## railroadron (Dec 27, 2012)

Man that sucks! honestly, its only a matter of time till it goes completely. You re losing compression and run risk of water getting into the oil which turns it white. That sealer is a expensive band aide meant to give you at best a day or two to get it repaired. What size engine? Head gaskets are relatively cheap


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## technotrash (Dec 27, 2012)

its just a little 2.5 litre, every place i take it says a new head gasket will cost at least a grand considering labor. the oil looks fine still. i would replace it myself but im not much of a mechanic, not to mention im stuck in des moines with no tools and no place to work on it.


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## dprogram (Dec 27, 2012)

Dude. Just a few bolts and you can get loaner tools from Auto Zone. The Labor is what costs. Price the actual gasket. You'll still need gasket sealer which shouldn't cost more than 10 bucks a tube. If you have access to the internet and know how to turn a wrench even being a beginner it shouldn't take you long.


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## Teko (Dec 27, 2012)

ive used the head gasket sealer. and they do work. it works best if you flush everything out of your system first, and then put new antifreeze in your shit then put the sealer in. but if your oil gets milky, its pretty much game over. good luck. and you could get a *haynes repair manual. *they tell you everything you need to know about said car.


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## travelin (Dec 27, 2012)

is it leaking water at the head/block join?

in other words, where is the water going?

it could very well be simply the radiator clogged which would not allow enough water flow through to provide effective cooling.


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## Nomadfrom82 (Dec 28, 2012)

Yeah a head gasket kit is like 150, better to do it yourself, the internet or a haynes manual is what you will also need... Than you gotta get tools which usually isnt hard if your looking ypu will find some to borro. Gl man dont overheat yoyr engine too much or youll warp your head


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## creature (Dec 28, 2012)

the main issue is the direction of the leak.. coolant into exhaust (blowing steam, not smoke) or engine products into the cooling system (greyish goo in the cooling system).

in the first place you have about a 70% chance of a long term fix with sealants.
in the second case *anything* is a waste of money.

if yer lucky & it's # 1, the first thing to do is a radiator flush. Save the coolant if it's still a fairly good green AND has not floating shit in it. If your cap goes directly into the radiator, so that you can see the cooling fins, and there's no significant build up, fill the system with water & run it until hot, *not* over 180"f, & then let it sit until cool, then drain. Refill with original coolant & bars leak or other sealer.. the mechanics and chemistry of sealants make for a lot of theoretical considerations.. basically you want a polymer AND fiber seal.. bar's leak is strong on the fiber, weak on the poly.. others are strong on ploy, weak on fiber... do the fiber based sealant first, then a poly to add extra cementation. IMHO, only.

I would avoid anything with silicates, at first (some radiator based sealants). the sodium silicate creates a mineral matrix in the failure area, which can tend to fracture with age.

there are old timer solutions, too.. check them out.. i've heard, for instance, that ground pepper can work in survival situations, which makes sense, but i would never try it long term..

if the exhaust is blowing into the cooling system, you can try the heavy duty money back guarantee shit that makes a profit by selling shit to people who don't demand refunds, but do that only if yer willing to spend the $30 & get your money back..

i imagine you might be able to buy 2 cans, use 1/2 each & take them back to walmart saying they didn't wor & you're returning the unused portion..

it will probably be a bust, though..

the main thing is are you steaming with no shit in the cooling system..

you may get a 20 or 30,000 mile fix if yer really, really, really lucky..

the best thing is to try & do the fix yourself, though, but ONLY if you have the time & experience.

if you HAVEN'T done major top end work before, and you are doing this on your own, or with someone with no/little experience, expect at *least* 2 weeks down time, and be ready to take her into the shop at the end anyways, in case she needs minor adjustment or repair.

MARK ALL TIMING ISSUES AS IF YOU ARE JUMPING WITH ONE PARACHUTE!!!!!

if you fuck up the timing during the repair (rotating the OH camshaft or otherwise screwing up the timing gear relationship -, distributor rotation, etc,) you can kill your engine instantly.

but.. the gasket change is the thing to do..

BTW.. you didn't mention symptoms, as far as i saw..

in any case, good luck..


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## travelin (Dec 29, 2012)

the two statements that lead me to believe it is simply a clogged radiator or a malfunctioning thermostat are the one where the OP states oil looks fine and the engine can idle just about forever.

i have twice experienced clogged radiators causing the exact same problems.


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## creature (Dec 29, 2012)

interesting.. but if the radiator (thermostat, water pump or clogged circulation)is fouled, wouldn't that cause overheating & thus not idle forever?

it's true that he may be right at the overheat threshold, where pressure builds up, without major coolant venting.. that that certainly could be clogging, thermostat or pump..

hell... even **low coolant**.. 

Technotrash? Is there an indication of high heat, or overheating?

is the leak definitely from the head, and not merely in proximity?

& again, is the coolant clean? no gooey shit in it? that's the major tell, if the oil is fine..

no goo in the coolant, & healthy oil (dark & more or less clear, if recently changed..no whitish or off color goo in it, either), and *no steam in the exhaust* (significant white clouds from the exhaust, without a burnt or overwhelming gasoline smell), then it's a better than i agree with travelin', and would put it at a 90% chance or better that the head gasket is not the problem..

good luck..

i'm in cali, heading into SLO.. if yer around there, i have tools & will be more than happy to help..

jp


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## travelin (Dec 29, 2012)

yeah, real hard to do an internet diagnosis!

even a stuck thermostat might allow the engine to idle with no overheat as the little hole(s) in the thermostat would allow a little bit of coolant flow through the radiator.

i suddenly remember that one time my mother had a malibu engine blow out the head gasket to OUTSIDE. i realized it when i killed the engine and literally heard the coolant boiling and had to crawl under with a flashlight to see the leak. warped head, block damaged, cheaper to put new engine in.


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## creature (Dec 29, 2012)

yep... that's exactly the kind that*can* be fixed with sealant, *if* it's caught early..
had an old peugeot that almost ate it that way, years ago.. precisely how i learned..

errgghh...


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## technotrash (Jan 1, 2013)

thanks for all the advice guys, took it to a mechanic who got it fixed. apparently it was the water pump after all, along with some pinholes in the radiator. i guess the other guy i brought it to was trying to bullshit me...


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## creature (Jan 1, 2013)

glad it's fixed... sometimes just throwing ideas out clarifies stuff.. glad you found a straightup mechanic!


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