Block Seal/ Steel Seal?

jaymac

New Member

Feb 18, 2004

995

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Northern Mass

Jun 28, 2005

#1

• Jun 28, 2005

• #1

This is not in refernce to my car, but to my bosses' 99 Subaru Forester. He blew a head gasket, and is trying to avoid paying a shop $1000 to replace it. One option is we do it ourselves, the other option is to give those block/head/headgasket sealers a shot. There's one I saw at Autozone for $8, and one he found online for $45.
You guys ever heard of this working? It's definitely not a high performance application, not a turbo model, and is driven timidly.
What do you think?

 

z9_87

New Member

Apr 16, 2004

332

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Urbana, IL

Jun 28, 2005

#2

• Jun 28, 2005

• #2

I would start off telling him if he bought a car that didnt have an engine shoved in a compartment the size of a glove box the heads would be easy

But for $8 how can you go wrong? If that doesn't work send it to a shop or do the change yourself.

 

jaymac

New Member

Feb 18, 2004

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Northern Mass

Jun 28, 2005

#3

• Jun 28, 2005

• #3

that's my logic.
Damn imports.....

 

txstang84

15 Year Member

May 21, 2005

1,639

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Tuscola, tx

Jun 29, 2005

#4

• Jun 29, 2005

• #4

...actually, they do work-kinda they're a good stop gap until you can save up the clams for the repairs, or gird up your loins enough to do it yourself

 

jaymac

New Member

Feb 18, 2004

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Northern Mass

Jun 29, 2005

#5

• Jun 29, 2005

• #5

that's what I figured - buy him some time if nothing else

 

393Bird

Founding Member

Jun 26, 2002

244

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Clarksville Tennessee

Jun 29, 2005

#6

• Jun 29, 2005

• #6

I had a 59 Tbird with a 390 that had a crack in the block above the strter show up 3 days after I bought it used. A friend told me about K&W block seal. I picked up a radiator at the junk yard to use while running the K&W through the engine. Ran it for about 30 mins and the leak stopped. Drained it, and let it sit over night as per the instructions. Put the good radiator back in, filled it up and no leak. I drove the car for another 2 years and did not have any problems. They did not say anything about the radiator, but I figured I would not take the chance on plugging mine up.

 

darthcual

Member

Mar 31, 2005

985

19

18

Arlington, TX

Jun 29, 2005

#7

• Jun 29, 2005

• #7

Yes a stop measure but nothing else. I have been turning wrenchs for only about 3 years but i learned one important thing in that time. Its better to fix it right. Thus the reroute of my coolant going to the heater core got repaired correctly when i mustered up the courage to replace it.

 

z9_87

New Member

Apr 16, 2004

332

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Urbana, IL

Jun 29, 2005

#8

• Jun 29, 2005

• #8

If you had a 59 bird why did you get rid of it? I love that car.

 

jaymac

New Member

Feb 18, 2004

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Northern Mass

Jun 29, 2005

#9

• Jun 29, 2005

• #9

but a "temporary fix" for sure?
No snake oil?

 

txstang84

15 Year Member

May 21, 2005

1,639

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Tuscola, tx

Jun 29, 2005

#10

• Jun 29, 2005

• #10

from what we've all apparently seen, it does work, and for some-an extended period of time...

sorry, this guy ain't THAT lucky, but even if it doesn't completely stop the leak, it will slow it down quite a bit, i've used that stuff before with leaking rad cores on a 400 mile road trip, and had no leakage...

even if it is "snake oil"...for $8 what have you got to lose?

 

jaymac

New Member

Feb 18, 2004

995

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Northern Mass

Jun 29, 2005

#11

• Jun 29, 2005

• #11

$8



















j/k
Yeah, it's def. worth a tempoary fix, anyway!