I am considering using one of the products advertised on the internet to repair a head gasket leak on a Jaguar XJ-6. I'm interested in experiences, not opinions. I know this isn't the proper way but I need a quick fix to help out a friend.
Snake Oil
- Thread starter gorilla
- Start date
38Chevy454
Well-known member
Won't work. Not even if you get the rarest of snake oil. Combustion pressure will blow out any temporary seal.
Big Bad Dad
Well-known member
Didn't work for me on a 97 Chrysler LHS. 
MP&C
Well-known member
Will only work if purchased from a certified card-carrying snake oil salesman.. 
BillK
Well-known member
Even the $60 a bottle Blue Snake Oil wont work. Plus, you dont want to see the mess it makes of all of the coolant passages in the block and head Stop fooling around, pull the head and do it correctly.
Stop fooling around, pull the head and do it correctly.volvo
Well-known member
...
The only snake oil that I ever saw work was the pills that put metal back on rings, cured smoking and increased power 200% ...
Back page of comic books never lie.
The only snake oil that I ever saw work was the pills that put metal back on rings, cured smoking and increased power 200% ...
Back page of comic books never lie.
cyamaha2007
Well-known member
NO It wont work
c6fastback
New member
Best is to replace the head gasket . However , Blue Devil head gasket sealer usually works very well if your friend is on a budget . I have sold many at work and the buyers were impressed . Bars Leak now has a carbon fiber head gasket repair . Still should plan on head set purchase down the road .
pmiranda
Well-known member
Nothing but trouble IMO. That **** gets everywhere. Either do it right or don't do it at all. Easy for me to say... last time I swapped a head gasket was on my mustang and it was pretty easy. No clue how involved it is for your Jag.
HotRodJoe
Member
Only Head Gasket fix I've seen work is the one that actually works is from Bar's Leak and it's the large Head Gasket Fix bottle that costs 35 bucks. It won't work if there is combustion gas leaking INTO the radiator (in other words if the cylinders are leaking gas into the radiator, then you can't stop that with the stop leaks - none work). If you have water getting into the combustion chamber, that will work.
HICKS
Well-known member
You wont be helping him out by doing a hack fix. When you **** your pants do you turn them inside out, or put on a new pair?
dadsEH
Well-known member
junkman104
Well-known member
I have a lot of lines but I will have to remember that one.
Back to the subject, That snake oil **** has brought me work replacing radiators and heater cores. All that stuff does is make it worse.
I second all of the above advice about replacing the head gasket, and removing the head isn't all that hard. A very good source of info is http://www.jag-lovers.org/. And I too will remember the turn-them-inside-out line...
darkk
Well-known member
I have used Sodium Silicate, and it WILL seal a leaky head gasket. It will also seal a warped head (within reason). I have used it in the past for beaters. It will however make a real mess for the mechanic that eventually has to replace that head. It comes in a glass jar, I have purchased it at my local pharmacy, it's cheap. I've always considered it a redneck fix like JB WELD...(no offence meant) Radiator needs to be flushed with clean water, drain and let it cool down, add 1 gallon plain water, start engine, add sodium silicate, top off with fresh water no radiator cap. Let it warm up, shut off, replace cap and let it set til it cools down again. Drive for a day or so before adding antifreeze.
EDIT: Found another process you may want try using Sodium Silicate"
http://www.ehow.com/how_8072448_use-sodium-silicate-head-gasket.html
EDIT: Found another process you may want try using Sodium Silicate"
http://www.ehow.com/how_8072448_use-sodium-silicate-head-gasket.html
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Did the OP say anything about a compression leak? Perhaps it's water in the oil which means MUCH less pressure to hold back. In my personal experience those sealers may work, or not depending on the size of the leak, if used properly. i.e. the system completely flushed and directions followed. As has been said, a new head gasket and cylinder head flatness check is always your best bet.
That said, back in the old days guys would fix leaks with a hand full of crushed black pepper in the radiator. Talk about running hot
Exceller8
Well-known member
Lotek
Well-known member
Did the OP say anything about a compression leak? Perhaps it's water in the oil which means MUCH less pressure to hold back. In my personal experience those sealers may work, or not depending on the size of the leak, if used properly. i.e. the system completely flushed and directions followed. As has been said, a new head gasket and cylinder head flatness check is always your best bet.
That said, back in the old days guys would fix leaks with a hand full of crushed black pepper in the radiator. Talk about running hot
GM sells a cooling system sealer that is made of crushed almond shells almond shells and ginger root for small cooling system leaks. Nothing will work for compression chamber leaks.
From GM Techlink March 2004:
Cooling System Seal Tabs What’s made of ground-up ginger root, almond shells and binder? And causes confusion in auto service departments?
Some people call them coolant pellets, but the proper name is Cooling System Seal Tabs. And we hope to clear up some misunderstandings about them
How They Work
Seal tabs are dissolved in the engine coolant and the resulting fibres circulate through the cooling system. At a microscopic level, the tabs break down into irregular, long, thin fibres. When a small leak or seepage occurs, the coolant carries the fibres into the opening, where they cluster up and jam together. (Think of logs and branches in a beaver dam.) This mechanism is very effective at stopping leaks. Any fibres that make it to the surface will crust over and enhance the seal.
This sealing method is useful only for small-scale leaks and seepage, and tends to work best in conditions where the surrounding parts aren’t moving. The seals tend to break down in areas between metals that are expanding and contracting with temperature changes, for instance.
A Secondary Benefit
The traditional green-colored coolant, used until DEXCOOL® was introduced in 1996, contained silicates, which deposit on cooling system surfaces. The tiny fibres from the seal tabs acted as scouring pads, removing silicate deposits from the water pump seal faces, which contributed to longer water pump seal life.
Side Effects of Seal Tabs
In addition to the benefits of sealing small leaks and scrubbing silicates from water pump seals, seal tabs also have some side effects.
After awhile, a brown, dirty-looking stain may form on translucent coolant bottles. Residue may form on the backside of the radiator cap. And deposits that resemble rust may be found in the cooling system.
These are not problems, in the sense that they cause no physical harm. But their appearance can be alarming, especially on a new vehicle. Both customers and well-intentioned technicians can be misled by these deposits.
Another side effect comes from overuse. When seal tabs are used in the prescribed amounts, they will not cause restrictions or plugging in an otherwise properly operating cooling system.
But, if a little is good, a lot must be better. Wrong!! Overuse can lead to plugging, especially in the relatively small tubes used in heater cores.
Some History
There was a time when seal tabs were installed in every new vehicle, at the factory, to account for the inevitable small leaks that occur in castings, joints, and so on. By the mid ‘90s, manufacturing and machining techniques had improved to the point where the seal tabs were no longer needed on a universal basis.
With the introduction of long-life coolant, silicate deposits were no longer a concern, so the scrubbing action from the seal tab fibres was no longer needed.
TIP: GM plants, as well as other manufacturers, still occasionally use seal tabs to address specific concerns.
Today’s Recommendations
In short, GM no longer endorses universal use of seal tabs. Procedures in SI have been specifically written to discourage their use in most cases.
When a condition appears in which seal tabs may be beneficial, a specific bulletin is released, describing their proper use. One such bulletin is Customer Satisfaction Program 03034, dated 7/7/03. This applies to specific 3.8L engines only, and is in effect until July 31, 2005.
TIP: After performing the procedure in the bulletin, be sure to install a recall identification label to the vehicle to indicate that the seal tabs have been installed.
TIP: If seal tabs were installed in a vehicle at the factory, it’s OK that the proper amount of tabs be installed if the coolant must be drained and replaced.
What’s a Recommended Dose?
TIP: Use this information only when instructed to do so by bulletin or SI procedure.
The proper number of Cooling System Seal Tabs depends on the capacity of the vehicle’s cooling system. Use between 1 and 1 1/2 grams of tabs per liter of cooling system capacity.
TIP: Cooling System Seal Tabs are packaged in two sizes.12378254 Small tabs (4 grams each) 5 tabs per package
3634621 Large tabs (10 grams each) 6 tabs per package.
Good point. Ginger fibers are said to work well. That GM stuff is often used in Cadillacs. I believe it is very much the same as BarsLeak Gold. Some cooling system conditioners such as those made by Subaru are made with linseed meal.
Lotek
Well-known member
Good point, but if it doesn't work the first time, don't keep pouring **** in the radiator, won't help and makes proper repairs that much more expensive.
I only have a 22' boat.
premierplayer
Well-known member
didn't work here, sold the car
GeorgiaHybrid
Well-known member
If he does not have the money to fix it right, either park the car until the funds become available or sell the car. I understand about money being tight but trying to hack this job is not the way to go.
spotco2
Well-known member
Only thing I ever found that kind of worked was Liquid Glass and that was just for water leaks. Nothing is going to stop combustion leaks.
4t42
Member
Just remember, any chemical additive is a bandaid. It won't replace the actual repair.
Ive been a partsman and "backyard mechanic" for over 40 years and haven't found a mechanic in a can that works evey time.
Ive been a partsman and "backyard mechanic" for over 40 years and haven't found a mechanic in a can that works evey time.
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