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Blue Devil product technical "help"


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So I was speaking with a technical assistant from the "Blue Devil" head gasket fix company yesterday as I was trying to find out how to get the refund. He said they have a 90% success rate.  If I get a refund it is not $$, but credit at the auto store. So he said I should have pulled the plugs and found out it any of them were showing coolant seepage which their product is supposed to fix.  I said I did not check the plugs.  And get this--he said the Blue Devil is designed to fix the leaks if you pull the plug that is getting the seepage, and run the vehicle on three cylinders while the product does the trick on the one problem one--which one?

 

So what is the likely scenario since I am able to drive my 2.2 Outback without overheating as long as I don't overstress it?  Just head gasket; leakage elsewhere?  Warped head, cracked head no?

Edited by ThosL
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Bubbles in the radiator; steam coming out of the radiator bleed screw when I take it out after it has overheated.  No it doesn't say to pull a plug or find the one with the blow by.  Blue Devil is one of the few of these head gasket repairs in a bottle that says you must flush the coolant system and run pure water before using their product or they will not refund; the flush product has to be on the receipt or no dice.  One other product says you have to have a definite written diagnosis of bad head gasket before using their product.  

Edited by ThosL
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Credit at store if you satisfy all their conditions; I've been getting the run around with the usps and express guarantees, they sure hate to give any refunds.  What business never gives refunds?  The world's oldest profession....

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I agree with Fairtax on this, but in regards to blue devil they do not require anything not listed in the instructions on the label for a refund.  Call up again and if they give you grief ask to speak to a supervisor.  Explain you followed all the directions on the bottle exactly and the product failed.  Give the steps you took and tell them the bottle says "money back guaranteed" and if they want to refuse then that would be false advertising.

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my experience with "Blue Devil"

A couple of years ago, i was on a work assignment in Texas, (900 miles from home).

     My 'traveler' car was 200,000 + mile 1995 Explorer 6 cyi,   with a light motorcycle trailer.

On the drive to the job,, i just happened to notice that the radiator catch tank was empty

(optimistically,,,  i was sure that i must have a pinhole leak in the radiator or a failing lower hose)

I added some half/half and continued on, next gas stop, i checked the catch tank,,, and it was dry again.

    --and of course, there was the vapor coming out the tailpipe

 

The Ford made it to the job, and on the first available day, I took it to a good local repair shop.

(a 30 yrs same location, same old guy kind of shop)

The only took him a few minutes to prove to me that I either had a bad gasket (or cracked head) on the right bank.

The guy gave me advice: "don't waste money repairing this car" .

Advising that the $1000 + that it will cost to repair this car would be better invested in the next car.

Respecting this as 100% valid wisdom,,,  I was pretty scared.   (i had to get my bike and trailer back)

 

A friend at work suggested a plan that I would never have considered: use the 'bottle' patch  (blue devil)

 

I would never have even thought of that approach, but (consistent with the old guy's advice: don't invest

more into this really old Ford)   I got a bottle of Blue Devil, went by a 'quicklube' kind of place (because I

was residing in a motel, --no facilities) and the fella there followed all instructions on the bottle. 

(he had never used anything like this either) and then a few days later, i headed home.

 

I nervously checked that catch tank every 20 miles or so, for the first couple of hours, and then just on

gas stops (for the remaining 20 or so hours) and that cooling system never lost even a quarter inch of

level.

(I did sell the Ford for $500 after making it home, and bought a really clean 2002 Outback)

 

hey, the stuff has a reputation: IT DOES what it advertises.

we all know that the same 'coagulant' that fixed the leak is also:

a) coating the radiator

B) gumming up the thermostat

c) lining the cabin heat coil

 

but, if it can get you home, or stretch the usability of an old machine that is 

not 'worth' a rebuild...

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The problem is on Subarus they have a hard time because it's pushing exhaust into the coolant not coolant into the cylinder.

Fully agree..........I have read similar stores of Blue Devil working on American engines with head gasket or head problems. As said, it won't work on a Subie. The pressure from the very hot exhaust can't be stopped by Blue Devil additive entering the cooling system. Your "able to drive my 2.2 Outback without overheating as long as I don't over stress it," simply means that driving the car very easy is keeping the aluminum head from heating up and flexing (expanding), which then allows the exhaust gas to enter the cooling system. I bet your car will idle on your driveway for hours without over heating. Yet, go out and drive up a long steep hill, and it is sure to over heat.

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leak down test might find the bad cylinder - then, "MAYBE" using their suggestion to pull the bad cyl's plug to use the substance, has a THEORETICAL chance to push the goop in the right direction.

 

I'd say there's less than a 10% chance of immediate success - but not zero.

 

And if it does work - probably less than 10% chance of lasting 6 months.

 

there are so many Subarus with bad HGs, that youtube and the various forums would have multiple postings of success with using Blue Devil.

 

at Amazon, there are five 1 star reviews and two 5 star reviews that mention Subaru.  Both of the 5 star reviews seem to have had coolant going out the exhaust. Just like the Ford story - I could see BD (and maybe other products) being effective to some degree with that type of leakage. But with bubbles in the rad or overflow - physics is fighting you. Physics will win.

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F and S Subaru in Waterbury told me about trying to use the product "install" it, etc..  He said it did not work for him and found it very caustic, you have to be careful how you handle it.  I know that the Puerto Rican Americans who originally sold the vehicle to me ran a head gasket fix through the 2.5 which later gave out and I had a head gasket job which cost me $1500 but should not have been done as the increased compression caused the crankshaft to go bad and then I had a 2.2 installed.

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