Folks,

 

Me again - blown headgasket...

 

Just wondering, I really only need the car to limp around for about a month, then I'll be moved into a new place abroad, and shipping the car over to where I can truly work on it and do 'wonders'... that is, really convert it from my street car to a rally ride.

 

Thing is, I do need it for the month. Does anyone have experience with 'Blue Devil' Sealant? I just bought a bottle for $60 bucks, but if it's junk I don't want to waste my time or money... the alternative is teardown, beginning monday.

 

Thanks for your honest assessment. -jB

I have no experience with sealants claiming to fix headgasket leaks, but I can't imagine any way that a sealant could repair or stabilize a leaking, corroded, dirty, decades-old headgasket. Most of the blown HGs that I have seen have shown either total corrosion of the fire/compression "ring", prolonged leakage past the ring (leaving dirty combustion byproducts and erosive scoring on the ring), or a portion of the ring/gasket was pushed sideways into a coolant passage.

 

How "blown" is(are) the HG(s)? Coolant in the oil? Over-pressurized cooling system? Or just overheating?

Blown!

 

All the above. Coolant in the oil, smudgy nasy brown sludge oil, overheating (I can imagine, haven't dared drive it since I've been home).

I honestly do not believe that anything short of replacing the headgaskets (and you should also mill the heads) will fix this one. We are not talking minor leakage here, but major damage to the sealing area.

 

HGs aren't that tough to do, or look for a serviceable used engine to get you through.

EA81 head gaskets are totally simple. And they cost about $15 each. No cams or timing belts to deal with. Just do the HG's.

 

The sealant will collect in the heater core and clog that permanently. Trust me - the way the core is designed on the EA series both the inlet and outlet are on the same side.

 

GD

When I bought my OBW it had a very slight HG leak. I tried the snake oil someone on this board was selling (not the same as what you are going to use) and it finished off my motor in very short order!!! Wrecking yard motors are cheap and easy to install, that's the route I'd recomend. Later, Tim

I would agree with the other board members jy engines are cheap, and quick. Head gaskets on ea81 are truly simple. But if you are set on using some additive CRC block seal works it is a liquid glass and copper mix it does work but it takes a chisel and hammer to seperate engine parts once it sets up.

sorry repeat post

what motor/vehicle? EA81 or EA82?

 

you can't have both - drive it for a month - and fix it later. pick one, or pick the other, but doing both won't cut it. if you drive it like that for a month, the short block won't be worth putting any work into it as the coolant/water in the oil will destroy the bearings. i did this myself and had very little oil/coolant mixing. after installing new headgaskets the motor didn't last very long. developed a severe rod knock, which i can almost gaurantee was due to the water/coolant in the oil. i swapped engines shortly afterwards.

 

run it now and replace the motor later. or fix it now and save that motor. if you fix it now the beauty is that your motor is good, you won't have to pull it and you save yourself that agrivation in the future.

When in college I used Barrs Stop Leak on my honda's with success. But the cars I used it in were beaters. Plus, since I was in college I had no money, time or garage to do serious wrenching. And I had back-up transport, a Nashiki 18 speed bike, complete with interlocking shoes / pedals. When the car(s) would konk out, predictably every six months, I would be pedaling for the next four. Man, my legs were HUGE!

 

You're moving. That sucks --- for me. I finally find a USMB Subie Brotha in my neck-o-d-woods, and you go and move on me. Thanks Alot !