Small headgasket leak temp fix?
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 5
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Small headgasket leak temp fix?
My 98 has a small coolant leak thats leaking into the headgasket, causing the car too overheat on long drives, is there any type of temp cheap fix i can do too seal it up without having too replace the head gaskets i cant afford that.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,404
Likes: 398
From: Virginia
St. Jude Donor '18
There are "head gasket fix" additives you can put in your antifreeze, that you can buy at the box stores. But no one will recommend them. They are a band-aid to possibly get you home, 1 time, AT BEST.
If you can't afford to do the head gasket right now, can you afford a new motor tomorrow?
Find a way to get it done, or park it.
If you can't afford to do the head gasket right now, can you afford a new motor tomorrow?
Find a way to get it done, or park it.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 4,680
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From: Erlanger, Kentucky
A set of head gaskets, GM TTY head bolts, and stuff to clean the head and block surfaces can be purchased for less than $100.
You can do all the work yourself in a day. The only special tool you need is a torque wrench and you can rent one of those at any autoparts.
And even if you have never done any auto work, this is a great opportunity to learn. Plenty of how-to's online for this and plenty of people who are willing to help with questions on this forum.
Last edited by Spaceme1117; May 10, 2018 at 07:15 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Chandler AZ
I put this in my girlfriend's PT Cruiser last summer since it was way too hot to do a head gasket, it stopped the bubbles that I'm guessing were exhaust gasses entering coolant, also stopped overheating immediately, lasted from June to right before Christmas, however it clogged the heater core and when it got cold I had to use water hose to purge out heater core.<br/><br/>Then water pump started leaking and because the PT Cruiser is so tight to work on, I told her time to get a new car.<br/><br/>
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Racer
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: SF Bay Area
Is there coolant in the oil ? If not it's possible that the leak may be coming from one of the steam port connections (there are (4) total) in which there are (4) O rings that given the age of your car, can go bad.
The proper way to determine a coolant leak is a pressure test.
The proper way to determine a coolant leak is a pressure test.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 4,680
Likes: 1,858
From: Erlanger, Kentucky
Go to another mechanic. The engine does not need to come out to replace a head gasket.
As for those coolant fixes, they are trash as was previously said.
Save some money, and get your car fixed by a mechanic that knows what he is doing. Or learn and fix it yourself.
If you put any type of coolant sealant in your car and then drive it, you will end up needing a new engine.
As for those coolant fixes, they are trash as was previously said.
Save some money, and get your car fixed by a mechanic that knows what he is doing. Or learn and fix it yourself.
If you put any type of coolant sealant in your car and then drive it, you will end up needing a new engine.
Last edited by Spaceme1117; May 15, 2018 at 07:31 PM.