So I have a leaking head gasket on my 94 Accord Ex 4cyl 2.2. The car is beaten up and there is zero chance I will spend $800+ on a hg job. I was googling and came across a youtube channel by a supposedly Emmy award winning car talk guy name Scotty Kilmer and he recommends a product called Steel Seal... says he has used it countless times to great success. Unlike most sealers, it doesn't require you to drain the system of all coolant. but instead add to clean coolant mix and keep it in there forever. It supposedly doesn't clog the system like others. I have also read about BARS leak copper sealant working similarly with no draining of the system. I have also heard good things about Blue Devil but it's more in the traditional style and could clog the system.

Can anyone please give me some advice and experience with what would work best for my car? I have no water in the oil and very little noticeable white smoke coming out of the tailpipe, nothing you see when you drive. The Steel Seal sounds great but apparently the BARS leak copper is only about $10. Seen a couple of good testimonials for Blue Devil but it's about $60 at Autozone.

 

anyone with some advice on this?

 

I have no experience with this.

The only sure way to fix a bad head gasket is to pull the head, have the head milled, so it is flat, then install a new head gasket.

The products you are talking about may or may not work. Those products may act as a bandage, but they may work. The one concern is that those products could clog up the cooling system. The one that claims not the clog the cooling system is worth a shot.

 

Thx. I'm still researching but I continue to hear some great things about Steel Seal. I even called a few repair shops that use the stuff and they all say it works really well on everything except Cadillacs with the NS system.

Anyone else have experience with Steel Seal? It's $70 but apparently it is worth it.

 

I wouldn't use it for my car.
Even if it did work I wouldn't trust it not to fail again leaving me stranded somewhere with possibly a blown motor and high towing bill.
Fit it right - pull the head, mill, new gasket, reinstall

 

Yes I understand that, but if you saw this car with the miles on it you would not be willing to spend the $800+ either, lol. I'm sure you probably have the experience to handle this job yourself but it not worth the time and risk with my level of experience(tune-ups, brakes, radiator, alt/starter, hoses). It's going to be either Steel Seal or Blue Devil... and I just ordered Steel Seal. $79 with shipping compared to about $850-$950 for a true job. I will make sure to report back on how things turn out.

 

I understand
I hope it works for you.

 

Hey, I was wondering how that worked for you? I have friends that say they have had good success with the bars I believe..