which is the best product and procedure of fixing head gasket leaks?

Question

I have a Nissan altima 98 and I have head gasket leaks of antifreeze. A friend of mine recommend me to use some products that can fix this problem before changing the gasket. I want to know which the best of them, where to find it and what is the procedure. At the same time i need to know what is the possible cause for it. I have seen that the fans of my car work very, very often. Is it a symptom that the engine is overheated and what can i do?
thank you

Answer 1

The ONLY way to repair a leaky head gasket is to replace it..............

Answer 2

SITTINONTHEFENCE already covered the fact a leaking head gasket doesn’t necessarily mean coolant will be in the oil.

Since you have received different opinions about additives already, I will only add that any additive you put in your cooling system that MIGHT actually stop the leak will do more long-term damage. Those pellets have to go somewhere, and the ones that don’t plug the leak build up in the cooling passages. By their very nature, they seek out the highest-pressure locations, which are the narrowest points of the cooling passages.
In other words, they stick to the last place you want them to, and begin causing calcium and mineral build up over the following years.

Pull the head and check the block to make sure it isn’t warped (most likely, it hasn’t). Have the head checked for cracks. If it’s ok, have it surfaced, scrape and sand the block-mating surface and replace the head gasket. Since you’ll already have the head off, there’s no better time to at least check the valves and lap them, and replace the seals.

Answer 3

James ... Of course, it would be best if you replaced the gasket. That's not a trivial job, though, as I'm sure you know.

I had a similar problem, once, with a 6-cylinder minivan. I was lucky that the leak didn't make its way into the passages where your engine coolant flows.

My mechanic suggested this:
(1) Replace head gasket, OR
(2) If you want to save big bucks and don't mind taking a small risk, you might try one of the various products that can seal leaking cooling systems.

Now, let me tell you ... When he talked about putting some kind of "junk" into my cooling system, that immediately turned me off. BUT, I trusted this particular mechanic ... he's my regular and has always taken good care of me ... and when he mentioned how much it would cost to pull the head off, I said I had better try the "junk" that you put into your radiator.

Let me tell you what happened. I don't recall the name of the product. In fact, it was made by a company I never heard of before. But check this out ... This product he recommended came in a clear plastic bottle that's a little smaller than a 12 oz soda can. Inside was a thick "goo" that looked like Coke or maple syrup. If you looked more closely, inside this thick "goo" were these little pellets shaped like the erasers on an old-fashioned wooden pencil.

I poured that stuff into the radiator and followed the directions. Bingo! Leak almost totally stopped. Praise GOD!

A couple of years ... Yes, a couple of years later, I had my cooling system flushed. Unfortunately, the flush dislodged the "goo" that had stopped my leak and it started leaking all over again, but now the leak was more severe than the first time.

So, what did I do? I put in another bottle of that gooey stuff. This time, it only slowed the leak. Since the van was quite old and had many miles, I didn't hesitate to put in a second bottle of this stop leak product. Luckily, that slowed the leak to a very slight trickle that I could deal with. At that point, I needed to top-off my radiator with about a quart of coolant (water and anti-freeze) every month. Not bad, though, considering that the problem began when I had about 140,000 miles and I kept that van until it had over 200,000 miles ... and it was STILL working fine.

One way or another, you had better use one of the recommended fixes soon, though, before your coolant starts to contaminate your oil.

I pray you'll find and use the best solution soon. Best of luck with it.

Answer 4

It might work or it might buy you a little more time.Go to your local autozone or other major auto parts store and get a bottle/can of a chemical called "block sealer" It's a silver colored liquid with metal particles floating in it.Follow the directions TO THE LETTER and you might get lucky and it will fix the problem.But should it start leaking/overheating again then the cylinder head will have to come off and be sent to a automotive machine shop for a pressure test to see if it's cracked or not and if it not cracked it will be milled so that the mating surface will be perfectly flat and true then re-installed.But if it is cracked then the machine shop will advise you on your choices which range from buying a new or remanufactured head to getting one out of a boneyard and having it pressure tested and checked for straightness.

Answer 5

are you sure it's the heads that are leaking? If you have blown a head gasket, there will be traces of water in your oil. There are different products to help stop seals from leaking....I sure would be NOT driving the car if I had a blown head gasket, lest you destroy your whole engine. Could the leak be where the thermostat goes in?

Answer 6

I suggest you replaced the head gasket before the heads warp or crack and then they have to be replaced. When you have to replace the heads that's when it starts to get expensive. Average head gasket job runs about 800.00 - 1200.00.

Answer 7

It is best to replace the head gasket.

Answer 8

The best product is a new head gasket.

The best procedure is to buy a Toyota or a Honda next time.

Answer 9

You need to change the head gasket.

The sooner the better. If you let it go the head could warp and then you have an even bigger headache.

Answer 10

replace yhe head gasket !!