i have a 2001 s type 4 litre v8 with a head gasket leak i have been told to try a sealer buti am a bit leery of them, are there any on the market that actually work ?

 

No, all that crap is "snake oil". Tell tale sign of a leaky head gasket is milk colored oil.

 

(Irontight) works and has been working since the 1930s originally designed for the common fault the model T ford cast steel blocks had cracking .
i have used it many times with only 1 engine that would not heal .
i always give the stuff a mention to customers who can not afford the work to be done or if the car is just not worth the expense and labor .
its not snake oil it works . and in one case i have a friend with a r32 GTR fire breathing 700HP BEAST , which has a ported alloy head that cracked in a port . and the stuff worked and several years later is still working . i stuck some in an isuzu bighorn years back that spewed its guts on the road and compression was bubbling out the radiator quite fast .it too was fixed for 60000km when it finally snapped its cam belt and went to heaven . many other life saving story's i have with this product .
point is not all miracle chemical products are bogus , some do work .
i will however point out that if you use chemi-weld as an alternative it will get you home but blocks every thing with a red concrete like substance . which leaves your block and heads un re condition able . this is also first hand experience .

 

I have used K-Seal didn't keep cars for years or thousands of miles but it worked and was still working when cars were moved on or to scrap due to other reasons.

 

Even the best are a temporary patch that may make the inevitable proper repair more difficult.

 

My point exactly.

 

Best sealant I've come across in a head gasket is leak.....................A NEW HEAD GASKET

 

Hey Fred, please keep this thread up to date with what you decide to do. If you indeed try the snake oil fix let us know! Somehow though I don't believe you will be posting back.......

 

When you have milky couloured oil it is now normally to late. The most accurate test that I know of is to use an emmision gas analyzer. You open the expansion bottle cap and put the nozzle that goes in the exchaust (making sure that it does not go into the coolant water). Then run the engine for a few minutes, if you get any hydrocarbons being found there that is more than what is the atmosphere. Then you have a blowing head gasket.

 

may replace the head gaskets haven`t decided yet

 

Actually, more a case of snake oil salesmen overhyping a product. They do work but have limitations and side effects. Beginning decades back in an era of not so high quality machining, General Motors "installed" this

Cooling System Seal Tabs | ACDelco

in quite a few brand new cars at the factory to prevent customers from bringing back their new car to demand warranty repair for just a few drips. It works to that extent. GM's use waned as quality increased in the late 90s.

If you decide to try it, don't use two much. Try one tablet and give it enough time for the little fibers to find their way to the hole and build their tiny little beaver dam. It probably won't happen overnight, maybe 50 miles. If its a bigger leak than a couple of tablets can fix, then putting in too much just risks clogging the system, you'll wonder why the heater isn't working all of a sudden or worse.

 

When I first started running Jaguars in the early 70's, included in the service schedules was the addition of Bar's Leaks to the coolant. They were even delivered from the factory with it in the system. That recommendation disappeared along with cast iron blocks and you won't find it anywhere near the factory or a dealership.

There's a big difference between a cooling system leak and a blown head gasket. The only cure for a failed head gasket is a replacement. Anything else is a temporary fix.

Graham

 

depends on the type of leak. coolant leaking between head and block externally or coolant mixing with oil, you have a shot with a sealer. coolant burning in cylinder (smoke out exhaust or compression in radiator) not a chance. nothing is going to seal against 140lbs of pressure.

 

I've known people who had good luck with the Bars Leak brand and follow directions. I'd also suggest doing an old Druid Jaguar Healing Ritual under the next full moon, maybe burn a few receipts as an offering. Worth a try.

 

With an S-Type? I bet not!!

Don't do it.