My engine over heated getting home. Got the car home and hissing sound from under hood. When I opened hood, noticed steam hissing out from the coolant overflow container (overflow) tube. Nothing from any of the radiator pipes. Was at night and figured out there's nothing I could do.

Next morning I noticed a puddle of oily liquid under the car... a fairly big puddle. Looking into the coolant overflow container I could see a light brown creamy fudge way over the "max" line. Looks like oil is getting into the cooling system, and sign of maybe a blown head gasket, cracked head or cylinder block, or internal damage to water/oil galleries?

Checked the oil level and oil. Oil level was bet. Low and high, oil looked OK (not light brown cream like in coolant overflow tank. The car (3-cylinder 1992 charade) is not worth spending a lot of repair $ fixing so I'm trying one of those block sealer things you add to the radiator. Bought a product called "cargo metallic seal-up" which claims to seal cracks permanently in blocks, heads, head gaskets. The product claims...
"Seal-Up will easily repair holes of up to 1mm diameter and cracks of any length up to 0.5mm wide (both ofol which would result in major coolant loss). "
My question is I don't have any coolant loss but a "coolant" gain (over max mark in overflow tank of the light brown creamy mess). Oil is getting INTO the cooling system but NOT coolant into the engine. So will this product work for me? My thinking is the sealant will not be sucked into any engine cracks to fill in the cracks since oil is pushing into the cooling system. It would work if coolant was sucked into the engine. I'm not looking for a permanent fix but something that would give me a few more months life out of the car. Do you think a block sealer like seal-up (or similar product) would work? Would appreciate any comments.
Tia.

Part of the issue is that you are not really sure what and/or where the problem is. Have you flushed the coolant and cleaned the system out and tried seeing if the problem continues. Also have you had the system pressure tested to see if there is a leak you are not seeing ( believe me some of the leaks are hard to find, esp if they get into the heater hoses.

I would pay at least to have a professional check of the problem done.

I have used the sealer on some (old cars) I have had, normally there is no help, One had a small amount of help, and one of those sealers stopped up the heater core on another car, ( a very expensive repair also)

So I really think you need to see where and what the problem is before dumping something into the car

Hi,
I agree with Fr Chuck about having your car checked out by a reputable garage mechanic... I don't mean one at a Dealer Garage Repair Service; unless you have a lot of money to spend on an estimate!
A good reputable mechanic (not dealer) can tell you an estimate for less money, and let you know what to expect. He/she can also do any of the tests needed to find the problem.
Usually, if there are "bubbles" in the oil when you check the oil, on the dipstick, you might have a blown head gasket.
I also have not had much luck with "sealers" of any kind work, for very long, at least. Some very small holes in a radiator can be stopped with them, but if it's a serious problem, they probably won't work. I do wish you good luck with it.

The oil pressure is normally higher than coolant pressure. If you have a break in the head gasket between the oil passages and water passage, oil is going to leak into the coolant. Perhaps you might try an oil leak sealer. I have never used one, but you don't have a lot to lose. If you do try it, it might help others if you report back.

Even if you have the time, skill, tools, and a place to work, even the gasket set to replace the head gasket will be $100 or more. I have replaced heads gaskets. It is a lot of hard work, and not a good starter DIY project.

More details of my problem: I didn't mention that this was the second time I noticed a puddle of oily liquid under the car and light brown creamy fudge in the coolant overflow container, only the first time the car did not overheat (just noticed the puddle the next day). I emptied out the overflow tank, put a little coolant into it and also added oil to the pan (was at the low level on the dip stick). Drove the car around normally over about a week (around 300 km) before the overheating problem occurred.

What checks do you suggest I try to isolate the problem further? I've worked on cars before and have tools including a compression tester. I rang a local shop and they mentioned $400 as a minimum just to have a look to see what the problem may be. I'm going to check out myself first, so please give me some pointers on what to check! I'm going to drain the radiator and o'flow tank of that creamy stuff and refill with water as a start point. The fact that the car ran normally (no loss in performance etc) for a week would suggest that it's not a blown head gasket? Also a coolant gain (oil getting into coolant, not a coolant loss) would suggest there are no external (I checked) or internal coolant leaks into engine, but an oil leak into the cooling system?
Tia.

All the symptoms your report indicates a leak between the oil system and coolant. I am not familiar enough with your engine to say if the head gasket is the only place that could happen. The head gasket seals not only the combustion chambers, but a number of other passageways too. Your engine does not have the same symptoms it would if a it had a typical combustion chamber leak. A bottle of oil stop leak wouldn't cost much, and might fix the problem.

You could also study a diagram of your engine and see if oil could leak into the cooling system some other place such as the water pump. It might be worth replacing that gasket if it looks like it could be the problem.

I overheated my Nissan (1997 KA24E 4 cylinder) over a yr and a half ago. Wharped the head and trashed the head gasket. We did not send the head out to a machine shop for resurfacing before we installed a new head gasket. We retorqued the head to factory specs, then backed off the head bolts and re-torqued the head to 15 ft. lbs. past factory specs. A procedure called ironing out the head. There was the slightest indication of exhaust gas in the radiator when we finished... I added a fresh can of K & W Block sealant per instructions on the can. I now have over 50,000 more miles on the engine since this procedure with no coolant loss and the coolant system holds pressure. The heater core works and did not plug up. I got lucky and did not crack my head or water jacket. Maybe you will be as lucky as I was... good luck.

I figured the block sealer wouldn't work as I have oil in the coolant, not coolant in oil- so the sealer would be pushed out of any leak rather than push in and sealing it. labman suggested an oil leak sealer- I researched these and what they do is to swell up oil seals that have shrunk with ageing but will not fix any cracks in the head or block or fix leaking gaskets. Weighing things up I figured I had little choice but to remove the head (what I was dreading to do!) and have a look. When I got the head off there was this gooey creamy mess everywhere- the whole cooling system had this instead of coolant! OK big cleanup job ahead if I ever get this car back on the road. Cleaned up the mess hoping to find a damaged gasket, a crack in the head or block... but nothing. Head gasket was perfect, no visible signs of any cracks or corrosion in the head/block. I ended up ringing around and this engine place said he was 95% sure it would be a crack in the head, to bring it down and he would do a pressure test and show me the leak. To cut a long story short there was a leak (only a tiny one) and I ended up buying a reconditioned head. Car is now back on the road - getting all the oil out of the cooling system is going to be my next challenge. Flushed the radiator and engine and still more gooey stuff at top of radiator. I'm going to get it power flushed- guy at the radiator place said oil will remain in the cooling system even after the power flush and it would take several more flushes to rid the system of the oil. Such is life, but I'm glad I found the problem -hopefully that was the only one!

Hi

Sealer only hides the problem for a bit then it comes back and may increase the repair bill.Did you try a leak down tester it will check to see where the problem is before you fork the cash out.lf aliuminium heads could be warped or a crack in one of the cylinders and/or blown head gasket,that's why the leak down test.

Hope this helps you

i figured the block sealer wouldn't work as i have oil in the coolant, not coolant in oil- so the sealer would be pushed out of any leak rather than push in and sealing it. labman suggested an oil leak sealer- i researched these and what they do is to swell up oil seals that have shrunk with ageing but will not fix any cracks in the head or block or fix leaking gaskets. weighing things up i figured i had little choice but to remove the head (what i was dreading to do!) and have a look. when i got the head off there was this gooey creamy mess everywhere- the whole cooling system had this instead of coolant! ok big cleanup job ahead if i ever get this car back on the road. cleaned up the mess hoping to find a damaged gasket, a crack in the head or block...but nothing. head gasket was perfect, no visible signs of any cracks or corrosion in the head/block. i ended up ringing around and this engine place said he was 95% sure it would be a crack in the head, to bring it down and he would do a pressure test and show me the leak. to cut a long story short there was a leak (only a tiny one) and i ended up buying a reconditioned head. car is now back on the road - getting all the oil out of the cooling system is going to be my next challenge. flushed the radiator and engine and still more gooey stuff at top of radiator. i'm going to get it power flushed- guy at the radiator place said oil will remain in the cooling system even after the power flush and it would take several more flushes to rid the system of the oil. such is life, but i'm glad i found the problem -hopefully that was the only one! :) Hi. I was reading your post... caught my eye because I am tryin' to find out if engine block sealers work. So far, I have heard nothing but good news about one brand called K & W radiator/block sealer. My brother used it 3 times and each time it worked. He sealed his daughter head gasket 2 yrs. Ago and did a friend of his' bigggg Truck with crack in block and it is still holding. . We, husband and I, are doing our block this weekend so I will post again after we do and let everyone know how it went and if its holding. I wish you the best of luck(well, not luck, but a good karma):D
Phyl

Took 4 flushes of the radiator and engine block to get rid of all traces of oil in the coolant. Have fresh coolant now and so far everything is holding up-- keeping my fingers crossed!

Yeah, actually, my car is still running. Have to put pure anti freeze in it. So far so good. Mechanic told me when my (duh!) husband brought the car in the radiator was bone dry! No wonder car was seizing. Anyway, yeah, he flushed everything out, and put in the K and W Sealer but told me the next morning it had not worked. Well,come to find out from my brother you have to let the stuff sit for a few days then drive your car around town so the stuff circulates through your system to seal the leak. So far, my car is still running. Like I said, I got to run pure antifreeze but that's no problem.

Hi There

We don't seem to have this K&W product in South Africa so what other
Products can I use.

Hi There

We don't seem to have this K&W product in South Africa so what other
products can I use.
I personally don't know of any other block sealer I would feel safe in telling you to use. I know if you go to Amazon.com and type in a search for K & W Sealer they have it because I was just at the site. It is a metallic based product and as it goes through your system this metallic base slowly seals the hole or crack. It is only about $7.00 US so you can't go wrong just make sure you flush out your system and radiator several times before following instructions on can and then you let it set for at least 24 hrs. I filled mine with water at first and drove it around town after the day had passed to circulate it through the system really good. Then I put straight coolant in it after about a week. I have to still add a little coolant now and then but my car is still running and mine had a cracked block!

I need to know where to get k&w engine block sealer :)
I can not find it online @@ auto zone or oreilys!

Steel Seal is another of these type of products:

Watch the Video : Engine Block Sealer : Engine Sealant : SteelSeal.com (http://www.steelseal.com/watch.asp)

Decide for yourself what you think of it--I have no experience with these type of products.

Still not sure if it works. Check this out. http://sti.srs.gov/fulltext/tr2001162/tr2001162.html

I overheated my Nissan (1997 KA24E 4 cylinder) over a yr and a half ago. Wharped the head and trashed the head gasket. We did not send the head out to a machine shop for resurfacing before we installed a new head gasket. We retorqued the head to factory specs, then backed off the head bolts and re-torqued the head to 15 ft. lbs. past factory specs. A proceedure called ironing out the head. There was the slightest indication of exhaust gas in the radiator when we finished...I added a fresh can of K & W Block sealant per instructions on the can. I now have over 50,000 more miles on the engine since this proceedure with no coolant loss and the coolant system holds pressure. The heater core works and did not plug up. I got lucky and did not crack my head or water jacket. Maybe you will be as lucky as I was...good luck.

Hi there newbie,
Just want to clarify your comment on the use of K & W Sealant. You mentioned, "per instructions on the can"; I have read on several threads that there is a recommendation to run sealant in car for about 500 miles. Have you heard/read anything on this?

I Have 88 bmw 325is the headgaskert is blown don't to get rid of the car but,its costing me the engine still run good wood gasket Seal work and if the blocks crack will the sealent help that to.

I repaired a head gasket in a Citroen Diesel over 4 years ago with the Cargo Seal Up, It is still running today 50,000 miles later defiantly worth a try, am using now on another car brought of e bay, then sell on running, no comebacks as yet.
Give it a try.

Hell yea it works... Im not just saying that because I work for K&W, it really works. Busset my damn gasket on the freeway yessuhday.. put in the potion and now my truck is purrin like a cat... great product

My experience with CRC Industries, who manufactures K&W Block Seal, has not been good. They are anything but a customer-friendly company, even after I told them I was not contacting them to file a claim. I used their silicone spray, which ended up melting the item I used it on. It turns out CRC adds acetone to their silicone spray, which is a powerful solvent. When I called CRC, they adamantly defended adding acetone to their product, claiming that everybody else adds it too. I checked several other products on the market and checked with their manufacturers. I did not find anyone else who added acetone to their silicone spray. I notified them of my findings, but they could have cared less. Because of my experience, I would not use any product made by CRC--I don't trust them. If CRC can't even make a safe silicone spray, why should I trust an engine to Block Seal?

I'm skeptical of all of these products! People come on this site claiming stop leak products work--most of whom work for the manufacturer. All I've ever seen is the mess created afterwards--residue formed around the thermostat, radiator cap, and a token layer of crud around some parts of the head gasket (not enough to seal anything). My opinion is to fix it right or leave it alone. These products prey on the poor and desperate.

Just urinate in the radiator and the metabolites will fix it just fine. (If it's the head gasket) The metabolites bond with the mead "gasket matreial".. The urine actually turns to a glue that will seal up the head gasket whe it reaches a high enough temp. Only use this method if you live in South Africa and have no access to the K&W sealant. The urine will last only a few months.

35172

Napa has the K&W line which is produced by CRC industries

Walmart sells K&w block seal.. its an orange and silver can. I just bought some as I have been hearing good things about it and my minivan that I just bought has a head gasket or intake gasket leak. Hoping that it works. I believe I read that Napa also carries it, but don't quote me on it.

Blue Devil seems to have worked for a lot of folks and there is a YouTube video of it being used.
It takes about an hour and a half to "run in" the system then has to sit and cool overnight.
Look on YouTube under head gasket sealant. It is between 35.00 and 60.00 US and some places online
Ship for free. Good luck. p.s. make sure you change your oil soon afterward just to be on the safe
Side, it can't hurt.

My daughter ran her car low on coolant, and warpped one of the heads. Now combustion chamber gases are getting into the coolant and the exhaust is blowing white smoke. Will this product fix this?

John24255, not likely.

CRC makes some good electrical contact cleaner works very well, but I use brake clean (any brand) and it seems to work just as well at a fraction of the cost. I have never tried their KW block seal, I would take the advice of TxGReaseMonkey as He/She had done the research on the products and has a solid reputation and would not lead you wrong. The key is,know the product and its alternatives. You tend to get what you pay for. Remember you never really know what the extent of the damage is until you look inside. Any chemical is a gamble. It may be a money saver or a total waste of cash, but if you don't have the money for a major repair, it may be worthwhile to try a product. If you use urine as dawn278apt162 suggests and it fails, no one will want to work on your engine and smell burned urine. I would only try that if I were stuck 200 miles in the back woods with an off road vehicle, to be followed by a complete flush of the system.

I used a drain and rinse block sealer about 4 years ago after a guy I raced with tried it on a $20,000.00 + race engine and it worked fine and lasted until the end of the season, about 20 full nights of racing, at which time the engine was overhauled as it was in the 1300 lap rebuild range but ran perfect. I put it in my 240,000 mile 305 Caprice because it had a leaking head gasket and figured what did I have to lose. I drive over 55,000 miles a year as a salesman and after 140,000 miles I sold the car still running fine 380,000 to a kid at the A&W for $500.00. 2 weeks a long time friend and mechanic was *****in about having to fix the leaking headgasket in his 2000 Chevy pick up, 140,000 miles, I told him to try the block sealer. He did it and then for his current job he drives 200 miles a day for the last week and lost NO coolent. Yup it works and I am beginning to think there are many of the flush out the coolent types that work well. As a racer and engine builder I look at this as a first step BEFORE you tear an engine down.

Some head gasket sealers do work. But only under certain conditions. Read this

When to use a head gasket sealer and which ones work? (http://www.ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/cool-automotive-products-and-tools/cooling-system-tools/stop-a-head-gasket-leak)

Hi there I got a bmw 2002 735i v8 I thank I got a blown headgasket what do think if I use K&N block seal is it going to effect the water pump because its electric water pump can you pleas find out information about that.

Hi all, my wife has a 1993 Holden Barina ( a re-badged suzuki swift). There was water in the oil and oil in the water evident by emulsions on both caps and a bit on the oil dipstick. I drained the radiator, flushed the radiator twice and then added water to the radiator. I added a 250mL bottle of Cargo Metallic seal-up. Claims to permanently seal cracks/leaks at every interface, head, gaskets, water pump, radiator etc. I immediately took it for a 45 min drive. It's the second day and the sealer is still in the radiator. I plan to leave it in there for another few days (over kill) where I will then drain, flush and add coolant. It works! It worked after the first day. No more emulsions in either the oil or the radiator. Water in overflow radiator reservoir is also stable. All for the low price of $12. Like other posts, I am confident the Barina has now got another 50K to 100K kilometres in her. I highly recommend it! I know this post is 12 months after the last but I wanted to get my good news story out there.

My 1998 linclon town car ran hot. I checked the oil and it was very very low. I added more oil and a stop leak. After this the car drive OK for about a week. Then it ran hot again. This time the oil level was OK. I looked into the radiator and there was no water. When I added more water it leaked from the botttom of the engine. I do not have the money to fix a blown head gasket or cracked block. What is the best block sealer to use? One that will not clog up my heater core.

Nate