[tom82zx]

Bought an 82 2+2 with 76k on it, head gasket leaking in it cylinder. Might a good sealer fix the leak. I know i should take the head off and replace the gasket. Just wondering if this would work temporarily until i changed the gasket.... Tom 82 2+2

 

[TurboSi]

In my opinion, your chances are somewhere beween slim and none. Is it leaking compression, or is it leaking water into the cylinder? Describe the "leaking head gasket" part a bit more thoroughly. How is it running/starting?

 

[Tony D]

Pull the head.

Knock the price down as far as the seller will go because it has "as leaking head gasket".
Pull the ehad and evaluate. If the head and blocked are warped no more than .004" each, or some derivation therof, just replace the ehad gasket and use turbo or diesel head bolts to torque it all together with the higher torques for those bolts.
Otherwise, you really are risking it with sealer.
Aluma Seal is miracle stuff, but it won't ifx mechanical problems. It is fine added after an overhaul, many OEM's do that on their vehicles from the factory! But on something that's already blown, unless you were in the middle of the desert and had no cel coverage, and were 20 miles from town with no other cars around, I'd not put in sealant/aluma-seal to try and drive it around for a while!
Good Luck!

 

[bakachan]

try that mystery head gasket in a can

stuff lol. no just kidding. did you try retorquing the head?

 

[kiwi_260z]

You play with fire

If it is an internal leak (to or between cylinders) you will have to do a fair bit of dismantling to get to it anyway, so why not just do the whole thing? I would only use a sealer on an external leak.

 

[tom82zx]

It is leaking water into a cylinder, it has some water in the oil and supposedly has white smoke on running. Bought the car but did'nt get it home yet. Preious owner says there is no engine knocking, motor runs silent. Don't want to start it when i get it home anyway, it's ben so **** cold here in NY. Hasn't gone above freezing in a couple of weeks and i don't have a garage to work on the car in......... Tom 82 2+2

 

[Son of Magni]

In the Northeast

Hey Tom, Since I live in NH I know what it's like, in fact I grew up in upstate NY. This is the best time to get major work done (you won't be driving it 'till April, right?). You should wait for a nice sunny day and pull the head off. Find a good speed shop and get the head rebuilt. You'll be well rewarded in the spring. BTW, start squirting your favorite penetrating oil on those manifold bolts today...
SoM

 

[DylanZ]

In the baren north..

I'd agree with the rest of em in saying that it is'nt worth spending all the time tearing down your engine just to squirt a little goop in there, plus head gaskets are a disposable thing unless you got one of those fancy metal ones for high boost. At any rate, the head gasket is going to be cheaper than the shop checking the head!!!!! What did you pay for the car? I wish I could find a turbo for cheap with nothing but a blown head gasket!!! Right now I'm waiting on better weather to get my head back on. When I got up this morning (and stumbled home last night for that matter) it was -14 F here in alberta, and it gets way colder than that!!!!! But you guys just got an unreal dump of snow if I rember correctly. Anyways, good luck with your car.

Dylan