Headgasket sealant: I try stuff so you don't have to!

A 92 Daytona I knew went through 3 or 4 trannies. The extended warranty paid pack more than any stockinvestment could with that car!!!!

I used this:

and I put some Prestone Anti-rust in after.

This spring I'll tear the heads off and do it right...if the car doesn't rust away in the mean time...

Right, that's what I thought you used. The only other person I know of that used that, it didn't work, but it might for you. What I'm saying is if it doesn't work, use this.

It works similar to the Subaru radiator stuff they recommend to use to prevent your problem.

Hmmm...I thought the Suby stuff was a lubricant/conditioner, to KEEP things from going bad!

I drive the car 70 miles every night, and over the last three nights have noticed something interesting: I start the car and drive it, and the drivability is horrible after about 20 miles. Sluggish acceleration up hills, lees than usual fuel economy.

I start the car and warm it up to where the thermostat opens. I shut the car off for about 10-12 minutes until the engine cools almost to cold, start the car and it runs great most of the night. If I stop and shut it off again for a few minutes it 'rejuvenates' itself and runs great the rest of the night.

I'm thinking the expansion and contraction of the block/heads has something to do with this...

The gasket stuff seems to be working. It only has to go about 7 more weeks, then it gets parked for the summer. Plenty of time to replace the gaskets!

Is there any chance that there's a gas tank venting problem?

Hmmm...I fill it every night. Some nights, if I over fill it I can smell gas...coming from the front of the car. I looked at the charcoal cannister and noticed there is a vent on the bottom. I assumed what was happening was by overfilling the tank I was flooding the cannister and it was venting through the tube...

Why?

If you saturate the active charcoal in that canister or muck up the air filter on it's bottom like we do with our Jeeps, it puts a vacuum on the gas tank causing the engine to starve for gas. Letting it sit lets the vacuum go away and it runs again. One quick test is to open the gas cap next time it happens. If it runs better right away, you have the likely trouble.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 'New' frame in the works for '08. Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build Photos:

My old 1978 Dodge van is cold natured.(or is it, warm natured?) In cold weather, when I start it up and let the engine warm up about five minutes, and then shut it off for a few minutes and then start it up again, it runs ok. cuhulin

If the plumbing for the charcoal canister doesn't work right, it may cause a vacuum to build up in the gas tank and eventually choke off the engine (releasing the gas cap fixes it for a while). That happened with my Toyota after I replaced a cracked hose going to the canister because the new hose kinked.