Hey, I have a '91 Sunbird LE convertible, and while "technically" it
>has a low resale value, I've had it since day 1 and baby it a lot, so
>to me it's worth something. With the exception of replacing the timing
>belt, I've done all repairs myself; although I'm by no means a pro, I
>can usually handle the simple things by myself.
>
>A few months ago, a coolant leak developed near the back of the
>engine, about halfway between the carbeurator and the alternator. It
>started out as nothing, but progressed to where it will leak a full
>radiator in about 20 minutes (it leaks hard when it's running, and
>slows down when I turn it off; I don't think it leaks at all when it's
>completely cold, but I could be wrong since I have a dirt driveway). I
>couldn't really find where it was coming from, and a mechanic glanced
>at it (literally glanced in it's general direction) and told me that
>it was the head gasket blown. There's no water in the oil or anything,
>but since the leak seems too far from the timing belt to be the water
>pump, he's probably right.
>
>The quote to repair this has been $300-500, and that's way out of my
>budget so I tried tackling the repair myself. Unfortunately, getting
>to the head gasket is a lot harder than I initially thought; it looks
>like the whole engine has to come apart.
>
>So, I'm looking at alternatives. I found a few posts about "K&W
>Metallic Block Seal," that's supposed to permanently repair head
>cracks and head gasket leaks, and the $5 price tag fits into my budget
>just fine. But I'm concerned about additives like this, so I just want
>to make sure I know what I'm getting into before I use it.
>
>(1) Will liquid block seal fix a leak that's as strong as mine? If
>not, can I use two of them, one after the other?
>
>(2) Will this stop up anything, or do any irreparable damage to my >engine?
>
>(3) If it does work, how long can I expect it to last? I'd hate to be
>going to work and get stranded, but if I can buy a year or two, then >that'd be great.
>
>
>TIA,
>
>Mike
>
>
>PS, what's the deal with "refinishing the heads" when you replace the
>head gasket? Two mechanics told me that this is required, but I don't
>understand why you would have to refinish the heads when a gasket goes
>out, especially on a '91 engine. Is this legit, or are they full of >crap?