Leaking vehicle engine headgasket

[IFallsRon]

I've recently noticed that antifreeze is weeping from a spot in the headgasket area of my 94 Cavalier. I only drive the car to work and back and don't want to put huge repair money into it. I'm wondering if anyone has had success with liquid repair sealants. I've found one I may try but would like to hear some recommendations first.

[MNice]

FYI, if you would happen to have a 2.2 four cyl. GM had a recall on head gaskets if I remember right. My daughter has a 96 sunfire and it was done no cost at about 89,000 miles. Talk to your dealer

[Eric Wettschreck]

This is just me, but my opinion is there is no such thing as "Mechanic in a can."

[Dan Thiem]

The only problem with a sealant is that it may plug up other things like heater cores and such. I don't know of any stop leak or seal tabs that would help for a permanent fix. I know we stock plenty of head gaskets. Also you may want to send the head to a machine shop to have it checked for cracks and also to have it surfaced to make sure it's not warped.

e-mail me with the VIN and I'll check on any recalls. [email protected]

[ChuckN]

I kind of agree, but I had a bad coolant leak in a radiator in cold weather and I added some powder sealant repair stuff to my anti-freeze and it has not leaked a drop in over 2 months.

[The Grebe]

IFalls...Our daughter had a 94 Cavelier and it to had the dreaded gasket leak. I guess it is the bane of those cars, alot of them leak.

Here is what we did...nothing! When the anti-freeze got low we would just refill it. It leaked to the outside, but nothing got into the oil, so we left it alone, it was'nt like it was spraying out, it would leave a little spot on the pavement once in awhile, but they did'nt stay.

That car ran like a top except for that. Our daughter put alot of miles on it and a fella that worked for us last summer bought the car and it is still going strong, being driven everyday and the leak is still there.

A person can buy a whale of alot of anti-freeze for nowhere near the cost of what they wanted to put a new gasket in a car that is well past it's prime!

Now, weither or not I would book out for New Mexico in the thing is another matter!

[Guest]

Justice Brothers makes a good product and Bars Leak is another one .A good friend is a car mech.,and speaks highly of both.

[mntraveler]

My wife had a '94 Cavilier too. You're not alone. The GM dealer in her hometown reommended a stop-leak tab. That didn't fix the problem (that was before the recall). Then with the recall the head gasket got replaced 3 times (all w/in warranty of the last replacement). Finally about this time last year we had the thing go again. Tried the stop leak again, and I think we plugged up something (namely the cooling system) because you couldn't idle at a stop light w/o the tesmp gauge rising. Sold the car at that point, ironically to our mechanic who ran it with the leak until it got totaled in an accident. Good luck.

[IFallsRon]

I stopped by the dealership yesterday and the service writer ran the VIN and said there was nothing. I've read in other forums that there was a "silent recall," whatever the heck that is. Dan, I'll send you the VIN and see if you have better luck.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I'll check at work also to see if I can find the TSB/Recall info I'll post it tonight if I find it!

94 Chevrolet Cavalier with a 2.2 litre, correct?

[IFallsRon]

Dan ran the vin and came up empty.

VIN: 1G1JC1446R7152232

[Jeremy airjer W]

nothing here either, sorry. on the bright side they will run for ever with the leak and they are one of the easiest cylinder heads to do. a "do it yourselfer" shouldn't have any problems doing it!