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encouraging news with radical approach - blown headgasket

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by kobear18, Nov 30, 2021.

  1. kobear18

    kobear18 Junior Member

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    Hi every1
    Here is some encouraging news of my blown head gasket. Let me make the long story short for tonight. I will add more details later.

    1st. I took the thermostat out. 2nd I used R-13 insulation to cover the entire front to keep the radiator warm.

    Hard data: local roads 30, 40mph temp =115 f to 145 f. Freeway tested today 90 miles round trip. with normal mode, 50 to 70 mph range from 155 f to 181 f. 195 f for freeway uphill.

    I think my method works. The insulation will keep it warm enough to drive on freeway normal speed.

    I will add more details later.
     
  2. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    You do understand that at some point, fluid will seep into the cylinder while the engine isn't running and hydrolock the piston, causing the rod to bend? Shortly after which, said rod will likely exit the side of the engine? Most likely to happen at a most inconvenient time?

    But, sometimes you gotta do whatcha gotta do....
     
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  3. kobear18

    kobear18 Junior Member

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    but the head gasket has been sealed by Bar's leak. And there are still some left circulating the system to prevent it from blowing again. There is no white smoke and no rattling, no water in the oil stick. I don't see any sign of blown head. And now, thermostat is out, no more too much pressure in system and water pump will never run dry. I don't see any chance of bend rod or coolant going into cylinder. As long as the bar's leak kept it sealed.
     
  4. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Drive the hell out of it.
     
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  5. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    At you please share which BAR's stop leak product? Also per instructions or some other approach? Is there any signs of coolant loss/mixing with oil?

    REVVL V+ 5G ?
     
  6. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    You've done a lot of work to resolve the symptoms.
    But you haven't resolved the PROBLEM.

    But eventually you will have to if you wish to continue to drive the car.
    And then have even more problems to resolve, adding cost, because of the pretend stop leak
    that clogs all the coolant passages.
     
    #6 ASRDogman, Dec 1, 2021
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2021
  7. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    You should try some of that stinky 18-wheeler coolant I can't remember the name of it right now but it's made to run with no thermostat and zero pressure guys were using it over on Toyota mods 20 years ago nothing happened some kept using it some didn't but it doesn't require a stat and it doesn't need any pressure most cooling systems somewhat work on pressure at some point

    SM-A715F ?
     
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    is there a back story in another thread?(n)
     
  9. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    So.....what's your fuel efficiency?
    Is the CEL on?

    You identify as a Californian.
    The next time they do a forced proctological exam on your car, and they find out that you're effectively running an illegally modified G3, what are the CARB Nazis going to do with you and your car?

    Inquiring minds.....

    Have you addressed the problem that caused your head gasket to let go?
    It's sorta like a heart attack, you know....

    You can easily solve the a-fib problem, but until you fix those clogged arteries, it's just a matter of time before the "change owner" light comes back on.


    Good Luck!!
     
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  10. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I guess he's just trying to drive the car till he can't seems to me the few things he's done You know whatever and yeah in California big problems with the whoever not sees I hear you That's why I only visit never stay out west they got something for you out there 800 ft water wells and tell you what you have to do to your vehicle and got more smog than anybody else I guess too funny

    SM-A715F ?
     
  11. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    EVANS waterless coolant. Pretty much pure ethylene glycol. Users say one can open the radiator cap at engine operating temp without spraying yourself....

    REVVL V+ 5G ?
     
  12. kobear18

    kobear18 Junior Member

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    Bar's Leak HG-1 HEAD SEAL Blown Head Gasket Repair
    Visit the Bar's Leaks Store
    2,438 ratings

    For now, I don't see any white smoke, no coolant loss and no coolant found on the oil stick. I applied my first dose of Bar's leak around July 2020. The fist time worked the best and it lasted until May this year. I poured it in from the expansion tank which now I think is NOT the most desirable way to do it. It will only get sucked in to the engine block after the thermostat fully open. That is already contradicting what Bar's leak's instruction. I pour it in from the heater's hose now. I used a 90 degree barb fitting to connect the 2 heater hoses now. yea I don't need heater here its very warm. In order for Bar's leak to work. The car needs to be cold after a night sitting on driveway. And then you start it in the morning after pouring in Bar's leak. Turn the heater and fan to MAX for it to circulate around the engine block. However, you need to turn off the car at 180 degree to prevent it from going into the radiator. That 15 to 20 min should seal the crack.

    How to use Bar's leak -


    Some say it will clog the radiator and I think so ya but not the way most people think. Since July 2020, I poured in 4 bottles of Bar's leak because I saw the yellow triangle came up or I saw white smoke. I did replace the radiator 1 month ago because it did clog the lower portion of the radiator. I still have the old one and I just used garden hose to push water into the old one to clear it. And yea those Bar's leak stuff came out easy. The Bar's leak only solidify when it touch high heat around the cracked head gasket. at lower temp, it won't solidify inside the radiator so the clog won't be permanent. In my case, there were just too much of it and it just lay at the bottom portion of the radiator.

    Another thing I need to mention is that my water pump ran dry sometimes but not all the times after using the Bar's Leak. It may not be Bar's leak. It may just be a post symptom of cracked head gasket or bad thermostat or could be all of factors exacerbate each to make it worse. I could have got a better thermostat such as AISIN brand but I just think it may still work sometimes but not all the times so I just decided to take the thermostat out to make sure water pump will never dry again. The car can drive at lower temp but it definitively can NOT at higher temp.
     
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  13. kobear18

    kobear18 Junior Member

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    HHmm...I don't want to spend much money to have a so called "professional fix" of the head gasket. Its already 270k miles and those fix is also iffy unless you just replace the whole engine block. For me this so called "temp fix" is my long term fix. Look, it already lasted since last July. If it clog my radiator again, I just replace it again $75. As I mention in the last post, it will solidify inside the radiator, you can clear it just by using garden hose.
     
  14. kobear18

    kobear18 Junior Member

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    Ok I will check
     
  15. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Riggghhttt.....

     
  16. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    @kobear18 I've been using K-Seal in my wife's Panamera 4.8L. Finding the capacity took pure deduction as I could not find the spec in the literature nor Porsche techinfo. For that car my wife may just trade her in if repairs get too costly, (which finding a coolant leak/loss most likely falls under). So I switched to topping off with Peak Global Lifetime instead of the $40/gallon Porsche concentrate, and every once in a while add some K-Seal. I can't afford to risk plugging it up so I add less than instructed. Since there may be some residual I haven't figured a way to carefully add to the proper amount. I still lose coolant at the same rate it seems no matter if I add it or not...

    REVVL V+ 5G ?
     
  17. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get by. Totally understand.

    There is no long term miracle cure in a can for a head gasket failure, but you can certainly try to keep doing the short term ones as long as possible. Keep in mind, the only way the material from the can is able to get in the failed area of the gasket is for coolant to flow through the failed area and drag the medicine with it. Eventually, enough of that material gets stuck in the 'hole' that it prevents further flow. If it sets correctly, cylinder pressure may not blow it right back out again, but eventually it will. And then the cycle starts again....

    Trying to run without a radiator cap merely allows any combustion gases that leak past the failed gasket a place to vent off. It does nothing to help 'seal' the failed gasket.
     
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  18. kobear18

    kobear18 Junior Member

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    I have no experience with K-seal and Porsche bro. Im cheap and will never touch a Porsche. All Im waiting for is the price of tesla come back some so I can buy a tesla after the chip shortage. For V6, V8, truck, suv and any sport cars, I doubt that taking out the thermostat will work. They all required higher temp for all the components to work. It will be like it is either too low or too high later on. My method may only work for Prius because the engine only turns on when the battery is out. For all other normal ICE cars, the engine is on all the times. It will get too hot because the coolant go through radiator too quickly.
     
  19. kobear18

    kobear18 Junior Member

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    Another major improvement: MPG went up to 53. I used to only have 45 sometimes even just 41. Its weird but this is what I observed after the thermostat is out, it coast much better. It just keep rolling like no friction. I don't know why it has this effect. Maybe the ABS is somehow controlled by the data from thermostat ?? Or the flow rate of the coolant ??
     
    #19 kobear18, Dec 1, 2021
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2021
  20. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Sounds reasonable.
     
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