scotslad Posted September 15, 2017 Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 Alright folks Just wondering if anyone has much of an idea about using either Steel seal or K seal? (are they both the same? My mechanic reckons steel seal only works if the gasket is leaking but the blurb I seen about K seal reckoned it could be used more of a precaution?) Can u use it as a preventative measure or only if u have a problem? Got an old L200 and everyone know's there reputation for head gaskgets. its just reading normal temp's the now while running it's just flew throu another MOT again, I just hoping to nurse it throu for a finally year. Is it worth putting a tin of steel seal or K seal throu the radiator just as a precaution. Only wanting to get another 5 or 10K out of it and would hate for the gasket to go as not wor spending the money to fix it. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itchy trigger Posted September 15, 2017 Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 (edited) I would think, that as it hardens through heat, it would only seal an existing problem, not sure, but the guy who is going to sort my 2.5 sport said it has been used on that, spotted it straight away, "could last 10 miles could last 80,000" I am not taking the chance, going to get it sorted, even if its a new head, Edited September 15, 2017 by itchy trigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herby Posted September 15, 2017 Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 Nothing to loose then!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itchy trigger Posted September 15, 2017 Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 (edited) Nothing to loose then!! sorry, do not see the logic in that if it has already been put in and cured, how is it going to seal a newly cracked head or blown gasket Edited September 15, 2017 by itchy trigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted September 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 (edited) It actually had some steel seal put in 3 years ago, I must of caught it just in time and its never missed a beat since, and done a few miles since. Even 3 yrs ago the mechanic said it wouldn't be worth fixing, with the L200's the heads usually crack/warp so need a new head as well as the gasket. I bought the motor as a cheap stop gap pick up and it just keeps on going, never breaks down and passes the Mot's, so it doesnae owe me anything but would be great to nurse it throu the shooting season. Do heads go all at once in 1 big event or could there be odd small cracks/leaks in the gasket waiting to become bigger? The mechanic said steel seal probably wouldn't work but according to the flier/blurb it reckoned K seal would mibbe work as a preventative (also reckoned fixes radiator leaks too) but I must admit I'd never heard of it before Would putting some seal in do any harm to the engine if its no leaks cracks? Edited September 15, 2017 by scotslad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itchy trigger Posted September 15, 2017 Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 in those circumstances I would not bother, all is good by the sound of it and has been good for three years so why mess with it, tempting providence springs to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herby Posted September 15, 2017 Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 Sorry I didn't read the post correctly as was in a rush and made a spelling mistake to boot. I have heard it repairing really bad head gaskets and kept them going for years. If it's already had some and been effective another half bottle can't do any harm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted September 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 Bit of a mixed response I can see both sides,if it aint broke, but also if pouring some in would seal up any tiny leaks or cracks before they become a problem? Just trying to figure out wether being slightly pro active would be a good thing. And pick up is on the verge of being scrapped the next break down so that would be its end. Must admit I've been lucky with al lmy previous motors and never had any head gasket issues. If the gasket goes (or with the l200 its more likely the head will crack) Is it a gradual thing or a sudden thing? Will gasket just fail or head just crack or will it build up over time with engine getting slighly hotter? The last time I noticed it heating instantly and I had just arrived home with a trailer full of tar, not sure wot would of happened if I noticed it heating halfway back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fen tiger Posted September 16, 2017 Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 Leave it alone just keep an eye on level as you always do , start thinking about it when you see a change take it from that point in time just let it develop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted September 16, 2017 Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 With the l200's it's more around the 2003 year and I believe it was weak heads rather than the gasket. I had one that went and it was a slow process, started using a bit of water and getting a little lumpy gradually got worse till it used a lot of water! In this case I'd leave it, it's either alright or it's been done before and may well just keep on going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted September 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2017 Cheers alex, that's good to know. i'll just keep checking the water then and if it starts using more water i'll try putting a bottle in to catch it early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itchy trigger Posted October 2, 2017 Report Share Posted October 2, 2017 (edited) thought I would post an update as I have got my 2.5 back from the garage, had the timing belts changed and it checked over, so he said in the last couple of months it has had a new cylinder head gasket,with who ever doing that putting steel seal in, but they never got to the initial cause of the problems which was the crankshaft pulley, anyhow when he put it all back together, (with the new pulley), he put in another steel seal !! Edited October 2, 2017 by itchy trigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted November 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 Well as i should of known after starting a thread like this, my l200 went up in a puff of steam this morning. Travelling 20 miles down the mway to pick up on a shoot, next thing I know a big puff of steam everywhere, only got about 7 miles, thankfully only2 miles to a service but still took me 1hr to crawl there on and off letting it cool down. Managed to limp it the back road home stopping at every possible burn to fill it up again. Asolutley spewing out the back end of the engine on the drivers side, I've not had a proper look yet with the big torch but I take it no water pipes etc back there right beside the bulkhead?? Not sure if its even worth the spending the money on steel seal now. If I give it the hell mary/ last ditch effort is it worth putting 2 bottles in to fill bigger holes? Or if its going to work it will work with 1 or it won't work. It's not worth taking the head off it so it will be a scrap or possibly left on shoot but might not even be good enough for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 (edited) Its only ever a bodge that is just as likely to let you down at the wrong time, if you have real concerns that the head gasket may fail due to age deterioration then get it done, before water loss and overheating occurs, thatll get expensive. Edited November 3, 2017 by Paul223 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted November 3, 2017 Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 Well as i should of known after starting a thread like this, my l200 went up in a puff of steam this morning. Travelling 20 miles down the mway to pick up on a shoot, next thing I know a big puff of steam everywhere, only got about 7 miles, thankfully only2 miles to a service but still took me 1hr to crawl there on and off letting it cool down. Managed to limp it the back road home stopping at every possible burn to fill it up again. Asolutley spewing out the back end of the engine on the drivers side, I've not had a proper look yet with the big torch but I take it no water pipes etc back there right beside the bulkhead?? Not sure if its even worth the spending the money on steel seal now. If I give it the hell mary/ last ditch effort is it worth putting 2 bottles in to fill bigger holes? Or if its going to work it will work with 1 or it won't work. It's not worth taking the head off it so it will be a scrap or possibly left on shoot but might not even be good enough for that sorry scotslad, I replied without reading through to the last reply. Get the head off, steel seal is carp, itll not hold back combustion pressure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted November 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2017 With that age of L200 it tends to be the heads that crack rather than the gaskets actually going. at the moment the pick up doesn't own me anything, but I don't want to start spending much, think a new hew/recon head is around 2-300 an it sort of cost's the same to get the old head skimmed and pressure tested. Pick up's not worth spending that on it. Must admit I bought it cheap as an insurance write off, and in hind sight I think they have write it off on purpose as it was going to go, it was steel sealed 3 yrs ago and has never missed a beat since, only does about 10K miles a year althou it tavels up and down to the grouse in Yorkshire no problems, well until now. Must admit until now I've been impressed how well the steel seal had held until now. was checking the water and wasn't using much/any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted November 4, 2017 Report Share Posted November 4, 2017 Yup scrap it / sell on ebay or just buy a new head for it, it wont be up to a shoot vehicle as once they go this far they are pushing too much water through internally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted November 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2017 Ceers alex.so I take it it is too far gone for steel seal ()or even a doule dose) think it used 10L of burn water to drive 10 miles. Not good. Not worth the investment of a new head, and I wouldn't sell it. Not fair on the new buyer (even if the steel seal worked a miracle) really only trying to nurse it throu to feb with mainly local journeys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted November 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2017 Been out with dogs again today and getting a good bit of p@@@ taking. But I was thinking and a couple of them were saying the same, it might be more likely to be a burst heater hose. The oil is still clean and not milky/watery, it didn't seem to have lost any power and still starting and running well. Also yesterday when I was filling the radiator if I filled it too much it was running out somewhere at the back of the engine (near to the bulkhead) also where I thought the steam was coming from was lower than I expected it would and lower than the head itself. So mibee not a bad as I 1st feared, i'll get time for a proper look the morro, but like most engines nowadays everything is in the most ackward position Been dark when I left got home to have a proper look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted November 4, 2017 Report Share Posted November 4, 2017 If its the head and doing that amount of water the exhaust will be pumping out white smoke. When I said ebay it wasnt suggesting hiding the problem youll find a polish mechanic will buy and fix for peanuts. Vehicles seem to almost sell better on there with problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gustaff Posted November 4, 2017 Report Share Posted November 4, 2017 k seal good at stopping leaks in various parts of engine but also good at blocking heater matrix no heat when required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted November 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2017 If its the head and doing that amount of water the exhaust will be pumping out white smoke. When I said ebay it wasnt suggesting hiding the problem youll find a polish mechanic will buy and fix for peanuts. Vehicles seem to almost sell better on there with problems Cheers again, definitely no smoke out exhaust, the more I think about it the more I think it might be some sort of heater hose rather than the head. Just knowing the rep they have got for that model u assume the worst. Hopefully that is the case if so I will probably run some steel seal throu just incase I've heated the head a touch limping of mway and home (sorry to ask so many stupid cylinder head questions) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clakk Posted November 6, 2017 Report Share Posted November 6, 2017 Pressure test m8,i was told the head had gone on my Vauxhall estate last year <wanted 650 to fix>but my cynical self said no other symptoms than massive water loss.P tested it water sprayed from the oil cooler for the egr valve like a fountain .Second hand cooler from the scrappys 20 quid jobs done.Worth a punt atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted November 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 The old girl's clinging on to life still althou mibee not completely out of the woods yet. Just picked it up at the garage tonite, it was the pipe (I think into an egr??) but right at the back of engine in an Impossible place to get too. Took 2 of them to get the clamp/pipe off 1 in pit and another above. Really now depends if I've cooked it or not. Fingers crossed and keep really watching the radiator levels Got a keepers day on grouse tomorrow and it would of been handy to travel down in it (as u need a 4x4 to get onto the moor) but don't quite trust it yet for a long journey like that. I'llhav to scrounge a lift up the final bit of hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clakk Posted November 13, 2017 Report Share Posted November 13, 2017 Sounds like the same problem i had ,should be okay now your pipes replaced ,but i would do an Oil /filter change if you have "cooked" your oil for peace of mind atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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