Blew head gasket, added Irontite sealant

[SensRanger]

So as the title says, the head gasket let go on my 96 Ranger 4.0 OHV @ 163,000 kms. It was an external leak on the passenger side. Pissed coolant all over the ground and was running hot - but not quite at "H", and I limped it home.

Since a pricey repair is a questionable investment at this stage (though the truck is in very nice condition for the year) I decided to try some snake oil first. I added the "IronTite" all-weather sealant (blue bottle). You just add it to the radiator and run the truck for 5 minutes and you're done. I had success with "Steel Seal" in an old sunfire. I wanted to avoid Bar's Leaks or anything else in pellet/powder form for fear of gumming up other parts of the cooling system, like the heater. Like Steel Seal, IronTite is a liquid (pretty viscous though) so I felt ok trying it. Pretty good reviews on the net - seems lots of fleet vehicles, and Subarus and Land Rovers add this stuff as a preventative measure.

The leak sealed up right away and the truck is running perfect and cool. Just wondering if anyone has experience with this product and how long I can expect this fix to last? Apparently coolant-to-air leaks are the kind most likely to find success with these products so I am cautiously optimistic. The heater still works too. I'll be keeping another bottle of sealant and a jug of antifreeze in the truck from now on though, since who knows when it will let go.

 

[SensRanger]

No replies so perhaps little interest, but just to close the loop and for posterity, the Irontite sealant lasted 1,400 KMs. Turns out it was the lower intake, not the head gasket. When the sealant let go, coolant just gushed out the back of the motor and the system was dry in moments. So, could possibly recommend Irontite All-Weather seal as a quick fix to get home... but it is certainly not the "permanent" repair it claims to be.

 

[arco777]

Interesting. I had a good experience with the BARS stop leak, the version that had black "pebbles" in a black liquid. Mine was shooting coolant against the firewall due to a cracked head and the BARS stopped it quickly and had it running well. I replaced the heads shortly afterwards anyways, so I can't speak for the longevity of the fix. That was 45k miles ago and I still have seen no evidence of sludge in the cooling system.