Has anyone used or recommend Alumiseal?

[shadesh]

Hi,

I have a 1975 280Z and there is white smoke blowing out the exhaust. There is slight discoloration of the oil as well. .. (light brownish). I also notice that the coolant level drops after every run just a little. My conclusion is that I have a either a blown head gasket or cracked head.

Has anyone used alumiseal (did I spell it right!) before? Would you recommend it.?

Any advise will be appreciated. Thanks.

[EScanlon]

I've used it on a some of my cars.... but I'm not a mechanic. So with that disclaimer...

I used it to give me what it promotes it can do.... a fast fix to a leaky cooling system. Is it the proper fix? I've been told that it is a band-aid and that I should have the system completely checked and fixed properly. I've also been told that if there aren't any other problems that I should leave it be.

The first instance and introduction to the stuff was when I had a pheasant jump up right in front of my 74 Mercury Capri and the car "inhaled" it through the plastic grille and the bird's beak punctured one of the vertical cooling fins. With the aid of the nearby farmer (this was in Iowa), he used his needle nose pliers, closed off the fin above and below the puncture and then inserted one tube of the "Solder-Seal" (which is what Aluma Seal was known as back then). He then gave me a second tube "just in case" and sent me off down the road. I never had any more problems with that car. Now granted, 6 months later I got divorced and she got that car but I never heard anything more about it (and I would have). It also functioned flawlessly during those 6 months that I know about.

I've used it on cars that have had minor leaks in freeze plugs (Iowa and Michigan), without any problems.

I keep a tube of it .... just in case.

Is there a possibility that it can plug a passage in the engine or heater or .... absolutely. But I'll leave that to the grease guys to complain about.

That's my experience with it.

FWIW

E

Edited September 15, 2008 by EScanlon

[MikeW]

Now granted, 6 months later I got divorced and she got that car but I never heard anything more about it (and I would have).

Now that is funny.

[DeesZ]

Over the last 45 years I've used the product several times, usually when I was in a 'pinch' away from home, or not welcoming throwing dollars at a marginal car. With the disclaimer that EScanlon stated, I have had fairly good luck with the stuff; most often I never had to do any more to the vehicle. I've also had the same advice given to me about it being a Band-Aid and to do it right. Never had any real problems afterwards.....

zkeep us posted.

[sblake01]

I used it to fix a radiator leak in a 510 I once owned. I had gone to San Francisco and I noticed the leak just before I started back. It stopped the leak long enough for me to get home. That was a 400+ mile run in the summer in California. I repaired the radiator and flushed the cooling system soon after I got home. So I don't really have any idea of how it is for long term use as I also used it as a 'quick fix' and repaired properly it as soon as I could.

[Walter Moore]

But the stuff isn't permanent. I used it to patch up the heater core in one of my cars a few years back just to try to make it past the rest of the winter. It lasted a couple of months, then one day the heater core basically exploded on the interstate.

Ever tried to drive at 65 MPH with every window rolled down to vent the hot steam out of your dash when it is below zero (F) out side? In retrospect it is funny, but only because I lived... By the way, that stuff smells really BAD inside the car.

My point is, it will not hold forever, and whatever is causing the leak will eventually get worse.

[EScanlon]

Walter;

Are you sure that was Alum a Seal (Solder Seal) and not Barrs Leak?

Aluma is mostly solder and aluminum shavings (dust actually), while Barrs is tar based (they look like rabbit dung pellets).

I've never smelled the Aluma but know what you mean about the Barrs leak, that stuff is putrid... period.

FWIW

E

[280~Master]

I have a 1975 280Z and there is white smoke blowing out the exhaust. There is slight discoloration of the oil as well. .. (light brownish).

This does indicate water in your oil. Bad Head gasket, cracked head, bad block who knows but you are getting water in your oil. This is not good for your car at all. Water in you oil will lead to engine failure for sure. Do some searching in your area for a place to repair this ASAP or you will be out of an engine.

[shadesh]

man!! I was so close to getting my car on the road. I put so much work with painting the engine bay and all and now I have coolant leaking into the engine. It seems that alumiseal will be a short term solution and so I will go ahead and change the head gasket and the gasket for the timing cover. I was told that coolant could leak through there as well/?

Thanks for your input.

[jmortensen]

Alumiseal works great for a pinhole in a radiator. When I was in high school I had a friend with a diesel rabbit (and no money) who kept that thing running for months with a pretty serious radiator leak by continually adding Alumiseal.

John is absolutely right though, you have another problem, probably a blown head gasket, and alumiseal does nothing to fix that problem. Water in the oil means you need a real fix ASAP. I would suggest you don't drive it at all until you fix that problem.

[280~Master]

Jon is right if you continue to drive it you will burn up the rings and cause serious damage to the engine. You may want to find a doner engine from another car. To me pulling and replacing an engine is alot easier than trying to replace all that gasket stuff with the engine in the car. just my 2 cents