Was It Stop Leak? – EricTheCarGuy

1. I think they use that spray so they can reuse a old head gasket

2. If no need copper spray, why most of the car still leaking with original gasket

3. So, I have seen mechanics saying to use spray copper sealer. If I followed their advice and already mounted the head, should I take it off and clean the surfaces? Can I reuse the bolts that I just torqued?

4. Copper coat isn't a bad product it does two things first it helps heat transfer between the head and block second it helps fill more holes between the gasket and mating surfaces.

   The most common application I know of is track/drag cars with h22 reverse heads they buy a head gasket for $200-$400 dallors custom make for a reverse head h22 and then use it 4-5 times each time sparying copper coat on the head gasket it basically alots u to reuse a head gasket another thing if u need .003 clearance on the gasket thickness this can get you from the oem .028 to .031 thickness for cleance or boost or high comp….it's not a bad product just not a normal "simple mechanic" product.

5. Much respect Eric. Most people wouldn't admit something like that. I also agree with you that a new head gasket is better than Stop Leak mainly because it seems, at least to me, to be a temporary fix.

6. mls gasket multi layer gasket like the one you are showing is a no no . . a solid composite material gasket could use copper spray (gray asbestos type)

7. i just got back from autozone with a can of copper spray. i think i'm going to use it on the new head gasket of an E46. i wasn't going to use it but people said it's extra insurance. some people say to use it some (like you) say not to use it. but let me ask you, if you didn't even know that it was the copper spray, which apparently is very common, then why do you say not to use it? can you back this up with any facts or are you just saying not to use it?

8. Thanks for your videos, Eric Thanks for the video, i have a 2012 lincoln mkt lost all the water, i put three gallons and it went straight to the oil pan, after that i started it to move it a few feet and and then I shut it down, does this sound like a head gasket? Can a car with a blown head gasket start at all? Any info on this matter, would be much appreciated.

9. If someone used Cooper spray sealer , it would be all over the head gasket in cluding around the riering .

10. not even copper spray?

11. I used Blue devil head gasket sealer on a 1997 Eclipse that had been blowing exhaust into the coolant for over two years, gradually getting worse. Besides the drivetrain the car was a total piece of crap not worth $500. Blue devil completely solved the problem. I gave the car away about 6k miles later so I'm not sure how permanent the fix was but it was a really good band aid when I needed it.

    2nd car, 1997 Protege, was leaking oil from the side of the engine block like mad, about a quart every 150-200 miles. Told by several mechanics it would be at least a $1000 repair. This car was in good shape otherwise but still not worth much over a thousand. Because I was so pleased with how Blue devils gasket sealer worked I decided to try their oil stop leak. Over the course of about 300 miles the leak completely stopped!! I delivered pizzas in it and was finally able to pull into customers driveways again!. Not even a drip.

    3rd vehicle is a 2002 Buell blast motorcycle. After about 45 minutes hot oil would start spraying on my right leg. I haven't done a super long trip on this one yet but so far I've been out for about an hour an no sign of oil.

    Based on my experience, if your vehicle isn't worth the cost of fixing these products are a godsend. If it is worth fixing, Eric's probably right, go do it right.

12. still wondering, many people recomed using the spray copper on the gasket….so should i use it on my d16 or not??

13. I just redid a headgasket on a Honda JDM dohc zc. The previous owner used that pour in stop leak crap. Almost every coolant passage was blocked with that crap, and the water jackets around the sleeves were almost completely full of the rock hard white crap, or the stop leak. This motor was always running hot and probably about to cook it's self. Well not probably it would have, I will never use that band aid. Just fix it and save your motor, the gasket will seem cheap if you have got to buy anew motor and pay for a install.

14. No dislikes for about 4 years! Man that's crazy! 

    Even the best videos deserve a dislike 🙂

    sorry for the buzzkill 🙂 Great video

    02/20/2015

15. looks like spray on copper gasket sealer

16. Seal Tite is the only one I used and worked on a leaking water pump and head gasket. You have to flush coolant. Then mix Seal Tite with water. Drive for at least 30 minutes not idle. Then flush. Then fill up with coolant. The water pump was almost running out before it was fixed.

17. It looks like that bronze thermal coating people spray on.

18. i have a 99 ford crown vic it keeps spitting coolant out near the winshield wont hold the coolant car overheats in about 10 minutes of driving….guy said i need a intake gasket can that be it?????????? email me at wallacemcdowell88@gmail.com

19. And don't use stop leak! Fix the real problem. Stop leak only mess stuff up and clogs passages

20. Why would anyone need to use a spray to seal the headgasket. If it needs extra sealing it will be preped from the factory

21. was this the same Honda Accord that came into your old shop with the cylinder head off and a bunch of other things that the owner did which messed it up?

22. You should do a review on Steel Seal. Scotty Kilmer recommends that over any other sealant.

23. You wont see overheating while driving because the radiator is getting the air it needs to cool the engine enough even with all those pockets of air in your cooling system that have leaked out from the combustion chamber. My girlfriends car a 2004 just went through the same problems. You can do a compression test to try and pin point which cylinder is leaking or test for combustion gasses in the coolant. You can get both tools/tests at autozone/AAP/Pep Boys. I'd have a shop warranty the work tho

24. up. You should be able to find a shop that can do the job for a decent price. If you've never done a water pump or timing belt you looking at around 400 to 450 in parts. Thats with new head bolts. Honda head bolts are reusable but you wanna get better ones so they don't back out and cause you this mess again. You should be able to find a shop to do it for like 600. Its not the head gasket that's the design fail, its the head bolts. Replace those and the gasket and you'll be all set!

25. The reason you get no white smoke is because, the coolant isn't leaking into the combustion chamber. What happens with those motors is the head bolts will back out a small bit and cause the head gasket to prematurely fail. Its not enough is a leak for coolant to make it into the combustion chamber but enough of a leak to let combustion into the coolant system probably via the coolant jackets around the cylinders. I would not use any sealer as it could make more problems inside gumming everything

26. is it still worth* giving Steel Seal a try..

27. Correct, D17 and it has 115k. Damn it. Is it still giving Steel Seal a try? I don't seem to be having any white smoke issues, and at a steady 40 mph I don't see overheating.

28. Its a d17 motor right? Those motors had a problem with the head bolts backing out after time. Let me guess….It has 70-100k miles? That seems to be when they start to have problems! Its called a compression leak! Your getting combustion gasses into your coolant system. You'll wanna get a head gasket job done asap before all that overheadting and air pockets in your cooling system warps or cracks the head or block. Make sure the mechanic uses good quality head bolts instead of reusing them.

29. Hey Eric,
    I have a 2001 Honda Civic EX that's overheating around 20 miles of driving, but comes back down half way at idle. It is spitting coolant out the reservoir, and the coolant bubbles with the radiator cap off. I'm however not seeing any white smoke out the exhaust or indication that the oil or coolant is mixing. I just replaced the radiator, thermostat, and waterpump within the past 10 months.
    Came across Scotty Kilmer's video on Steel Seal.
    Your thoughts?

30. looks like they put degreaser on it.

31. hey eric i agree with u on both ends n to those who are gonna use stop leak dont do it not even for a temp fix its gonna end up costing u more in the long run i used stop leak and it clogged my rad and thus causing me to blow my head gasket which ended up costing me 400 bucks which would of costed like 800 bucks but i did the work myself which included head gasket water pump oil pump timing belt and for the heads to be resurfaced n valves cleaned
    and new rad

32. Even tho it's against all the rules,I've seen all sorts of stuff used…any thing from grease to copper spray and even epoxy resin…Me…I use Permatex #3 around the water galleries…I've done it for 30 years with no problems…The reason is because glycol likes to seep into the composition gaskets and weep out the sides…Not always but sometimes…Never for me…Keep up the good work Eric.

33. looks like copper cote

34. @metalbigman Thanks very much for the comment and for the sub, for me I would say that the stuff has it's place as I have a few friends that swear by it but on a Honda engine it certainly does NOT belong.

35. @iExiiL3 It sounds like a leak somewhere, I recommend you watch the video that I did on "How To Solve an Overheat Condition" for some steps to follow in that situation.

36. @yerboogieman Not something I do normally, in fact I personally avoid the use of 'sealants'.

37. What are your views on this video when he says to add sealant when you change your fluid?

38. @yerboogieman But HEAD gaskets go in bare.

39. I like to use it on my header gaskets, because I've done bare and with the copper gasket stuff in the tube. And one works better with some of the gaskets I've used.

40. @EricTheCarGuy Agreed.. its amazing how many different "miracle" products are out there.. companies trying their best at Band-Aid fixes just to make a quick buck..some work sure..but for how long?? 🙂 Thanks for the reply!

41. @beeterolds Cast iron v 8's are VERY different than an aluminum 4 cylinder. Everything has it's place but on these engines it just doesn't belong. Thanks for the comment.

42. I dunno man… I used Fel-pro head gaskets on my Olds 403, the block had to have had some issues cause it would weep coolant so the deck was more than likely warped.. I did a head swap and sprayed the gaskets with the copper spray and I never had an issue after that.. It was a band aid to machining the deck.. but it worked..

43. @will757 Cometic gaskets are solid, like head shims; actually they are head shims, but they're used as gaskets in racing applications. You can use copper spray of those gaskets, but not on regular gaskets. Regular gaskets have a special coating on them. There is no need (nor is it recommended) to use any type of sealer on it.

44. @cagonesss Honestly I don't know on that one but if there is a gasket don't use silicone just let the gasket do the work. I'd recommend posting this question over at the ETCG forum someone there might have a better answer for you.

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