Bar's Leak Head Gasket Repair

Anonymous-0 · Jan 1, 2009

The head gasket on my 400 will not seal due to the #4 sleeve having been seated to deep in the block,(many years ago) it only sticks up about .004. I don't lose much antifreeze, so I consider this a minor leak. This product is designed for automobiles and it calls for a person to start the vehicle 3 different times and to top off the radiator each time, after it cools back down.

The top of the tractor radiator sits so much higher than the head on the engine, that wouldn't it be okay to assume that topping it off once will be enough? After all, car radiators sit quite low, and have less room over the core than a tractor.

This product is advertised to seal cracked heads and blown head gaskets. They even have one that will seal cracked blocks.

Thank you Steve

Janicholson · Jan 1, 2009

Two issues are involved. The first is that .004 is OK. Many seal when flat to the deck. So the leak needs to be analized to assess where it is leaking. A compression/combustion leak to coolant cannot be sealed with a sealing product. If your engine is leaking coolant into a combustion chamber, I believe it will probably not be fixable that way. If it is leaking coolant to the outside, then do it. My experience is favorable to that solution. Please describe your coolant loss so a better handle can be attached to the problem. If an air hose was attached to the #4 cylinder sparkplug hole, and 100psi were put in the cylinder (both valves closed)(roockers removed, or adjusted closed) where would the pressure go? JimN

Fixer · Jan 1, 2009

In my experiance, if a head gasket is leakin into the combustion chamber, as soon as you start the engine, compression will leak into the radiator and push out antifreeze. Also immediatly the engine will overheat and I mean immediatly and hot. Just my opinion I also don't believe a product is made that will stop compression from entering the water. Of course I could be wrong. Bernie Steffen

mkirsch · Jan 2, 2009

Since .004 is okay, would it be logical to suspect a warped head?

Then again, the sleeve may be a red herring. The leak could be happening elsewhere in the engine.

However, we need the OP to come back and provide more info.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 2, 2009

The block has some small dings in it around where the #4 sleeve fits in the block and it is lower than the other three. This is why I believe the problem is with that cyclinder.

I put new rings in it last spring and when I put the head back on it, it did not seal. When I first got the tractor I had the same problem and I tried some Stop Leak in it and it stopped the leak.

If I run it for a couple of hours, I will get about three tablespoons of antifreeze out of the drain and the oil starts to look nasty.

Before I put the head back on, I took it to work and it is flat to within about .003 if I remember correctly.

I do not have a heated area to work in and I do not want to take the head off this winter and I do not want to wreck this engine, after putting the new rings in it.
Thank you Steve

Janicholson · Jan 2, 2009

If it is getting in the oil, use the bars leak. No issue there. It may have a cracked head, or cracked block casting at a cylinder, leaking into the pan at the sleeve. (between the dry sleeve and block bore. Best of luck, JimN

Bar's Leak Head Gasket Repair

Anonymous-0

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Janicholson

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Fixer

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mkirsch

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Janicholson

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