Headgasket Sealer, I'm planning to replace the whole motor in the fall Options

[VavAlephVav]

I want to see if anybody has used pour-in head gasket sealer with any success.
I have decided it would be best to replace the whole motor than to do a head job on this one, and so I want to use some head gasket in a bottle to get me through the summer till I can do the motor in the fall.

I have a 1994 GT with a 5sfe, and the guy I bought it from put a used motor in it before he sold it to me. I understand now that the motor is most likely from a 97+ Camry and is the slightly different 5fse, they had to modify the bell housing to make it fit.



and I can see the paint-pen marks on the front of the head, which to me means he bought it from a pick-n-pull kind of salvage yard. It also leaks slightly from the intake side of the head somewhere, though not bad enough to leave spots in the driveway, and also leaks from the oil cooler I think. It looses about a quart every 2000 miles.

And when I talked to the shop I trust about doing the head they said it was 8 hours for the head and only about 10 to replace the whole motor.
So to me it makes more sense to find a good condition used 5sfe and take it apart and do a good Cometic gasket and a full valve grind on it and the timing belt kit all before we even have it put in the car. Then I can also have a proper 5sfe that fits my transmission. (wtb 5speed bell housing)

but funds for this project won't happen until the fall so in the meantimes I am gonna try some pour-in stuff. Right now the motor is pushing exhaust gas into the coolant. at first I would need to add maybe a quart of coolant a week, but is getting worse although I have not seen it smoke and the plugs are not wet or fouled. but there are traces of oil on the radiator cap and the overflow tube. When I accelerate hard I can feel slight "pockets" in the torque of the car which I take to be a bad sign. So for now I really don't run it any harder than I need to and try to keep below 3200.

From what I've read you just need to take care to do it right, take out the thermostat and give the system a good flush so all coolant, oil, and grime is cleaned out. then fill with clean water and let it idle for an hour or two, then shut it off and let it cool over night. taking care to not push it too hard for the first couple of weeks after.
What is supposed to be the best out there is Steel Seal https://www.steelseal.com/ but they literally want $100 for a bottle of it. http://www.jbtoolsales.com/crc-401232-perm...CFYlhfgodmw0AnA
this other stuff is only $35 , and blue devil stuff is like $30 .
So has anybody actually tried any of these?

This post has been edited by VavAlephVav: May 10, 2014 - 1:41 PM

[VavAlephVav]

Thanks, I've read several things that say you should always replace the bolts, some say its more likely the stretched bolts that are the reason the gasket failed in the first place.
I could agree that they may be reusable, but for another $20 I'd rather just get some new ones. I'm always nervous about screwing things up and having to redo it.
and because it doesn't smoke, or act to messed up I'm hoping it's just the gasket and not majorly cracked or ruined. I've never actually overheated it, but idk about before I got it.
/sigh

This post has been edited by VavAlephVav: May 11, 2014 - 2:04 PM