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]

the thing that's bugging me is IF I take it apart and send it to a machine shop and they Then tell me the head (on my DD) is cracked or something I'd be kinda hosed. and as I've called around the different machine shops getting quotes I've been warned to make sure the lifter/valve shims go in just right several times. When I looked at the Toyota engine manual I have I see that you have to take the cams out to even get to the head bolts, that's scary stuff right there.
What I'm thinking now is I can buy a used head ($135) from a decent salvage yard that will guarantee it, and then send it straight to a machine shop to be checked out. and if it's messed up I can get another one before we even take the motor apart.
maybe if I get the head ready and the gasket kit over the summer, then in august I'll only need the $500 labor for the actual job, and I can have it back in not more than 2 days. and somebody I trust knows what he is doing will make sure it's right.
I was planning on pulling a little more from my SL to deal with the motor, struts and tires, then I'll be set. So long as I don't ride it hard it doesn't loose much coolant at all, I'm gonna flush it one time to keep the crap from building up, and that may get me by for the next 2 months.

This post has been edited by VavAlephVav: May 18, 2014 - 12:28 PM