K-seal

[chaseracer]

Any experiences?

[Sloth in a bowl]

Sick Merc?

 

I've bought some but never had to use it (thank God). The amazon K seal review page seems to rate it rather highly though.

[mat_the_cat]

Yes. Only the one, so make of it what you will. I suspected the van had developed a crack in the head, as the engine is known for that. No visible evidence of coolant loss, but it used around a litre of water every 1000 miles, which was getting expensive! I added a bottle of K-Seal in September 2009, around 20k miles ago as a short term measure but so far it's been fine. I've topped up once in that time and have had no problems with overheating (even in 40 °C heat in France) or heater matrix blockages.

 

I'm suspicious of magic in a bottle cures, but gave it a go as the van only does a few thousand miles a year now. I've known people who've had HG failure where it hasn't worked though, and have seen heater taps which have been clogged up by it so would hesitate to recommend it. I'm guessing a crack is easier to seal than a failing gasket joint, hence my success.

[flat4alfa]

Pug-engined Rover 418 was drinking water and mornings were enjoying a bit of hydro lock

 

K-Seal went in

 

Ran with it for months after, it stopped drinking water and mornings were clear.

Px/d it into the trade some time later

 

 

[scooters]

used extensively in the trade, developed for K series head gaskets. very different from the old teck stuff like rad weld which I would steer well clear of. We run K seal in all our plant engines as a preventative, it is a condition of our warranty providers. The 'punters' are usually told not to use thigs like K seal because - a they might not use them properly and b - heads and head gaskets are big dosh for garages. However, it's used all across the trade as is it's lorry equivalent steel seal.

 

aye

R

[HillmanImp]

Has anyone tried this SteelSeal yet? 

 

http://www.steelseal.co.uk/

 

 

 

SIMPLE POUR IN SOLUTION : OVER 99 % SUCCESS RATE : COMPATIBLE WITH ALL 'TRADITIONAL' ANTIFREEZE : PERMANENT : MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

 

 

If Steel Seal blown head gasket repair is used on a blown head gasket and has not worked, we are more than happy to provide a full refund of receipt value to a maximum of the RRP as displayed on our website or a one-time replacement bottle. All you need to do is simply provide us with:

• Proof of purchase for Steel Seal from an authorised stockist as listed on our website
• A statement from a VAT registered garage that via compression or gas test that your vehicle definitely has a blown head gasket or confirmation that the vehicle has been scrapped or an invoice showing that a mechanical head gasket repair has subsequently been carried out
• The registration number of vehicle

Conditions:

• Only 1 refund per vehicle
• The recommended amount of Steel Seal must have been used up to a maximum of 3 bottles.
• All money back requests must be received in writing within 28 days from date of purchase along with the required information above.

[scooters]

Is the same as K seal but for larger engines/vans etc. I've used it in a large Iveco van - same results as K seal works a treat

[Guest Breadvan72]

I drink a pint of the stuff daily.  It does me fuck all good but gives me gold teeth.  

[phil_lihp]

The Rover had K-seal in its system when I got it due to a leaking waterpump.  Two aborted attempts to remove the old pump meant it got flushed through with fresh coolant which looked a lot better but also turned the leak from a dribble to a torrent so it was clearly doing a fairly decent job.  I would hesitate to use it myself on the basis that it could clog up the cooling system though.

[dollywobbler]

Steel seal is meant to be pretty decent stuff. Assume this is the Merc. It was losing a fair bit of coolant when parked up, but drive to Kent and back barely losing any at all. I did carry a tin of K-Seal with me on that journey but as the coolant level didn't move, it didn't get used.

[scooters]

The Rover had K-seal in its system when I got it due to a leaking waterpump.  Two aborted attempts to remove the old pump meant it got flushed through with fresh coolant which looked a lot better but also turned the leak from a dribble to a torrent so it was clearly doing a fairly decent job.  I would hesitate to use it myself on the basis that it could clog up the cooling system though.

 

won't clog up the system, unlike the more primitive stuff. K seal and Steel seal are essentially powdered metal carried in a catalyst activated epoxy. Works a bit like your blood plasma....when a hole under 1mm (for K seal - more for steel seal) forms the catalyst for activation is the temperature of the coolant and the exposure to air - like the plasma in your blood, contact with the air causes molecules of metal, surrounded in the epoxy to bind together across the hole, like a scab forming. once several molecules thick the scabbing process stops - just like your blood. This means that you can keep K seal in your cooling system and should a leak form (radiator, heater matrix, gasket) then the hole or crack will be sealed. The bond that  the copper scab makes is stronger than the surrounding metal and should outlast the engine or gasket. I've had K seal fix a huge hole on a B series before. Holes any larger than this do not cause the epoxy to start to bind together, just as if I chop your leg off, it would take a very long time to scab - temperature, surface area, exposure to air and the difference in temperature are all factors, this means you can take the lid off your coolant for refilling etc without causing it to clot.

 

Earlier preparations - Radweld/egg white etc will block modern engines.

[cort1977]

Thanks for this info - yet another thing I've learned on Autoshite.   I always assumed that all these products were the same but seems like technology has moved on.

[plasticvandan]

steel seal is bollocks ( i worked for the company that imports/distributes it) all it does is solidify and block the whole cooling system. It can also do nothing to cure a warped head,a cracked head or block etc etc.

If the gaskets gone,its gone.

[saucedoctor]

Thumbs up from me for K seal. Used it on my mother's Ka of leakiness, and it worked jolly well. Used it on a mate's Rover 25 which had a steamy rad, and it stopped that as well.

 

I've used Ce Lit with great success, but on older cars, e.g., a Capri 2.0, a mark 2 Goof GiT and an early Mondeo, among others.

 

EDIT to add: Speaking of pour-in solutions, Cataclean seems to do what it claims, too. So much so that when my mate's motor factors was broken into last summer, that's all that the miscreants nicked.

[Sloth in a bowl]

Thumbs up from me for K seal. Used it on my mother's Ka of leakiness, and it worked jolly well. Used it on a mate's Rover 25 which had a steamy rad, and it stopped that as well.

 

I've used Ce Lit with great success, but on older cars, e.g., a Capri 2.0, a mark 2 Goof GiT and an early Mondeo, among others.

When they fail, do you get a Ce Lit Bang?

[alf892]

Holts used to make some stuff called Wonda Weld........

 

I used it on a VW LT diesel and it cured the HG and cracked head for a few months. When I eventually did a proper job I found it was massively fucked with HG gone at several points and multiple cracks in the head so was quite impressed.

 

On the instructions it mentioned you should plug larger holes (in the block/head) with wire wool and then allegedly this stuff would go to work

[saucedoctor]

Wondarweld is still available. Bars Leaks was the other one that was popular. It came in a wee plastic bottle that looked like  car radiator. We sold a fuck load of it when I worked in East Antrim Motor Factors, usually to people who were buying core plugs as well!

 

Does anyone else remember "Piston Sealer" that came in a tube and looked like Euthymol toothpaste? People who bought that were usually back a few days later looking for piston rings...

 

 

[chaseracer]

Thanks all - I shall acquire some STAT 

 

Ian, I remember you telling me about the Merc's intermittent coolant issue before I bought it - DOLYWOBLA IZ PLAYN DELA** - I want to see if the chemical option will sort it before I start removing stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

** Would you buy a used car from this man? Er... I did!!

[dollywobbler]

Should point out that if it's the same leak, it's the rad at fault here, not the head gasket.

[meggersdog]

Cargo seal-up sometimes works.Seems a bit of a faff though, you could probably fix the leak properly in the time it takes to cure.First you have to flush all the anti-freeze out,then fill up with neat water and run to temp,now you can tip the Cargo in.Once the engine's been running for 20-30 minutes then flush it all out and leave to stand (something like four hours I think).If there is any Cargo still in the engine when re-antifreezing it WILL block the heater matrix.

Alternatively bung a bottle of K-seal in and forget about it.

[chaseracer]

Should point out that if it's the same leak, it's the rad at fault here, not the head gasket.

Yep, understood - it's just chucking out more vapour when cold than I'm entirely comfortable with.  At some point, I will fix the rad properly... 

[The Moog]

I got recommended forte stop leak in rad as.it didn't block stuff. It is really garage so only obtained from online

[MikeKnight]

I got recommended forte stop leak in rad as.it didn't block stuff. It is really garage so only obtained from online

 

Never used that but I use the other Forte products all the time in my garage (Oil Flush, Coolant Flush, Coolant Degreaser) and can say they're the dogs danglies. Fantastic stuff.

[Jack_Harpers_Teeth]

Yup I've used K-Seal it worked very well, I haven't found a bad review of it yet.

[The Moog]

Never used that but I use the other Forte products all the time in my garage (Oil Flush, Coolant Flush, Coolant Degreaser) and can say they're the dogs danglies. Fantastic stuff.

it was on french car forum that it has plant extracts so it doesnt block your passages ... ooerr

 

Definitely worked on heater matrix in Xsara

[Vince70]

I've got a very small weep on my Heater Matrix and if I leave the heater on cold I have no problems whatsoever but I've noticed a few small drops of water coming from under the dash and if I put my heater on I get a nice load of vapour coming from the vents when I turn it on.

 

So I just wondered if any one has used K seal to cure a duff heater matrix.

My Car is a 5 pot Audi Cabriolet so the radiator doesn't get much air as the engine is way out in front of the radiator which sits to the side of the block.

 

Normally I wouldn't use this type of stuff but would it block my waterways and radiator..

I would have a go at doing the Matrix myself but it's a pig of a job on an audi 80 as they built the car around the Matrix and I believe it's 2 days labour at a garage plus I haven't got the room to do the job..

 

Can K seal be mixed with G11/12/13 Vag antifreeze also or does it turn the antifreeze to brown sludge.

[Station]

You can't use Wondar Weld with anti freeze, it solidifies in it.

Tried it before k-seal but k-seal fixed it better. Wouldn't use WW again.

[Vince70]

I ordered a small bottle of K-seal for my dodgy heater matrix from Amazon...

 

I put the bottle in the expansion tank and put the heater on full blast and while the car was running for about an hour on tickover I also undid the bleed screw on the matrix pipe to get rid of a recurring airlock due to the leaky matrix.

 

I started the car up this morning expecting the usual oily stain across the screen and the horrible sweet smell of antifreeze and nothing...

 

The heater works like a furnace no more airlock and its cured the problem..

 

Also the coolant is still nice pink and clear and you can't tell the bottle has been added I at least expected the expansion tank to look dirty afterwards..

 

So I'm over the moon and the added bonus is that Amazon sent me 2 by mistake..

 

I can't recommend this stuff enough... And on the bottle it says once the leak is repaired you can drain the system..

[chaseracer]

Well... the Bars Leaks doesn't seem to have been entirely successful.  K-Seal ordered...