"steel seal" anyone try this on a phase I HG problem yet??

[themoneypit]

<< the stuff came in this morning, i did buy the ventable radiator cap for 6 bux at advance auto, and put in a new subaru t-stat as well for 13 bux. i put the stuff in, ran it for an hour with the rad cap vent open as it says, shut the car off, closed the vent and it is currently cooling down in the driveway. >>

 

how are you bleeding the system of air when you replaced the thermostat?

 

i opened the vent plug on the right side of the radiator, took off the top hose and filled that first (also put the "steel seal" in there too) reinstalled the hose, filled the radiator, and let it run for a few b4 capping it and letting it run for the hour it called for.

 

HOWEVER the stuff didnt work, as we all expected it wouldnt. but i am now driving the car with the lever on the radiator cap up, and so far so good. it releases the gasses that come in from the bad HG, without pushing the coolant into the overflow tank. atleast so far... i even got on the highway with it for 2 exits cruising about 75, checked when i got home, and tank still isnt filling up.

 

so that may be an inexpensive option for one of these with a bad HG and you want to continue driving it. buy the STANT radiator cap with the red lever on it (6.59 at advance auto) i bought the 13lb cap, they had 13 or 16lb caps. put it on, leave the lever up, but make sure the up part of the lever is aiming towards the firewall and it will clear the hood when you shut the hood. if you have it facing towards the front bumper, i think the hood will close the lever when it shuts. i will def update this if it changes, or overheats again, but as of now, im going to run it as is and see what happens.

[daredevil1166]

I used the Steel Seal on my DOHC W/ bad HG's.

 

It helped, but by no means fixed it.

 

I never had it raise the temp gauge after I put it in, but the bubbles were still coming out. It was a quick easy way to get a couple more months out of the engine until I could afford to do the gaskets.

 

Here's the bad part. After I pulled the engine to the job right, I found a ton of gunk clogging up the coolant passages.

 

The Steel Seal website says it won't clog passages or adversely affect the engine. I call BS. What I found when I pulled my heads of was very bad.

 

There's no way I would use this stuff again.

 

The coolant passage where the leak was, was totally filled with the solids that the Steel Seal turns into.

 

I can't even explain how bad it was.

 

Sorry I didn't get to you with the info before you dumped that junk in.

[themoneypit]

I used the Steel Seal on my DOHC W/ bad HG's.

 

It helped, but by no means fixed it.

 

I never had it raise the temp gauge after I put it in, but the bubbles were still coming out. It was a quick easy way to get a couple more months out of the engine until I could afford to do the gaskets.

 

Here's the bad part. After I pulled the engine to the job right, I found a ton of gunk clogging up the coolant passages.

 

The Steel Seal website says it won't clog passages or adversely affect the engine. I call BS. What I found when I pulled my heads of was very bad.

 

There's no way I would use this stuff again.

 

The coolant passage where the leak was, was totally filled with the solids that the Steel Seal turns into.

 

I can't even explain how bad it was.

 

Sorry I didn't get to you with the info before you dumped that junk in.

 

well if i get a couple more months out of it then im happy with that.. gives me time to find a nice low mile ej22 for it.. but i really think that keeping this radiator cap lever up is going to do the trick....

[michaelbteam]

I had the same problem with a 99 outback, got fleeced. Tried everything including the fancy sealer. Ended up running my car all winter up and down a canyon about 4000 vertical, with the thermostat removed. The overflow would fill up, and at the end of the day when the car was cold I would empty the overflow back into the radiator, drive her home and do the same thing next day, for two months. Finally sold it cheap and vowed not to own another 2.5, have two 96 outbacks with 2.2's.