BlueDevil Head Gasket Sealant

It Flat Works!

OK, so I thought I would weigh in on this as I always appreciate honest feed back from other end users. I'm currently driving an "02 Dodge Caravan with the 3.3...Read complete review

OK, so I thought I would weigh in on this as I always appreciate honest feed back from other end users. I'm currently driving an "02 Dodge Caravan with the 3.3 Liter V-6. It was purchased used with 158k on the clock, and from the time I started driving it in mid February I noticed that the heat in the cabin would come and go – mostly go. It was chilly. The temperature gauge would also swing wildly between normal operating temperature, then all the way up to hot, then back down again (though I never overheated it). The next thing I noticed was that when I would park it in the garage, it would puke coolant on the floor (bubbling out of the overflow catch-can). Our mechanic did a C02 / coolant test and said there was no doubt that I had either a leaking head gasket or a cracked head. The cost of the estimated repair was between $1100 and $1500 depending on what had to be done and whether a new or used head was available. I started looking on-line for alternatives and stumbled on the customer reviews of this product. While there were just a precious few negative reviews, most were overwhelmingly positive, and the thing that struck me most were a couple people who failed on the first attempt because they realized they didn't follow instructions, but tried again and it worked on the second try. I did have to swallow hard at the price of about [$] per quart, but compared to the previously mentioned estimate, it started to look like a possible bargain, so I thought "Why not?"The instructions look deceptively simple. But when they say the engine must be cold, they mean ice cold as in "first start-up of the day". I started out on Saturday morning by removing the thermostat, draining and flushing the system, then I let it sit all day to cool. It was a mild, sunny day about 60 degrees and by about 4:30 in the afternoon the engine felt cool to the touch. Being the ADD, instant gratification fool that I am, I decided to start the process of running the vehicle with the prescribed amount (half the bottle) of Blue Devil in the coolant. While the instructions call for idling for at least 50 minutes, most of the successful reviews said to allow for at least two hours. I realized immediately that I had screwed up as the heater began to produce some heat almost immediately. It wasn't cool enough! To make matters worse, I had not glued the thermostat in place on it's housing, and it slipped down between the housing and the block when I had bolted it in it's vertical position. My precious coolant / Blue Devil elixir was leaking on the driveway - Doah!! Nothing to do but let it cool overnight and reload for Sunday.With a little more focus and determination, I started Sunday on a mission. I first dumped all the coolant, removed and cleaned the thermostat hosing and block surface, then glued the thermostat into position on its housing with a thin bead of silicone seal. Using some twine, I tied this assembly into a horizontal position so it wouldn't move before it set up. After about two hours, I bolted the thermostat back in place, added the remaining half quart of Blue Devil, and filled the radiator with 50/50 coolant and water. I then started the engine, set the heater on high and let it idle for two hours.Sunday was an even warmer day – about 70 degrees in N.E. Ohio in late February (I love this Global Warming thing!) But I knew almost immediately something was different. Where it used to take the heater forever to produce any noticeable heat, it came on like gang busters after only a few minutes. Where the temperature gauge used to fluctuate wildly, it was rock steady at just a tick under half way. It's been about a month since I did all this and absolutely nothing has changed. The heat still comes quickly and in quantity, the temperature gauge never budges above half way, and no more coolant on my garage floor. I've checked the coolant level several times and the radiator wouldn't accept more than about ¼ to ½ cup to fill to the top – about as full as you'll ever keep a cooling system. Because of the warm spring, I've even had several opportunities to use the air conditioner on a couple of 80 degree days and the temp gauge doesn't budge. Will this last? I have no idea – I'm in uncharted waters here. But the general consensus seems to be that if it eventually fails, you can just re-apply. For the money spent versus the estimated repair, I am truly a happy camper so far.