Otto01XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Central Illinois
Pretty sure the head on my '01 XJ is cracked, don't have the cash to spring for a new head atm anyone had any luck with Bar's Leaks?
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Cracked head
- Thread starter Otto01XJ
- Start date
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN
That stuff is only good to get you off the road, to the repair shop. It will also plug up your radiator and heater core.
birchlakeXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Melrose, MN
That stuff will absolutely NOT fix a cracked 0331 cylinder head.
Get it off of there ASAP or your engine bearings will be toast in short order.
Get it off of there ASAP or your engine bearings will be toast in short order.
- Location
- MilkyWay Galaxy
Depends on how bad the crack(s) is and where the crack is, what is leaking and where it is leaking, and how fast, and which formula sealer you use.
I have used Bars leaks products for small annoying leaks since the 1970s, most recently (2007) on a pair of aluminum heads on a 1996 Ford Taurus vulcan 3.0, and got another year and about 15,000 miles out of it, before we replaced the heads. Never have had a problem with the radiator on that rig. I had pretty good luck on radiators with it as well, but the new radiators have such thin tubes, that I suspect one should plan on a radiator swap, and good engine flush, after finally doing a head job.
There are 2-3 different levels of head and block sealer out there. I always used the light duty stuff (no silicates in it), never used the Heavy duty stuff (it is loaded with silicates), it always scared me.
If it is just a small coolant crack, or head gasket to coolant leak, it is worth a try, if it is a leak into the oil I would skip it. My 89 head gasket leak was between 2 cylinder walls, not into the coolant at all, so bars leaks would have done nothing for it.
I have never had an 0331 head, so I know nothing about how and where it cracks.
I have used Bars leaks products for small annoying leaks since the 1970s, most recently (2007) on a pair of aluminum heads on a 1996 Ford Taurus vulcan 3.0, and got another year and about 15,000 miles out of it, before we replaced the heads. Never have had a problem with the radiator on that rig. I had pretty good luck on radiators with it as well, but the new radiators have such thin tubes, that I suspect one should plan on a radiator swap, and good engine flush, after finally doing a head job.
There are 2-3 different levels of head and block sealer out there. I always used the light duty stuff (no silicates in it), never used the Heavy duty stuff (it is loaded with silicates), it always scared me.
If it is just a small coolant crack, or head gasket to coolant leak, it is worth a try, if it is a leak into the oil I would skip it. My 89 head gasket leak was between 2 cylinder walls, not into the coolant at all, so bars leaks would have done nothing for it.
I have never had an 0331 head, so I know nothing about how and where it cracks.
Otto01XJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Central Illinois
I read a write up on here about determining weather it was a head gasket or the head itself,and it seems to be the head. I need to do a pressure test to be sure though
Devilfrog
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Duncan, BC
given the 0331 head is prone to cracking in the same location time and again (between the #3 and #4 cylinders) ... a quick check would be to looks for a grenn line at that point.
Pull the oil cap, look inside for a small pool of coolant, then start the engine from cold, and look for any coolant inside with a flash light. Then wait for it to warm up and check again. This'll cover both bases, where it closes up when warm and where it opens up when warm ... on mine it was visible at start up the most.
Pull the oil cap, look inside for a small pool of coolant, then start the engine from cold, and look for any coolant inside with a flash light. Then wait for it to warm up and check again. This'll cover both bases, where it closes up when warm and where it opens up when warm ... on mine it was visible at start up the most.
