Blue Devil Head Gasket Sealer and Pour-N-Go sealer
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 952
Likes: 4
Year: 2004
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 2000 4.0
I was once a huge skeptic about miracles in a can, until I personally knew two people who used "Bar's Leak" to solve their head gasket issues.
One of them still owns the car, over a year later. Runs great.
The stuff does actually works (on certain leaks, of course), but you need to decide for yourself and your circumstances.
OP said he's buying time.
He might not have $1500-$2000 for a new head gasket repair.
(Even just a new exhaust manifold job is $1200 at the dealer)
Maybe he's planning on junking his XJ a year from now.
Good luck with your decision.
One of them still owns the car, over a year later. Runs great.
The stuff does actually works (on certain leaks, of course), but you need to decide for yourself and your circumstances.
OP said he's buying time.
He might not have $1500-$2000 for a new head gasket repair.
(Even just a new exhaust manifold job is $1200 at the dealer)
Maybe he's planning on junking his XJ a year from now.
Good luck with your decision.
CF Veteran
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 5,302
Likes: 23
From: Wisconsin
Model: Cherokee
GM added the Bar's pellets ('GM cooling system seal tabs") to all their new cars at the factory up until a few years ago. It's absolutely harmless unless your cooling system is on the verge of plugging up anyway from neglect- they do work on small leaks.
It's worth repeating that they bear no resemblance to the Sodium Silicate based 'block sealer' liquids.
It's worth repeating that they bear no resemblance to the Sodium Silicate based 'block sealer' liquids.
Seasoned Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 352
Likes: 0
Model: Cherokee
I definately dont want to admit it, but I have used Blue Devil, back in winter of 2007. Clogged cooling system to point of bursting upper radiator hose on ex Girlfriends 2000 Durango. Expensive hose if i remember, with radiator cap built in. Very Expensive Snakecoolant oil.
CF Veteran
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 5,302
Likes: 23
From: Wisconsin
Model: Cherokee
If the system was run even a little bit low with DexCool, rust and sludge would develop in the cooling system.
That crud would vent into the overflow when hot, then back into the radiator when it cooled (as it is supposed to do), passing through the radiator cap seal along the way.
Each pass through would deposit a bit of rusty goop on the cap and it's sealing surface until the cap eventually stopped sealing. That opened the system permanently to outside air. Outside air and DexCool are a bad combination. Older systems would merely overheat. Early DexCool systems would plug up.
Enter the sealer tabs. They tried to do their job by building up around the cap seal, but in doing so they made the problem worse.
As the fibers built up around the minor cap leak, they actually held the cap even further off the seal and worsened the leaking when hot and the air ingestion when cold.
One by one GM stopped adding them to engines to cut down on DexCool issues, and as manufacturing improved it was no longer necessary anyway.
Last edited by Radi; Jul 29, 2013 at 04:31 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 952
Likes: 4
Year: 2004
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 2000 4.0
Yep, I do. Acc'd to my kid who has been a GM tech for quite a while, they stopped in 1997-98 depending on the engine and whether the engine used DexCool or not.
If the system was run even a little bit low with DexCool, rust and sludge would develop in the cooling system.
That crud would vent into the overflow when hot, then back into the radiator when it cooled (as it is supposed to do), passing through the radiator cap seal along the way.
Each pass through would deposit a bit of rusty goop on the cap and it's sealing surface until the cap eventually stopped sealing. That opened the system permanently to outside air. Outside air and DexCool are a bad combination. Older systems would merely overheat. Early DexCool systems would plug up.
Enter the sealer tabs. They tried to do their job by building up around the cap seal, but in doing so they made the problem worse.
As the fibers built up around the minor cap leak, they actually held the cap even further off the seal and worsened the leaking when hot and the air ingestion when cold.
One by one GM stopped adding them to engines to cut down on DexCool issues, and as manufacturing improved it was no longer necessary anyway.
If the system was run even a little bit low with DexCool, rust and sludge would develop in the cooling system.
That crud would vent into the overflow when hot, then back into the radiator when it cooled (as it is supposed to do), passing through the radiator cap seal along the way.
Each pass through would deposit a bit of rusty goop on the cap and it's sealing surface until the cap eventually stopped sealing. That opened the system permanently to outside air. Outside air and DexCool are a bad combination. Older systems would merely overheat. Early DexCool systems would plug up.
Enter the sealer tabs. They tried to do their job by building up around the cap seal, but in doing so they made the problem worse.
As the fibers built up around the minor cap leak, they actually held the cap even further off the seal and worsened the leaking when hot and the air ingestion when cold.
One by one GM stopped adding them to engines to cut down on DexCool issues, and as manufacturing improved it was no longer necessary anyway.
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