# Head gasket **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** accord, honda\ **Created:** [August 9, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/34753 "2009-08-09T14:45:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norm33r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cab0a1/32.png) [@norm33r](https://community.cartalk.com/u/norm33r)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/34753/1 "2009-08-09T14:45:53Z")
I have been told the head gasket has to be replaced. How reliable is stop leak for repairing the head gasket? How safe is it to use the stop leak? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/34753/2 "2009-08-09T15:50:13Z")
Stop-Leak is unlikely to “repair” a breached head gasket. In terms of safety, it is possible for that product to cause cooling system damage. If I were you, I would not use Stop-Leak for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/34753/3 "2009-08-09T16:24:43Z")
When you read the claims printed on the can it sure looks promising doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/34753/4 "2009-08-09T16:35:11Z")
Stop leak products have been known to temporarily stop or slow down a head gasket leak, though my sense is the rate of these “temporary successes” is low. Be careful. If a stop leak works well enough to plug a leak in a head gasket, it often works well enough to plug the small tubes in your radiator and/or heater core. There’s a good chance you could end up with more problems than a leaky head gasket after using a stop leak. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/head-gasket/34753/5 "2009-08-09T18:14:30Z")
I would not attempt to stop a head gasket leak with a stop-leak product. If a leaking head gasket has been verified beyond doubt the only cure is to replace the head gasket. A stop leak product may clog up small passages you don’t want clogged. Don’t waste your money on these things.