# Leaking head **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 14, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616 "2011-03-14T23:19:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![doolie92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@doolie92](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doolie92)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616/1 "2011-03-14T23:19:37Z")
what is a good way to seal a head with out taking it off? ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616/2 "2011-03-14T23:26:37Z")
Wasting money and asking for trouble. They sell stuff theoretically for that – but – When you try to seal the leak passage way that should’t be… you can end up blocking the passage ways that SHOULD be… and all the problems that come with that. With radiator stop leak I advise customers to try it just ONCE and only once. Otherwise, plugging up normal orifices and ports will be a given and they’ll need much more than a radiator. Same with a stop leak in your oil. Which do you think you need ? Go to the parts store and start reading labels. But use it only ONCE ! Then repair correctly after that. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616/3 "2011-03-14T23:35:04Z")
What Ken said; There isn’t one. ---
**Author:** ![doolie92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@doolie92](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doolie92)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616/4 "2011-03-15T00:16:15Z")
the head is leaking oil around the rear of the head between the head an the block, no oil in the water either. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616/5 "2011-03-15T00:32:25Z")
What year is the truck, how many miles are on it, what kind of shape is it in otherwise? If this is an old beater truck that will go to the scrapyard instead of fixing it then nothing is to be lost by giving those in-a-bottle head gasket cures a whirl. Sometimes they do work for people. But if this is a decent truck that you want to keep around for a while & get a lot of use out of then you just have to do the head. Aren’t these little 4 cylinder engines (I confess to not knowing much about the B2200s)? If so then doing the head is certainly a serious job but certainly doable with normal hand tools in a weekend in the garage (or under the tarp). ---
**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616/6 "2011-03-15T00:32:38Z")
Try changing the valve cover gasket. That is likely your problem and replacing that is about 100X easier than removing the head. It’s a 30 minute job. ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616/7 "2011-03-15T00:58:55Z")
First it depends on what type of leak you are talking about. If you are having a head gasket failure with coolant leaking into the oil…Then you can fix it with Blue Devil…costs $60 bucks. I have “repaired” over 15 head gasket failures with this at the request of the customer. It is the only product I will use for this issue when there are many others…Blue Devil is the best Hands Down. If it is leaking oil externally…Blue Devil will not help you. The product is also guaranteed to work 100% ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616/8 "2011-03-15T05:03:35Z")
You don’t stop the leaks on those trucks, you just keep pouring oil into them. Read the sticker on the underside of the hood or in the engine compartment. If you have an 87, it may want straight 30 or 40 weight in Summer. Maybe 20W50 for right now. The oil is probably coming from the rocker / valve / camshaft cover. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 6:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/leaking-head/62616/9 "2011-03-15T06:00:47Z")
You could try having the head bolts retorqued. That’s a seldom used and not recommended process that has used a number of times with success.