Head gasket possibly bad-will Bar's Leaks or similar work?

I think my head gasket is starting to go. I recently had to take my 06 Taco with a 4.0 V6 to the shop because I couldn't access the ECT sensor and I just couldn't get to it to diagnose or replace it. In addition to replacing the ECT sensor, the shop replaced the thermostat and radiator. $1,800 later, I can drive for a 300 or so miles, but on a warmer day, or after climbing a hill, it suddenly seems to lose coolant. The first time it happened I took it to the shop who had replaced the radiator, etc, and they said it was a radiator cap. It just happened again yesterday after driving approx 200 miles just as I arrived home. I am afraid the head gasket is the issue. I have not observed muddy oil or oily coolant...yet.

What are you all's thoughts on Bar's Leak or another head gasket repair liquid?

 

From the limited research I've done and horror stories from friends who have used it - that fix a leak shit can be like condemning your engine. It will often clog heater cores and can mess with the small coolant channels around the heads. It does sometimes work, but it's almost always a temporary fix that will start to leak again.

 

Is the fan clutch working?

 

Never ever. It makes it worse, and when its time to change the HG it shows all the mess it makes.

HG leaks on 1GR are usually external or internal coolant leaks, rarely oil to coolant mix.

The internal leak is difficult to detect, it wont smoke hard, and the detection kits cant always pick it up.

External leaks can be hard to find as well because the leak can go only in the valley and burn off with time.





Sounds like the shop was just guessing.

 

I was just taking a walk when I thought about the water pump. Makes even more sense if the clutch is failing. It seems to be spewing fluid only when the engine is working a little more than normal, like a warmer day or a slow steady hill. Is there a way to test the clutch? If it is the clutch, does the entire water pump have to be replaced?

 

I saw that picture when I was browsing other HG threads here.

I'm disappointed if the shop was just guessing because I gave them the details of my P0117 code and overheat that I discussed on this forum, and I know the part owner of the shop and met his partner who seems very mechanically knowledgeable. They're great guys, and I wanted to believe that they would do a great job, but I am now questioning my decision to use them. I saw a couple of other things that made me wonder....nothing major, but still enough to make me wonder if they are as good as I had hoped.

I am winding down my career and I really won't need the truck, so I am hesitant to pour a bunch of money into head gaskets. In addition, with 295K miles, I am not sure how wise it is to do the top end without doing the bottom end also. Reading other people's experiences on this forum has convinced me that I don't want to take this on, and I imagine it would be a pretty penny to have it done.

 

Maybe better to find a used engine, swap it and sell the truck.
Or sell the truck as-is and move on.

 

This from the manual but doesn't really explain much.



You normally turn it by hand with the engine off and cool. There should be some resistance.

 

How was the coolant condition before the radiator and thermostat were replaced? Was it orange and rusty? Have you ever added straight tap water to top it off?

 

Never had an issue before. Coolant reservoir was clean and clear for the past 180K miles since I bought it in 2015. First coolant or overheating issue was when it overheated, lost about half of its fluid and threw the P0117 code a month ago.