[Che]

I chucked a small tub of stop leak into the radiator to stop a slow leak through the thermostat gasket. Oily stuff and a heap of pellets.

Coolant now looks like shit after 24 hrs - frothy and oily, but the leak has stopped. Am I supposed to replace the coolant after using the stop leak, or do you just leave it as is?

[Scrawny]

Leave it.

Why use that stuff when you could just replace a $1 gasket??

[Red89]

Or even better just use some pepper out of the kitchen cupboard

[zooky08]

Or a egg

[Che]

I replaced the thermostat months ago - gasket was an easy job and razor bladed both surfaces clean. Random leak popped up about a month after the fix.

Just giving it a try - like you say a gasket is an easy enough fix, but you lose a heap of coolant getting the hose off. Got no spare gaskets or jiuce lying around so giving it a try to see if actually works

[Lockie666]

I wonder how that stuff reacts with the metal from the motor?

[alien]

im pretty sure it leaves a fine film inside all the hoses and the engine and takes AGES to get rid of (lots of flushing out).

i dunno dude - given you're about to embark on a huge journey i'd have tried a new gasket first.

[Che]

Ha ha, how did I get two posts happening? Forum in stereo

[buzbox]

I put a bit of gasket silicon on both sides of the gasket, Sure it's a bit overkill, but that's how it was when I removed it and I know for sure it won't leak.