How' s it going guys. I don't really frequent these forums much unless I'm looking for information or am in need of help, and today I find myself in need of help.

At around 50,000 my thermostat blew out of its housing and my Jeep overheated. Since then, the Jeep has had trouble regulating coolant termps. I noticed the temperature would rise up to 240 before going back to 200. I got a kit to see if there was any carbon monoxide in the cooling system, and it turned out that there was which indicates a blown/warped head gasket.

I got a quote from my mechanic and he said replacing the head gasket would cost $4-5k. I couldn't justify the cost, partly because I don't have 5k to dump into maintenance right now and partly because eventually I want to put a 5.3 LS in it and 5k is about 25% of the cost of the engine swap (rough estimate). So instead, I decided to research alternatives and I came across Blue Devil Pour-N-Go.

I followed the instructions perfectly -- on a cold engine, take the radiator cap off, start the car and turn the heater on full blast. Slowly, over 1 minute, pour in the Blue Devil and cap off radiator. Let car idle for 50 minutes. Well, everything was going well until the car got to operating temperature (about 10min after capping off radiator), and the thermostat opened up and immediately the heater started blowing frigid cold air. The water temps started climbing and got up to 250 when I shut it off. All in all, the car idled for about 15-20 minutes.

I don't think things are looking good. I suspect the thermostat is clogged so I ordered a new part. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens when I turn it on tomorrow.

Does anyone have any experience with Blue Devil like this and were you able to fix it?

 

Man, I'm not trying to be a total dick with this comment, but if a head gasket fix was as easy as pouring some shit in the radiator then everyone would be having a field day. You can't say that Blue Devil eff'd things up when things were eff'd up from the start. There is one proper fix, and that was not it. It is not a pleasant situation you are in to need a head gasket repair, but that is the situation you are in. Option 1 repair, or option 2 engine swap.

I know that didn't answer your Blue Devil question, but it's the sad reality. I would never pour something like that in my cooling system in a last-ditch effort.

 

Those mechanic in a can solutions never seem to work as advertised. As resharp said above, if it were that easy, everyone would do it and the garages wouldn't have a reason to exist.

 

Yeah, the engine swap might be coming sooner than anticipated.

Anybody know any good shops in the Southeast that do LS swaps? I'm aware of Motech, but they're all the way in Vegas iirc.

 

Motech will sell you the complete kit for DIY. You source the engine and tranny. BTW IMO I would recommend the 5.3LT/8 spd auto. Much easier conversion and uses stock Chev accessory case (unlike the LS) and simply use the brackets they supply to mount the Jeep PS pump 12 & later. Also uses the Chev PS compressor. By a DIY thing you will do it for about $15K

 

I was thinking of a 5.3LS with the stock NSG370 but I don't know if I'm mechanically inclined enough to do it DIY unless it's as simple as legos.

 

That NSG370 will last for only a short while behind that motor. There are manual options for you but you will have to research. I believe one of them is a 5 speed from a Dodge or Chev midsize truck like Dakota/Colorado etc. My 8L90 8 speed is equal or could be better offroad than the manual that came out.