As John and Tom mention, Bar's Leak is an option to consider. My '86 had a head gasket leak on the passenger side. It was to the point that I had a steady stream (like a faucet set to trickle in the winter) on a cold winter day here in Indy. Not being able to afford the repair (or the time to do it myself) I opted for the Bar's. It stopped the leak and held up well for a year. It now has a very tiny amount dripping, again on a cold winter day. I now have to add about a pint a month. At some point I hope to install a rebuilt engine (200 miles on it) I've had in the garage for a year. Never enough time...

Just a note. I used the Bar's Leak Head Gasket Fix which was about $30. You can pour it right in. They have another product called Bar's Leak Head Gasket Repair for under $10 but it requires that you flush and the cooling system first. Not something I wanted to do.

Mark K
1986 GL/2WD/4SPD
1990 Carat/2WD/Auto

On Jul 30, 2010, at 3:26 PM, Mia Miller wrote:

> I am looking for some wisdom from those more experienced with our beloved
> vans.  I took my 84 Westy to the shop for a coolant leak.  It was not
> overheating on the gauge or light, but the reservoir tank was always empty
> after running short trips over a couple of days.  The bad news:  the shop
> said that two head gaskets are leaking (at least externally) and the
> expansion tank has a leak (not significantly?).  Obviously I got expensive
> estimates to repair the leaks, replace the engine with a used one, or buy a
> rebuilt one.  I have used the garage before and trust them as they came
> recommended to me.  However, I am looking for the cheapest way to keep her
> on the road.  I also don't have the knowledge to understand the mechanical
> problems myself.  The van has 121,000 miles.  Otherwise the van runs great.
> I recently drove it from Pennsylvania to Indiana (home) and apart from
> fussing about starting when warm, she purred right along.  It was in PA for
> several months as my brother repaired some rust, small dents, and repainted
> it for me.  She looks amazing...now I must figure out how to keep it
> running.
> 
> Any wisdom about how I should proceed or ramifications of adding coolant and
> running for a while?
> 
> Thanks!  I appreciate this list and all that it has taught me in the two
> plus years of owning Maxine.
> 
> Mia