About these tablets......
I Have an external inatake gasket leak.. I was planning on a major job replacing the gasket with fel-pro , flush etc... I was told I could use a "tablet" that was specifically made for this problem as a cheap fix rather than replacing. I read a few different forums and saw where someone had used a "bar" insereted into the cooling system which caused the radiator to crack 25k miles later. Though I probably wont put 25k on it in 3-5 years I 'd rather do it right the first time. Anybody got and feedback?
I do not know if the tablets your are speaking about here are the same as I will mention but it sure sounds like the same thing.
Here is a little background to explain this. I used to drive a 1995 Buick (GM) century which had the 3.1 V6 engine installed in it. These engines were notorious for lower intake gasket leaks/problems which would let water in the oil and oil in the water and external leaks as well. It was soo much of a problem that hundreds/thousands of people which had this same very problem on these similar year/style 3.1 V6 engines attempted a class action law suit against GM because of this severe and costly engineering defect.
Anyways, my 3.1 V6 in my buick Century developed this same problem which turned my engine oil into what could be considered, in the way it looked like a chocolate milkshake = almost 3 quarts of water in my oil. A person not recognising the fast developing signs of this problem would most surly suffer total engine destruction and engine seizure should the coolant mix with the oil.
So I elected to spend the $200 for just the parts and did 10 hour lower intake manifold gasket job myself on my 3.1 instead of paying the shop $800 plus to do it.
So in regards to these tablets you have mentioned. While aquiring the parts needed VIA a lot of web searching I found out that GM recommends the use of these GM supplied tablets which look like little round cakes of what I can say look in color and consistency like a cross between fine sawdust and pepper ( yes pepper like salt and pepper, pepper). These tablets are about the size of a quarter ( US quarter coin) in diameter and about a half inch thick and there 3-4 of them in a "GM" pack. It sort've reminds me of something you'd put in your radiator as a radiator stop leak and such.
Will they stop a already existing leak I do not know. But i am sure as heck believe that there are used to help combat a already existing condition in the engineering flaws in the intake manifolds.
I just wanted to mention this here as I know our 5.7 engines suffer from these types of intake leaks. I myself may also be developing a similar external intake leak on my somewhat newly acquired 1997 5.7 Hoe too.
Sorry for the long post,, just trying to help the community as a whole if at all possible. Please post what you find out GMOWESME$ or who ever els knows about these "tablets" . Thank-you
