I have an '87 Bronco II with a leaking head gasket. It's has 250k on it and I just use it for local running around. It's losing water into the exhaust and compression on 1 cyl is down.
Until I can repair it right, I've looked at the stuff you put in the water that's supposed to seal it up. Does anyone have any experience with it? Does it work and does it cause other problems like plugging up the radiator and heater core?

I've seen 2 types. One you just dump in the water and run it. The other requires draining and completely flushing the system as it reacts with antifreeze.

I have. It's only for a one trip get you home from the middle of no where survival type situation. It will indeed clog up your system and create more costly problems. Unfortunately if the gasket is already leaking that bad it is time to park it and fix it right.

If you decide to use it, temporarily bypassing the heater hoses during the application will help the core.

That's kind of what I figured. It sounded too good to be true.

I have successfully used "Solder Seal" to temporarily slow or stop small Head Gasket leaks but when the leak is bad enough to completely drop a cylinder unfortunately it is also bad enough to blow everything out of the hole and not let it attach to the materials to stop the leak.

Join the club...I just tore the head off my Jeep yesterday for the exact same reason, number one dead and bad Gasket. This is the time of year when thermostats like to stick closed and I am guilty of not keeping an eye on my gauges.

Another important note about that engine. Check the heads very well for cracks, the 2.9 is very prone to also cracking heads.

At least you have the 2.9, I have an 84 with the German made 2.8 and hate to work on it because they decided to use far too small bolts everywhere. I have never been able to work on a 2.8 without breaking off bolts.

What bugout said - My father-n-law had one a 87/88 ??? Ranger. Was a great little truck AFTER he replaced the heads with with a newer pair.

http://www.amazon.com/BlueDevil-Head-Gasket-Sealer-ounce/dp/B000NOO798

This one is the only one that truely works. Buddy blew headgasket in a Northstar motor. Put the blue devil in and it went 50k miles before he hit a deer.

Never heard of Blue Devil Head Gasket Repair before. I'd hesitate to try anything long term, but it might be worth it if you're in a bind. I'm honestly shocked it lasted 50k miles, that's pretty darned impressive.

Something I need to share about my own Headgasket issue. I kept driving it because "I needed it" and the leak was very minimal and only decided to tear it down because it started to get "slightly" worse.

What I found yesterday after further inspection is that the occasional action of the piston coming up against even the slightest amount of coolant in the Cylinder ate up the Piston Skirt, the Rod Bearing and warped/cracked the Head.

Now I am looking at having to replace all the Pistons(for matched balance reasons), Bearings and the Head. It is not just a Headgasket issue any longer. I will need to mic the Crank and hope it has not also been hammered flat on that Journal. If I had tore it down when it first reared it's head as a problem I could have gotten away with just a New Gasket.

Now I will also be driving a different vehicle for ten times longer while I fix all the additional residuals.

Just food for thought.

I can just about promise that you have at lease one cracked head, if not both.

I wouldnt even waste the time on the crap in a bottle. Pull the heads, replace, them, and do it right...or take to opportunity to swap a 4.0 in.

Rebuilt heads for this engine run about $350/side.

As a repair shop operator, I'd suggest pulling & replacing the motor. Less labour & in most situations, less total cost.

A reman motor, will also get you warranty.

YMMV

With 250k ..probably good advice....if the rest of the truck is nice it might be time for a new motor....to do the heads right you will spend a bunch on a motor that has 250k...

A reman engine runs about $2k for this one. It also needs a clutch and a front t-case bearing (or 3) while it's all apart. Would likely end up with $2500 in it. The body's good and I just use it for a run around and a little short range hunting. It saves a lot of miles on my Dodge truck that I want to last as long as I do. I doubt that I could find a beater truck for $2500 that would be reliable.

I used the Blue Devil stuff when my 4runner blew a head gasket and I needed to get home, 45 miles away. Halfway through he drive, it started running right. Sold it to another guy for $300, telling him what happened and what I did. That was 8 months ago. He still is driving it every day. Should have charged him $5oo haha. Apparently the stuff works, but I imagine when it dies, it is dead for good.