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[Midnight Mower]

After considerable pondering, I've taken the plunge and added K-seal together with changing the engine over to the red antifreeze.

My local Vauxhall independent specialist has advised my that the cost to replace the head gasket including pressure test & skim is over £600 and rightly queried whether it was worth spending this on an 1999 V6 estate.  He added that he did not consider that the addition of K-seal would make the work on the engine more difficult.

The initial response is that the leak has stopped.  I need to run it on some local calls to observe the ongoing effect.

[midnightmower]

Coolant leak has stopped! 

I have taken a trip to the Classic Car Restoration show at Stoneleigh, some 120 miles return trip, without incident.  Replacing the spark plugs, which I did at the same time as the other repairs, appears to have improved the efficiency of the engine. I also remove a small hose clip lodge in front of no 5 cylinder, which must have disrupted the intake of fuel mixture.   I was driving with a light touch and was concerned to find that the engine was not reaching its normal temp, stick at about 92.5C. The ambient temp was about 12C.  When worked somewhat harder it reached 95C. The output of the heater seemed to be ok.

[Jimbob]

good luck.

After I used leak stopper, I found, even once removed from the system I had to flush the heater matrix every few months to get any kind of heat.

[midnightmower]

Good News http://images.omegaowners.com/forum/yabbfiles250/Templates/Forum/default/smiley.gif
I have driven my car nearly 400 miles without the leak and no observed side effects. 
So good so far! http://images.omegaowners.com/forum/yabbfiles250/Templates/Forum/default/thumbsup.gif

[Kneepad]

A result then, well done. You're a brave man to go against all the advice re K-seal. Sincerely hope it lasts.   

[Andy H]

The head gasket on my 1994 2.5 V6 failed in the same place.

I don't think I would class changing the head gaskets as 'easy'. Not rocket science but you do need to be capable of fitting and timing a cam belt.

My back wouldn't have survived lifting the heads in situ and I already had an engine stand and hoist so I lifted the engine out.

The picture below is of water weeping through the back of the head gasket with a pressure test on the cooling system.