My 1999 blazer 4x4 seems to most likely have failed head gasket(s). The exhaust is white and smells like coolant upon startup after sitting for a while. I have tried a head gasket repair liquid from Napa that seems to work for a while then clogs up the heater. The heat stops blowing hot and I then have to rinse out the heater core to get the heat back. Like everyone else I really don't want to remove the heads and replace the gaskets which feels like opening a can of worms to break bolts and such. My mechanic skills are fair and I would rather someone more experienced handle. Unfortunatly, money is pretty tight.


Are there any other solutions?

 

Nope, only solution to fix it is doing it right and putting in new gaskets.
First mistake was using that head gasket repair liquid, Never, ever use that stuff. As you already found out, it clogged up things in the cooling system.

 

Very true....that stuff made a mess. How can I be certain that it is the head gasket vs the intake gasket? I can see a coolant leak bubbling up where the intake meets the valve cover on top of the engine. Checking the spark plugs may be an option, other ideas?

 

Any coolant in the oil, or oil in the radiator?

 

No, oil seems clean. Btw, how can I configure to receive email when a response is posted to a thread like this one?