Bars leaks and other products for heater core issu

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Lee4212

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I believe I have a heater core issue in that the windows, mainly windshield can ice up but not every day. I do kind of smell that coolant odor too.
Can I use and is it safe to use a bars leaks sealer or the type, maybe not all the entire bottle?
Fresh coolant but I think the pressure test may have weakened a weak core even more.
I do not like the idea of a new core on my '05 impala, 46k miles, mainly the cost of having it replaced.
Thoughts? THANKS !!!
 
From my experience any stop leak product will mess up your entire cooling system. The only way to fix a bad heater core is to replace it. If you plan to keep the car any longer then I would not put any of that stuff in there because you will be replacing the heater core along with the rest of the cooling system to go with it. Much cheaper to just fix it right. Now if you plan to sell the car tomorrow then by all means stop the leak and hope the guy who buys the car doesn't remember where you live when the car blows up from the stop leak. No such thing as a fix in a bottle.
 
Bars Stop Leak Tablets have served me well in many cars and never plugged a heater core. I would try it for just a couple of bucks. If it doesn't work or buy you some time, you can proceed with the repair.
 
I would try the GM tablets. They are cheap enough. The Bars may be identical to the GM, not sure. They are ginger root.

Follow the directions, completely crush the tablets, mix with water and add that mixture to the cooling system.
 
Originally Posted By: 71Chevyguy
From my experience any stop leak product will mess up your entire cooling system.


I have never believed this. I've used various stop leaks from the oily stuff with big lumps to alumaseal to K&W copper seal, and Bars Leaks Professional with no problems. And they all work.

I've never seen one picture of a "messed up" cooling system from stop leak. Anywhere on the internet.
 
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Me likie the bars stop leak tablets. Work for me long time. Some people say they suckie suckie. Some people say they stop up heater core even when heater core not leakie. These boots are made for walking.

http://barsproducts.com/catalog/view/6-radiator-stop-leak-tablets-hdc


They worked great for me too. I bought years of extra time not replacing a radiator in my beater Aerostar, because of Barrs stop leak. In fact I junked it with a radiator leak cured with Barrs stop leak. They worked equally well in heater core in another beater I owned over the years.
27.gif


Now if the Aerostar didn't wear the beater badge I would have replaced the radiator, and the heater core in the old Fairlane.
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: 71Chevyguy
From my experience any stop leak product will mess up your entire cooling system.


I have never believed this. I've used various stop leaks from the oily stuff with big lumps to alumaseal to K&W copper seal, and Bars Leaks Professional with no problems. And they all work.

I've never seen one picture of a "messed up" cooling system from stop leak. Anywhere on the internet.


i dont like the bars that swells hoses and ruins them. But the biggest problem is people adding too much. I saw a 4 cyl camry with 6 bottles of bars in it! Just last week.And the lady was blaming the stop leak for the plugged heater and radiator.
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: 71Chevyguy
From my experience any stop leak product will mess up your entire cooling system.


I have never believed this. I've used various stop leaks from the oily stuff with big lumps to alumaseal to K&W copper seal, and Bars Leaks Professional with no problems. And they all work.

I've never seen one picture of a "messed up" cooling system from stop leak. Anywhere on the internet.




2x. Growing up we used a lot of it especially on little Ford tractors that were hard on radiators.

Hauled hay the summer of 1969 after graduating High School and did my first 'off farm' wrenching job. One of the old school bus hay trucks cracked a head and I had a used one off 1953 Chevy PU that the engine was burning a quart ever 40 miles that we had replaced with a good used engine out of an old Singer Sewing Machine service/sales van.

Swapped out the heads and filled it with water and started it up and water started flowing out from under the head on the left side. I was a sick puppy but I knew to got get some Bar's stop lead that was used on submarines. The little gas station only had Wynn's but the guy said it had a money back guarantee so I paid for it and when and poured it in. By the time I got it all poured in slowly the leak was no more and never came back all of that summer.

Guess it may have froze and cracked the block that winter but left home for the big city of Louisville and could have cared less at that time. I got $20 out of the head and $20 for my labor which was all I could make working a long day hauling hay.
smile.gif


Radiator Stop Leak will safely stop small seeps and leaks but it never 'fixed' a radiator but as others noted it can sure by you some time. I do not ever using it with antifreeze however.
 
I slowed down the heater core leak on a Cadillac Cimarron with the bar's leak dust.

You have to put it in "right" though. Drain a quart from the radiator. If you have a surge tank make sure it's dry. Premix the bars powder with some but not all of that coolant, dump it in, run the engine, top it off.

If you put bars at the top of your radiator it will just float there and gunk up your cap. If it's in a pressurized surge tank it'll just gunk that up and not make its way into the main system.
 
The GM and Mopar tablets are made by Bars Leaks.They recommend using them with a leak/warranty situation first.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
You have to put it in "right" though. Drain a quart from the radiator. If you have a surge tank make sure it's dry. Premix the bars powder with some but not all of that coolant, dump it in, run the engine, top it off.


The way I do it is to siphon a gallon out of the cooling system into an old plastic jug, (I use one of those cheapy plastic siphons you can pick up at the dollar store - DO NOT SIPHON BY MOUTH - while it tastes like cool aid, drinking antifreeze is deadly).

I then pour half the siphoned fluid into another plastic jug, drop the correct number of tablets into one of the jugs and shake the jug till all tablets are dissolved. Pour this mixture back in rad, (use a funnel). Run the motor a bit, then top off with the remaining fluid from the other jug, (depending on how many tablets you added, you will have a little bit left over. Usually I pour that bit into the puke tank.

Another old time quick fix that does work on small leaks is plain ole black pepper - the kind you sprinkle on your eggs at breakfast. If the leak isn't too big, black pepper will work.
 
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: 71Chevyguy
From my experience any stop leak product will mess up your entire cooling system.


I have never believed this. I've used various stop leaks from the oily stuff with big lumps to alumaseal to K&W copper seal, and Bars Leaks Professional with no problems. And they all work.

I've never seen one picture of a "messed up" cooling system from stop leak. Anywhere on the internet.




I've read some real horror stories about the "Blue Devil" product. From what I can gather, it either works super fantastic or totally trashes your cooling system. Apparently, if you have any debris in your cooling system, "Blue Devil" will bond to this debris and create "popcorn lumps" which must then be "rodded out." I was going to try some on "Thunder the Wonder Pig" till I read the reviews - I went with the trusted tablets instead, (that, and the tablets were 3 dollars and 18 cents per package).
 
A friend of mine did have his heater core plugged when using alumaseal. He contacted the company and they asked for his receipt to have it flushed. He was reimbursed.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
I would try the GM tablets. They are cheap enough. The Bars may be identical to the GM, not sure. They are ginger root.

Follow the directions, completely crush the tablets, mix with water and add that mixture to the cooling system.

exactly what is in these tablets ? if just ginger powder cant we simply make it at home ?
 
WOW, you folks are awesome. The system is squeaky clean with fresh coolant,new t-stat and h20 pump. I will look into the gm version at the dealer and maybe even question them about it. I'd prefer a new core but with having to file a 1099 the cash will have to go to the tax man first.
 
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