I frequently go on classic car rallies and a common problem is a serious coolant leak. I have often used Bars Leak to help people out. This product has some serious drawbacks in that it permanently coats the radiator and other bits with an insulator. Can anybody recommend a better sealant AND let me know how to get rid of the sealant after a full leak repair is made at home?
Emergency Stop Leak and Later Repair
- Thread starter carock
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I don't think you can really remove it. I found out in older gm cars, gm put some kind of sealer in the coolant to help fight problems with cheap gaskets. When I got a leak, I just replaced whatever was leaking and put a new thermostat in, after flushing with water as best as I could.
Bar's leaks reacts with air so the bit you see in a radiator neck getting crusty and obnoxious may not reflect on the "underwater" part of the rad. You'd have to rod out the cores to see what really happens.
Sometimes cars just loose a little coolant, a few oz over six months, and you'd never find it as it disappears as water vapor without leaving a mark. Bar's Leak has its place, especially if it's a hard-to-fix heater core.
Sometimes cars just loose a little coolant, a few oz over six months, and you'd never find it as it disappears as water vapor without leaving a mark. Bar's Leak has its place, especially if it's a hard-to-fix heater core.
The convenience of Bar's Leak so called, is offset by the fact that it coats the inside of the block as well. You can change out the radiator, but...
Used it. I had an Intrepid with a radiator leak. Winter time. Basically needed it to last 6 weeks. I ordered a replacement radiator and was ready when the weather warmed up. The bars leak got me through the 6 weeks of cold weather. Flushed the cooling system twice with new radiator installed. Never had a cooling problem again. Gave the car to my nephew who still drives it.
Heater core problems later are a expensive price to pay,for a temporary fix.
I've seen it clog coolant passages in blocks and cylinder heads. A new engine is much more expensive than a tow bill and a new radiator.
Originally Posted By: carock
with an insulator.
What makes you think its an insulator. There's not a thing wrong with bars leak. They make many different types.
with an insulator.
What makes you think its an insulator. There's not a thing wrong with bars leak. They make many different types.
I doubt that goo improves the thermal conductivity after it coats your innards.
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I havent seen it coat anything. Under pressure, the stop leak products circulate. When a leak exists, at the leak, the stop leak expands as it reaches atmospheric pressure clogging the leak.
Might be a problem if system never pressurizes, or if antifreeze is beyond its expiration date, or improper ratio....
All the dirt, rust scale, iron, tap/well water minerals... are usually the problem many blame on stopleak.
Might be a problem if system never pressurizes, or if antifreeze is beyond its expiration date, or improper ratio....
All the dirt, rust scale, iron, tap/well water minerals... are usually the problem many blame on stopleak.
Excellent point. I will have to keep a look out for that.
Conklin's Dike is great if you can find it. It will generally stop a leak until you drain the cooling system. I sell a lot of it to a diesel repair shop, that in turn sells it to truckers to use until they can get the truck into the shop. The owner tells me that when he repairs the radiators after Dike has been in the cooling system, he never sees it clogging the radiator.
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