radiator leak
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 948
Likes: 1
From: pensacola fl
I don't know if anyone could really answer the question however I had a problem with my Tahoe water pump weep hole leaking while on a long trip. Instead of letting someone change my water pump and charge me an arm and a leg, I put some Baars stop leak in it and it has stopped the leak. That was over 4000 miles ago. I know I am going to have to change the water pump but now can do it myself. Good luck.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
From: MISSISSAUGA ONTARIO
I used it last August when my rad started to leak and it worked great,as mentioned above though its temporary only I am putting a new rad in mine in a few weeks.I have a slightly built 74 L-48 I have put almost 2000 miles on it though with the stop leak holding.Cheers Eric.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 61
From: Southern NH
Racer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 427
Likes: 1
In the 'old days' they used pepper to 'stop gap' the leak.
As a bit reflection, I had a old Camaro that sprouted a leak in one of the rad fins and I bought 'Bar's Leak' to fix it. I opened the can to see what reseambled a can of dark 'juice' and pellets. It said to dump the contents into the rad.
Me being a young kid thought my new 'Bar's Leak' resembled a can of simulated 'sardines' was too much for my car and I held back the 'pellets' and only applied the 'oil' to stop the leak. I threw away the 'pellet sized' sardines.
How was I to know that a water pump along with a bit of PSI was to disburse those mashed pellets to ressemble simulated 'pepper' was to stop my leak. I thought the can had gone past the expiry date and I had a can of solidified 'sardines/pepper'. In hind sight, there must have been enough 'floating pepper' in that 'Bar's oil' to stop my leak.
A lot can be said about reading labels and opening tins. Just think about a tin of 'escargots', the name sounds interesting when spelled "phonetically", S-Car-Go (does that sound right?). But once opened you best have been half way though a bottle or wine before you can look at them let along 'eating' them.
Good luck on your leak.
As a bit reflection, I had a old Camaro that sprouted a leak in one of the rad fins and I bought 'Bar's Leak' to fix it. I opened the can to see what reseambled a can of dark 'juice' and pellets. It said to dump the contents into the rad.
Me being a young kid thought my new 'Bar's Leak' resembled a can of simulated 'sardines' was too much for my car and I held back the 'pellets' and only applied the 'oil' to stop the leak. I threw away the 'pellet sized' sardines.
How was I to know that a water pump along with a bit of PSI was to disburse those mashed pellets to ressemble simulated 'pepper' was to stop my leak. I thought the can had gone past the expiry date and I had a can of solidified 'sardines/pepper'. In hind sight, there must have been enough 'floating pepper' in that 'Bar's oil' to stop my leak.
A lot can be said about reading labels and opening tins. Just think about a tin of 'escargots', the name sounds interesting when spelled "phonetically", S-Car-Go (does that sound right?). But once opened you best have been half way though a bottle or wine before you can look at them let along 'eating' them.
Good luck on your leak.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 233
Likes: 9
From: Marietta Ga
Bars leaks that are the dry "tabs" the size of a nickel are less prone to problems and work well from what I've heard. They were used in the old Cadillac engines from the '80's and part of the regular service procedure from GM due to cast to aluminum head porosity. Bars leaks and the GM tabs are the same product....ground up ginger.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,428
Likes: 5
From: Japan
I used Bar's Leaks one time as a band-aid for a motor with a leaky sleeve. I was using a coolant filter on the upper radiator hose and the bet result of trying to push that sludge through the coolant filter was an exploding radiator hose.
Bottom line if you have a leaky radiator the only real way to fix it is by removing it and having it repaired correctly, rather than contaminating your cooling system with a band-aid...
Bottom line if you have a leaky radiator the only real way to fix it is by removing it and having it repaired correctly, rather than contaminating your cooling system with a band-aid...