Has anyone used this Product succesfuly . Have developed a small leak in the radiator of my 81 and don't want to pull the radiator .
The Stop Leak would be a quick fix if it works ????????
Thanks
Ken

 

I've had good results on minor leaks using Barr's Stop Leak

 

I've had good results on minor leaks using Barr's Stop Leak.

By the way, I am a former AT1 (AW)

 

It's a band-aid at best; snake-oil at worst.

It may temporarily solve your problem. But it may also cause you worse problems down the road. Personally, I'm not putting anything in my system that purposefully causes clogs (how else do you think it stops the leaks). If I were on a deserted road somewhere and needed to make it to town, I might use the stuff. Other than that, no way.

My $0.02. :cheers:

 

I too have had good luck with Barrs Leak, but it is a temporary fix at best. The thought of causing clogs in the radiator or heater core is also a concern, but I did not notice any problems. Eventually you will have to get the radiator fixed or replaced and you are taking a chance with a known bad radiator. Overheating or spewing steam is not a pleasant experience, especially with a nice car. Roger L. Gibbons

 

Hmmm ... going against the grain here.
I have put the Barrs in several cars. YES, including my vette.
I've NEVER had any problems since. At least not with the radiator leaking.
No clogging that I can tell.

 

I don't know how many people know this, but GM used to put their "Cooling System Repair" in every new car's radiator, to fix any minor leaks that might have made it past the inspectors. It also was supposed to insure that head and intake manifold water ports got sealed. The stuff GM used was basically Barr's Leak in their own packaging.

 

The comment about GM is right on! The Chevy dealer said they first came out with it for the Caddys that had the alum. radiators and leaked.

I have used Barr's in an 84 Olds to seal tiny leaks around the frost plugs and no problems in 30k miles. Only problem is anti freeze sure is black.

 

The comment about snake oil is right on.

I build engines professionally... the most recent Ford 5.0 that I built was plugged up by stop leak/bars leak (whatever) between cylinders #3 & 4 and the engine was seized (piston #4) due to the blockage. The most recent Chevy 305 that I built was suffering from the same problem. Using it occasionally and having good luck is not a scientific method of verifying that it is "good" or "ok" to use. If the rumor about GM using it is true (and I doubt it ... no proof) then it's just another example of GM doing something that benefits only GM and not the customer. For example... rear wheel bearing end play .001 to .008. At .003 you can feel the wobble by hand. GM left it at .008 because it was too costly to maintain the spec tighter... unlike our Japanese counterparts who have 4 levels of engine clearance tolerance for their cheapest 4 cylinder engines (Nissan) and have kicked our butt in the market place.

I also unsolder radiator end tanks to "rod" radiators. On a 71 BB Vette that I owned, I used Barrs Leak and had to unsolder the tanks... the stuff collected at all of the cross tube openings.

My recommendation is don't use it... any variety of it. Fix the problem correctly and you will love yourself.. and be able to take pride in your "American Workmanship".

Of course, if you are just going to dump the car on someone else, everyone uses Barrs Leak. :)

 

ME and Tom have had a couple of heated discussions on the topic.

It is a temporary fix...... don't think of it as a permanent fix. Get the rad fixed and save yourself any possible trouble.

BTW I have used it a couple of times in the vette( once for the water pump, this year for the rad) and have never had problems. I tore the heads off last spring and found no problems. I think the problem happens when you overheat the engine with this crap in it, it starts block off passages in the heads and the rad.

 

Are you sure it was "basically Barr's Leak"? When was this?


A rad. shop owner who rods the rads himself (small shop) for many years says not to use Barr's. He says the best stuff to use if one has to looks like brass colored shavings in a bottle.

 

The brass shavings sounds like the old baking soda and pepper trick.
Plug the small hole with small particles, not sticky goop.

 

At Auto Zone and other stores, they carry both the balck mud with the pellets in both Barrs and their own brand and carry in the Barrs line the silver or aluminum colored stuff that does not have the pellets in it. Guess logic says use the silver colored stuff. Any experience with this product?

 

I've used Prestone Stop Leak in the rad of my old daily driver diesel pickup for about 4 yrs now. No problems at all until I change out the antifreeze and forget to put the stop leak in again....