billschroeder5842

I'm just curious if anyone has had any luck with any of the "snake oil" products out there.

I have never used them in my car (but not opposed) but wondering who has had good luck and for what?

Bars leak, Blue Devil, Sea Foam... etc What did you roll the dice on and seemed to work?

zachaeous

When I purchased my 1984 the radiator was leaking. I put in a bottle of Bars leak. It did stop the leak. I replaced the radiator a few months later and the Bars leak was still holding.

On a 1966 Roadster I had it the early 80s, it developed a radiator leak and I used a tube of some silver stuff that looked like fine saw dust. It stopped the leak and was still holding two years later when I sold the car. I do not remember what it was named but the stuff really worked

JrRifleCoach

billschroeder5842

Lumbago- Ha!

Anything that can cure Lumbago has to be good.

2LZ

I've never been one to believe in "miracle in a can" but I started using Lucas fuel treatment (upper end lubricant) in most of my motorcycles as a recommendation by a trusted mechanic friend. I think it replaces the valve seat lubricant that lead in gas used to provide. My valve lash's have barely changed since using it. Most likely just coincidence but now it's like taking vitamins. You never know if they do anything unless you quit.

car addict

I have an old pickup with a bad head gasket. Leaked coolant down side of block. 2 different mechanics told me not to fix it unless I wanted to do/get a complete rebuild. Their story is that motor is so old with so many miles that new head gaskets would likely cause me bottom end failure - bearing(s). Truck is rusty old POS not worth rebuild. I used some kind of Prestone block sealer about a year ago. It doesn't leak coolant any more. YMMV.

I have also had some good experience with both Chevron Techron and Gumout in improving fuel mileage.

92ragtop

One brand was called 'Aluma-Seal'. Any of those radiator leak products will also clog the fins in the rad and reduce cooling efficiency.

SmokinBlack

I use seafoam fairly regularly in diesels as an injector cleaner. It works well if you have one slightly sticking.

cv67

I never believed that one sounds like the old hundred dollar bill on the dash story but these myths continue.

not into additives think most are junk but will say most lucas products do what they say. Kind of a band aid til ya fix it thing.

3D-Aircrew

That Lucas power steering leak stop WORKS. Was leaking about an once an hour and now not even a drip.

mickey5

Recall a while back there was some talk here about GM putting radiator sealant in every new Vette...it was (is?) available at the parts counter.

89dd

No!

Tom400CFI

Depends on the product and the goal. Some leak stoppers work at stopping leaks, but produce other issues.

No "oil treatment" or fuel "treatment" is necessary. Waste of money. Fix the root problem.

confab

Lubeguard products work.

Or, at least the ones I have tried. The quality appears to be very high.

DGXR

My belief is that anything that needs to be repaired should be repaired properly, no band-aids or quick fixes. Now I understand not everyone has the time and money to fix things properly the first time, and especially in a DD that is needed every day one might resort to a miracle in a bottle.

I do run Lucas and Techron occasionally in the gas, as preventive maintenance. Never had a fuel-related issue. I avoid mom & pop gas stations, usually I go to Chevron, Shell, or the local ARCO station (which is very busy). Also I try not to let my vehicles sit too long either -- when they do sit (e.g. dirt bikes not used during the winter), I use a fuel stabilizer product.

car addict

I don't know the $100 bill on the dash story. I take it you mean you don't believe these mechanics.

As far as my putting in block sealer, it's bought me another year of use of the truck (so far). I was having to add coolant every day. Now I only check it every couple weeks and it's always full. At the time I added it I thought my choices were 1. head gasket 2. keep pouring coolant in it every day waiting for it to fail 3. salvage yard 4. ?

Yes it is a band aid. I did not expect it to hold as long as it has. When it goes, probably option 3.

FAUEE

Bar's leak does what it's supposed to, and is the same basic thing as the cooling system additive that you're supposed to add after a coolant flush on GM vehicles. It's like, ground up walnuts or something, and it fills out the real small pinhole "not yet a leak" type things.

Seafoam is another product that does what its supposed to. It cleans carbon deposits well.

Whaleman

I use a bottle of Heet every few months for water condensation in the gas. Not the Heet with injector cleaning. Dan

PLRX

The only proven additive to work is Sea Foam

rocco16

I've used RESTORE and it worked as advertised: it stopped oil burning and smoking in a older VW Scirocco.
I had a problem with my C4's fuel gage sending unit (in the tank) not registering properly. Put in some Techron and it started working right again. Now I put Techron in the tank every time I fill up.

Yes, the FSM on page 6-168 recommends "adding six cooling system sealer pellets, GM P/N 3634621, through the opening in the radiator surge tank" when refilling the system after a drain and flush.