VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions radiator stop leak

i know i should get a new radiator but i just spend alot of cash redoing my brakes on 36 chevy have a 81 jeep iuse for woods never used radiator stop leak before if it stops the radiator leak will it plug anything else up in motor what do tou guys think do stop leak work and is it safe for short term fix thinks smitty

BarsLeak, liquid or tablets

I always use Bars Leak In a bottle with small pellets in a brown liquid.

I have used the powerded type like Alumaseal in modern cars with good results and no problems. May be only a temporary cure.

In 1998 when we went to Commercial run London - Brighton we thought we had a heavy leakage on the way to Gothenburg (and the rest of the nearly 3000 miles). Wrong. The water pump threw out the water, due to lots of (water pump) grease in the bottom tank, but we did not know until after coming home.

In Uddevalla we tried Bar's Leak as Petrine (31 P.U.) used one liter water per 10 km. We reached the ferry to Harwich and finished home to Norway. A very lovely and exciting tour but also expensive: Full overhaul on the engine (block/head) and cooling system at a garage near Oslo.

To make this story short: My experience is Bar's Leak will not work efficiently in an open cooling system, but only in a closed one = under pressure. The 31 (and all earlier years) are too old for that.

In old times they also used cinnamon to stop leakages here.

PS. If you often have "trouble" with the temperature meter rushing up and down, do not try to drive on the red, but find the real cause to the lively arrow of the meter.

Maybe I read it wrong but I took it the stop leak was to be for the 81 Jeep.

I've heard the old timers using ground black pepper as stop leak

Here we have a product called Chemiweld. Similar to stopleak but I have found it to be better, sealed a frost cracked block for 3 years before system needed topping up but there was no pressure in the system. I have used it on pressurised systems with a small leak with good results as well.
Tony

what I wood do is first flush out the cooling system with a good rad. flush makeing sure to have the heater on so it gets cleaned out so that what ever sealer you use dose not block the heater core. Thats worked for me. Oh, Brain fade dont forget to add the sealer and follow directions.

I imagine your Jeep from 81 would be young enough to have a closed (under pressure) cooling system. Then the Bar's Leak will work.

Sorry for misreading your post. :(

It has worked in old systems for me, never tried it on a modern one.
Bars Leak is older than dirt.

Agree with Mack. I used it when I was a kid in the 50 buck cars and it worked especially for radiator leaks...I still carry a jar of it in my trouble kit. Never have used it on a modern car.............. Search Chemiweld in Google and you'll get more than you want to know on this subject.....

I have used Bar's Leaks in my 1969 Impala and it has worked great!

:) :grin:

I sold the stuff for years. it used to come in a clear bottle and was very chunky. they went to the current container and a "pre-de solved" formula. their sales literature stated the product was installed at GM for insurance against leaks, not sure if that's still true.

How well do these additives work in fixing small coolant leaks on engine blocks? Any pitfalls? Suggestions?

Historically radiator anti-leak products used fiberous materials to form a tangle of material blocking the hole. Very similar to blood platelets repairing a wound. Bars-leak uses ground ginger root (or at least did when tested in the '70s). Many other similar materials have been used for eons. That includes pressurized and non-pressurized systems. In fact in the '70s antifreeze/coolant was marketed by all major manufacturers with anti-leak mixed in.

In todays higher temperature & pressure cooling systems some of the companies have added metallic flakes or other materials that are more resistant to the heat and pressure.

Generally two mechanisms keep the tangle in place over the hole. The water pressure (yes there is some pressure even in a non-pressurized system) and the drying or curing of the part exposed to air. The fill, circulate, then drain products are primarily a coat and cure type product. They will slowly cure from the heat and air that is in the coolant forming solid particles that can grow large enough to plug passages. The fiberous and metal flake products can form larger particles that are broken up in high flow or turbulance so don't present a plugging problem.

Another BarsLeak testimonial.

I used it as long ago as 1962/1963 to stop a radiator leak in a 1959 Corvette. In those days the product came in a small size glass jar with the 'pellets' that settled to the bottom of the jar.

I recall sort of pre-mixing it in a quart bottle. I also seem to recall the guy telling me to be sure the heater was on (open). Can't swear to that part however....

At any rate, the product worked great! Completely stopped the leak with just one bottle!

Bill.

Bill
You are right the early Bars leak worked well but the later mix here is not worth opening the can.
Tony

You are correct that it is not the same formula as the original. The company was sold to a US based company a few years ago and they changed it. The original company was started here in Kingsville Ontario and made millions. I think their maid's quarters was larger than the location of the business.

Interesting (and disappointing) to learn of another company sale and 'new' changes that apparently sacrificed (translation: screwed up) the quality of the product(s).

If that's "progress," let's just stop the clock and remain in the "good old days!!"

Too bad.....

Bill.

Have a Product Line up here in the cold, white (not yet, anyhow!) North named FORTE and they make some awesome stuff. They have a "liquid" Radiator Conditioner/Stop Leak that you can drain out of one leaky rad and pour it into another one - if you are junking the first car. Don't know how well it will work in a non pressurized system but will try to find out. I have availability if you can't buy it Stateside. Hope this helps. Thanks, eh!