bars leaks

[hump]

I've been losing coolant for the last few months( after I had the coolant changed). I'm going to do an oil analysis to check for coolant, no visible leaks. Any benefit or harm to the radiator seal products such as bars leaks? Truck doesnt start well hot or cold; coincidence?

[markrinker]

Hmmmm...while I have resorted to Bars Leaks, its usually in an emergency, before I pull a core-rotted radiator for replacement.

Advantage: You might fix the leak, but it will be a temporary fix at best.

Disadvantage: If you have coolant leaking into your combustion chamber, now you have something that sets up hard in your combustion chamber.

Since the leak started after a coolant change, I'd be looking for a leak in the intake valley that is evaporating, or a water pump that is only leaking under high RPM (pressure).

[mhagie]

If you want to take a risk of plugging your heater core/radiator go ahead and try the Bars.
I worked in a radiator/air conditioning shop in the early 70's with my brother in law and we made a killing repairing heater cores and radiators that people had used stop leak in and plugged them up.
At that time Bars was made of real fine ground up rags/cloth it would stop a leak alright but there was a price to pay.
Merle

[Dvldog 8793]

I have heard that any kind of "Mystery stuff" added to the new extended run anti-freeze will destroy it. Also as stated above any fix that you MIGHT get will be very temporary.
L8r
Conley

[radrecon69]

Go to the GM dealer they sale a product that I use. It come in three tablets and it looks like compressed sawdust but it isn't. It is what GM puts in all of their crate engines they install aleast that is what the parts man told me and it works great and I use it as a preventive measure

Rick

[DmaxMaverick]

I can't recommend any of the snake oils, but a raw egg proved to work on Myth Busters. I've heard that one all my life, but never saw anyone actually do it. Surprised the heck out of me.

[markrinker]

I've never put raw egg IN my motor, but I've cooked up beef, carrots, and onions wrapped in tinfoil over the exhaust manifolds!

[Dezman125]

Hi
I have used "Bars leak"and it worked fine.On my 85 Mack superliner,the pasenger side rear head started to leak antifreese to the outside.I talked to a mechanic at a mack repair shop 1500miles away and he said it was a common leak on that head,aperantly road salt would erode the gasket.He said use some bars leak till it stops"should get a year or two",4 years later i finaly changed the gasket when i had to change one of the other heads.Bars leak wouln't plug the heater cores like the alumiseal or other powdered products.
And the egg thing works too,have done it and seen it done many times,when i was growing up all our roads were gravle and we had our share of holes in rads,we had to drive 35 miles to school so most days we had grocerys on the drive back,a few eggs never made to the breakfast table :D

[hump]

Thanks for the input. I'm hoping this is maybe just an external leak somewhere. Is there anything I can look for to suspect cracked heads or worse yet cracked block. I checked rad hose for pressure after cold start and it doesnt appear to be pressurizing. I put new glow plugs in before xmas (AC60) and they don't seem to heat up enough on the computer timed interval. If I unplug coolant temp sensor it heats longer and starts no sweat. Will bad head gaskets or cracks show up in oil analysis? Truck pulls good and runs fine once started.

[Kennedy]

GM "Cadillac" tablets work best for me. Radiator seal tabs. I'd grind one up and set one in solid.

My QH plugs should help the starting issues.

[hump]

Thank you for the advice gentlemen, I guess I'll take two pills and maybe call you in the morning.

[Kennedy]

Originally posted by hump:
Thank you for the advice gentlemen, I guess I'll take two pills and maybe call you in the morning. Better givce the pills to the truck. Hard to say how the fiber would act, but they could bind you up! :D