No 7 content - Bars Leaks etc

[Dirty Den]

Hi all -

 

Sometime ago the radiator in my dads' car decided to spring a small leak and coolant/water exited the rad rather quickly. He later put something in the radiator called 'Bars Leaks', topped it up with anti-freeze/water and that appeared to stop the leak, I guess it somehow seals the hole in the radiator.

 

I was in Halfrauds at lunchtime and noticed that there seems to be a fair few of this type of product available, including a Halfords own brand version. I looked at the Bars Leaks bottle and the manufacturer claims that it helps lubricate the water pump and stop the radiator from corroding.

 

I understand that normal anti-freeze does the same thing, but does anyone have any opinions on this Bars Leaks (and the other similar products)? I personally don't like the idea of engine oil additives - is this Bars Leaks stuff to be treated with the same contempt? Anyone know how it's supposed to work? Is it likely to do more damage to the cooling system than good, in the long run?

 

TIA

 

Den

 

😬 - Self portrait - still unable to remove the smile!

Micras - Sidescreens

[Phil]

Bars leaks should be out of production soon unless they have already changed the product, it works like an egg being fried, into your system, finds the hole as it goes hard and the rest just floats around the system, the problem being that radiators are becoming smaller with more thinner finns increasing the cooling surface area, an old product like this can block the rad causing lots of overheating problems, this has been prooved by Suzuki, Nissan and Rover.

New products on the market, the best I believe by Wynns, are synthetic and all they do is increase water surface tention instantly stopping the leak and it will remain in the system until it is drained, it will also seal any future leaks as they happen.

[Dirty Den]

Thanks Phil - as I thought, it's another 'miracle' product that is actually a bad idea then! 😳

 

Cheers,

 

Den

 

 

 

😬 - Self portrait - still unable to remove the smile!

Micras - Sidescreens

[pie_boy69]

These products are all a bunch of arse they do more longterm damage to the engine and cooling system then anything else.

A leak that is small enough to be stopped by increasing the surface tension is so small with a pressurised system that you will be able to top it up until the time you get it repaired.

A leak that needs something like rad weld (Bars product) The product works on contact with air and so you crumble the poo like block into your header tank and it floats round the system until contact with air at which point it solidifies and blocks up the hole, great but what about all the other points in the sytem where air sits, these are the places that cant be bleed or when cavitation happens at the water pump it all ends up solidifying in the wrong places reducing eficinsy of the cooling system then when you replace the rad becuase it starts leaking again (rad weld only works for a short time) you cant get a repair only an exchange more money.

Find out about a repair first this is not a quick fix, its a slow reduction in performance.

Keith

[I.Mupferit]

Den,

I wouldn't say it is necessarily a bad idea if you treat it purely as an emergency 'get you home' measure. I have used this product, in the past, for just such a reason and it did get me home nearly 200 miles without further problems. For years afterwards I carried some around with me for emergency use.

I wouldn't put it in the same category as 'Slick Wynns STP' miracle treatments but rather an emergency spare in the same way you might carry a spare fan belt. As such it was a good product of its time.

 

Brent

[Dirty Den]

Keith, Brent -

 

Cheers for the replies. I guess as Brent says, if you're stuck in the middle of nowhere with no other way to get you home, it could be a lifesaver. It's just that the advertising on the bottles doesn't market it as a 'get you home treatment' - it claims that it is actually a benefit to the cooling system, which evidently isn't the case...

 

Den

 

😬 - Self portrait - still unable to remove the smile!

[Old Septimus]

When water started dripping out of the bell housing on my Xflow it was obviously the big core plug at the back of the block that was leaking. I was not keen to take the engine out so put some radweld in which stopped the leak and then drained and flushed the system. Ten years later the "bodge" is still working.

[sjwb]

Oh dear, some ill informed comment here then

BarsLeak and associated products are not 'arse' and do not block up cooling systems. Obviously a system without loss is the ideal, but there are instances of mysterious coolant losses where these products are appropriate.

 

Steve B

[sjwb]

Just a thought. With the propensity for K series cooling system problems, perhaps these products could be mandatory ❗

 

Edited by - sjwb on 30 Aug 2002 12:32:12

[J.R.]

The oxo cube (turd) type bars leak works so well that it can block the pressure cap overflow tube bore (6mm!!!).

 

This happened on my steel X/flow and because the engine could not vent the excess pressure and coolant one of the rad hoses exploded - very impressive.

 

I always carry it as a get you home / back on track bodge but would never leave it in the system again.

 

[I reply to every thread]

SJWB - so you know better than major manufacturers then? Elaborate

[allen]

Yes, miss-informed comment, I'm with Brent & sjwb - these products do work after a fashion and I have used them in the past on older vehicles that do not warrant the expense of a new radiator. They are also a good get you home standby and I would not tour Europe without some. They are not 🙆🏻

 

Unfortunately they need to be added to the circulating coolant - Rover do not reccomend them because people tip it into the no loss expasion/header tank, it is not diluted and carried round the system as it should be, I.E. with no proper rad cap that gives access to swiftly moving coolant it is impossible to use the product as per the instructions for use.