black pepper works well as stop leak in a pinch, A raw egg works too but I like the pepper better. And I know I am going to hear from guys saying this will clog your heater core etc. but sometimes you got to do what you got to do in a pinch

 

I had my radiator re-worked just today. The dude at the shop says stop leak rots the core away from the inside. Any of you heard that, or was it just a scare tactic?

 

True, I've seen some awful looking heater cores from that crap.

I have afriend that has the Largest radiator business in Western Canada. You should see some of the stuff that come through there.


Dennis https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=1733&.jpg



Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions As:
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's"


78 F-150 429CJ,Silver
w/Explorer Pkge.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon

 

I put stop leak in the radiator of my 89 Tbird one time and a week and a half later I blew my heater core. I've been afraid to touch the stuff ever since then, the heater core blew too soon after putting in the stop leak to be a coicidence.

Markus

 

Hey, before I give this little tip remember it's form the outside of the radiator. J B Weld worked awesome on my wife's radiator. DO NOT PUT J B Weld IN the radiator. Just follow the directions (exactly!)
and should stop any leaks. I've even used JB Weld to patch exhaust on a 750 Honda motorcycle. It sticks to anything and can be machined.

BTW That pepper stuff is like pouring superglue into your motor...nasty stuff.

 

I got a small leak once while hunting in the middle of no where California, broke up a couple camels (smokes, Iknow they are bad for me)into the radiator, it lasted the two more days before I got home.
But I don't think it is wise to do anything like this unless your in a really tight spot.


Brncobilly

 

I'm not a advocate of the quick fix remedies, but as JoeDiesel says sometimes there are situations. I had a woman come to my shop with a external coolant leak on a head gasket, Dodge Intrepid. She was in dire straights financially. I explained that I would, only as a last resort, try Bars Leak, I explained it may buy her some time and it may not. This happened three years ago and I still do other maintenance for her, brakes, tune-ups etc. This car has not leaked a drop since, heater works fine, no overheating,no loss of coolant.
This may be a rare case, knock on wood, but it can get you out of a jam.
In another case, I had a teenage boy tow a car to my shop. The car had a rear may seal leaking, Chevy V-8. The poor guy went to the local auto parts store and bought Bars Leak, only reading that it "stopped leaks". You guessed it, he poured it into the valve cover oil fill. He made it about 1/4 mile before the engine died. I've never seen anyone do this. I pulled a valve cover, the product had dried to a cement hardness. It took a chisel and hammer to loosen it from the head. Needless to say his father wasn't too happy when he was told he needed another engine. After pulling the engine and oil pan, I found the oil pick up to be totally encased in rock hard muck.
Well thats the things you see sometimes at a garage.


Later,
Bightrucker

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-Mar-02 AT 04:24 PM (EST)]Bars Leaks has worked for me on many nasty radiators, and I've seen pepper work but it often loosens up later. Any heater core failure after applying a stop leak is likely due to a core that was thin from corrosion.
Don't forget to run a lower pressure cap on weak radiators.