Bars Leaks
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Bars Leaks
long story short...i had a pin hole in my radiator and i went out and bought Bars Leaks to fix my truck. now the leak is solved but the rad over heated on me spilling coolant out of my reservoir after i parked. i filled the rad with premixed coolant to speed up things and i took another spin to see if it would happen again ..it did. i had no problems with over heating untill i put in this product. i read the instructions on the bottle and did exactly what it said to do.i then called the manufacture and talked to them and they were supose to call me back and did not call me back.its been a week now. i may have to get the B.B.B involved as i was advised to do so.but i will make my last phone call before i do that.i think now that the passages are pluged in my rad and i may have to put a new one in soon. anyone had a related problem with Bars Leaks??
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Joined: Aug 2002
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Bars Leaks
Never tried the stuff, always figured if it's going to plug a leak then what's it going to do to my rad passages.....water pump impeller...thermostat etc.
79 250 Ranger Lariat 4wd 400 C6 3.55's 33x12.50 16.5's
78 Bronco Custom 4wd 400 C-6 3.50's 31 10.5 15's
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79 250 Ranger Lariat 4wd 400 C6 3.55's 33x12.50 16.5's
78 Bronco Custom 4wd 400 C-6 3.50's 31 10.5 15's
66 Mustang Coupe Sports sprint 200 c-4 cruise o matic 3.00's
99 Grand Prix GT 230 ft/lbs torque out of a non turbo'd 6 cyl hehe
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Joined: Jul 2001
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Bars Leaks
I once owned an '88 Cougar which I used that stuff on. Soon as I drove the thing home and parked it, smoke began rising from under the hood. The radiator was punctured. I put some of that Bars Leaks, which did not help. The radiator was replaced, but the chemical remained. It took me a very, very long time and many changes of coolant (with assistance from flush additives) to finally rid the cooling system of that garbage.
I personally wouldn't use it for it's intended purpose again, unless in case of an emergency. No guarantee it'll stop the leak, plus it seems to go on plugging up everything but the leak.
I personally wouldn't use it for it's intended purpose again, unless in case of an emergency. No guarantee it'll stop the leak, plus it seems to go on plugging up everything but the leak.
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Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Keweenaw Bay, MI
Bars Leaks
I used Bars Leak this summer in our old 1952 Ferguson TO-30. It had several hairline cracks in the block down where the cylinder sleeves and the lower deck meet. I put new "O" ring seals on the cylinder sleeves and after I got it together I put in a small bottle of that stuff and I did not have anymore water leaking into the oil and I did not have any overheating problems either.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Southern MD
Bars Leaks
I used it a few times years ago and never had a problem with overheating. Last time was 2 years ago when the rear heater core on my old '86 van was leaking. Stopped the leak, and no overheating problems occured.
BTW: The BBB isn't gonna help any...
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BTW: The BBB isn't gonna help any...
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Bars Leaks
yes i think your right 94van the B.B.B wont help..its just the advise i got from my friends thats all. in the mean time i did use this Bars Leaks in my past vehicle and it did a wonderful job for the money.its just a freak thing that just happen and now i have to pay for a 180 dollar rad and do the job myself to save $ and cents. i have done a research on this stuff and some customers had the same thing as me . a pluged up passage..i wonder if i would just drain and flush the system and see if it would do any wonders for me before i spend on a new radiator.my truck can take me to work and all but i cant drive too long or it will gush again..
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Princeton, MN
Bars Leaks
I used that stuff in my 92 F250 last year to fix a tiny leak I couldn't find. Fixed it for a short while and then all of a sudden the whole lower hose blew. Even with all that coolant loss I had to flush the system a couple of times to get it clean. My advice, replace the radiator, used but pressure tested ones can be an economical fix if you're trying to save money. I would use a chemical flush first, then drain all the fluid, remove the old radiator, backflush the heater core, and it probably would be a good idea to remove the thermostat, backflush the block and replace with a new thermostat before hooking up the new radiator and refilling the coolant. May sound a little dramatic, but that's what I would do after seeing what that stuff did to my coolant system.
Hope that helps.
Doc
Hope that helps.
Doc
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Elder User
Joined: Nov 2002
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From: 5600 feet high
Bars Leaks
That stuff turns to snot as soon as it hits your coolant, and if your thermostat isn't completely open when you put it in, it sits in the radiator and clogs up the passages. The stuff is garbage, and I assure you, you will never hear back from the company that made it, and the BBB simply doesn't care unless it's a big deal they can put in their newsletter. Good luck, bro.
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Bars Leaks
thanks everyone for your support on helping me and advises guys. i will try the flushing first and go from there and if it dont work then i have no other choice but to replace my poor ol rad . i guess paying for a new rad will go a long way for a long cold winter rather getting stranded on some miles away from home and freeze my butt off and walk it...thanks again have a great night guys
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