Favorite coolant leak stopper?

[w261w261]

I have always used Barrs with good results, but it has been for minor leaks. Now a friend has an older Buick that has a coolant leak at the intake manifold, and I said I would ask around to see what other's experience has been. I've seen those leak stoppers with what looks like flakes of copper in the solution. Anyone have any preferences? Thx.

[MessyHonda]

I have always used Barrs with good results, but it has been for minor leaks. Now a friend has an older Buick that has a coolant leak at the intake manifold, and I said I would ask around to see what other's experience has been. I've seen those leak stoppers with what looks like flakes of copper in the solution. Anyone have any preferences? Thx.
i would not use any....just replace or fix the leak....i would only use it on a super old car....not if you want to keep the car.

[BITESIZE]

i would not use any....just replace or fix the leak....i would only use it on a super old car....not if you want to keep the car.


Messy knows what is up!:Owned:

[shepherd79]

would you put stuff that can clog up the cooling system. I used that kind of shit ones. I had wash it out because my heater core got cloged up.
Just spend money and fix the part.

[A20A1]

I agree don't use any. I tried once and it collects in and clogs areas you don't want it too.

[HostileJava]

Fingers.......


Seriously though, I wouldn't use any.

[2oodoor]

HOw old is this buick mr.... if it is older than 1985 you can use black pepper, buy regular black pepper can from grocer, put in about a half tablespoon in every three days ,, if the leak has not stopped after six days, you need to replace the gasket.
Newer GM have a silicone RTV gasket , once that is leaking you cant stop it with anything...anything you put in will cause problems like everybody says. , the black peppper is mainley for small brass radiator leaks, intakes are a little more harder to seal with snake oils and roodoo voodoo lol bonus is you smell pepperoni every redlight.. whoah hooooo.
seriousley none of the miralcle sealants hold up and are designed for used car lots, I had good luck with pepper but then I dont keep cars more than a year or two, I have commitment problems... cars dont get pregnant so I can refresh... lmao

[88Accord-DX]

^^ The old school pepper trick. I didn't think anyone would mention that.

[2oodoor]

yeppers, old school, new desks... hey I forgot to mention to look at that buick really good and see if it has a honda symbol on it somewhere...:gun:

Yea look at the back of that motors intake and make sure the coolant isnt coming from heater control valve. a metal thingy with water hose connected t and maybe a metal cable or vacuum line with plastic lever. It is that time of year and GM heater cont valves are notorious for leakinone more addition, late model a,merican ercars like 90 models come with stop leak sealants in them from the factory...ive changed many a filter on the first Centry or snap on brand coolant flush machine , and was told that most all the 'big three' makers used sealants in teh coolant system from the factory cause of the alum heads , they were new to the alum head biz remember... it would stop up the filters for each job , I put the coolant flush machine in the corner and just do it the old fashion way if something seems restricted or PMI flush time comes..

[Tailfin]

Bars is good stuff... You had it first pop out of the box. In my experience, Bars is as good a leak stopper you're going to get without going to something that will clog it like Prestone (I have my own flush story behind that stuff involving a high-pressure garden hose into the heater core hose...). Intake manifold gaskets especially should be replaced. If coolant is leaking out, then it could also leak in and introduce coolant into the cylinders... That is a fabulous no-no. :violin:

[w261w261]

Thanks for the replies. My friend's Buick is a '95. Someone gave it to him w/ 200k on it, so you can imagine that it's pretty well shot. His mechanic wants $350 for a new intake gasket...I said try Barrs and if it still is leaking then toss the POS. Who wants a GM car w/ 200k on it anyhow.

As to Barrs generally, I've used it on minor leaks (the kind where you can't tell where the coolant is going, just a small drop in the bottle over time), in a BMW heater core, an Audi heater core....every time the leak stopped with no ill effects. So I feel comfortable with it. That said, I don't get over-enthusiastic about the quantities. Half a bottle or so, and of course never in the bottle.

[jayton]

I had an 1984 Camry with a coolant leak. Water was coming out of the top of the radiator where it all comes together.

The only product I tried was Bar's. I really did not think it would do any good when I was buying, so I thought it would just be a shot in the dark. I poured half of the bottle in after shaking.

However, surprisingly, that radiator never leaked again. I still have the second half of that same bottle sitting in my garage after 3 years.

[AccordEpicenter]

just replace the intake manifold gaskets. Its gonna get worse and worse until you do, leak stopper or not. I do not reccomend ever using that stuff after i saw somebody warp a head on one of these cars pretty badly, that shit plugged up all the coolant holes in the headgasket!

[smufguy]

they way i used to stop couple of leaks in my cooling system was by the means of using a new radiator, upper and lower coolant hoses and all the other small coolant hoses.

PS: I would never use those damn pellets or that radiator sealant thingie.