got bar's?

anyone ever use that stuff ....BAR's for sealing a radiator...
or heater core? good/bad....are there better things to use.....?
im asking cause iv got a small leak in my heater core...and dont wanna replace it.....for like 300$...specially cause i dont know if the truck will last much more than 180k,,,,got 144k already.....
if this stuff works and gets me threw another 40k miles...ill try it.

Good for a temp fix. Just make sure that you disconect the heater hoses (probably easiest at the core) and either plug them or join them together for the procedure. It'll plug your heater core right up.

If it requires more than 2 bottles just fix the problem the proper way.

but the bar's site says its guarented not to clog any part of the coolant system...only the leak...
so why would they sell a product....that would clog something its supposed to help........
from what iv heard itsd the best of the leak stoppers....but i do want some oppinions...from someone who has used it....or has experiance with it.........

I've used it .it works and until I read this post I had actually forgotten that I put it in........like 10,000 miles ago.....hmm

If it sounds easier to use people will buy it over their competedors.

I've seen multi heater cores plugged because of rad sealants, and although I can't say that it was Bars that caused them to plug I can say that I'd rather not take a chance.

It's not even a 5 min job to bypass the heater core, and it's often a several hour job to replace them. I don't think that Bars would pay for the job.

This frustrates me (only because of how I am) Unless you are stuck out in the middle of nowhere and you took a stome through the core, do it right! Replace the radiator or what ever is leaking instead of trying to bandaid it. Why would you even take the chance of either clogging your system, or it not holding and ruining your engine from overheat? Sorry, I just don't like bandaid fixes like that unless you happen to be stuck in the Andes with a bad part and no food except for the people who are dead that happened to be riding with you and you have to eat...

rlith; do you always like looking for the absolute worst case scenereo.

I know what you mean though, but guess what... you won't have any Bars stop leak then, so your Buzzard food already.

If you like driving through deep water always carry a jar of Bars, and some wire cutters... just in case your fan goes through the rad (I've had it happen).
You can crimp the leaking cores, and with the help of the bars you have a chance to make it home.

Nope, don't always look for worst case, but hey, better safe than sorry. And that's why I use an e-fan (less chance of rad damage, well, it's not the only reason I use one). At worst it dies and I just need to get up to hwy speed to make it home. At worst, my rad developes a leak, AAA tows it, and I have the towtruck driver stop by the autoparts store on the way home so I can pick up a new rad! (It wouldn't be the 1st time I've done something similar. A good example is this...Damn thing sounded like a machine gun! HEhehehe

http://www.pghconsulting.net/teal/fly.jpg

Nice job rlith!

I wish that I had a photo of my worst damage, somehow a connecting rod got ripped out of the bottom of a piston on my old RZ500 2 stroke 4 cylinder sport bike, and shattered. It sounded like a milkshake machine, and I was suddenly down on power. I still made it home on my bikes power but it sure was nasty in that engine (all confined in that 1 cylinder)

Yeah, bars stop leak wouldn't have helped me on this one! LOL

I'm just looking at your old Blazer, it was a nice rig

Yeah, it was a good truck, you shoulda seen the body work we did on it... http://www.pghconsulting.net/bodywork/

Sigh, it got totaled a month later, the week it was going into the shop for it's new paintjob (Radar blue)... Even had the rockguard sprayed on!

Too bad, I'm reading your story, and it sounds like you've had some problems with it's replacement too. I hope that they all worked their way out

How does that Hot-Shot freon work?

Yeah, 1st one I messed up, second one just turned out to be a weak motor, 3rd one was a charm! LOL... But that's going by the wayside as I have the 5.7 from the 99 Escalade in my garage...:D

How does that Hot-Shot freon work?

Very well... See my thread here... http://www.s10forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95445&highlight=hot+shot+mod

I just bought a motorhome with a 71 high compression 350... I'm so tempted to take that motor, and put it in my 85 Blazer

Oh there's only 5000 miles on the re-build

No, it was modified, not really rebuilt. I got it with 40k on it...Did I put 5000 somewhere?

So Rlith; do you know where I can get that stuff in Canada? I've got 3 vehicles that could probably use it.

So Rlith; do you know where I can get that stuff in Canada? I've got 3 vehicles that could probably use it.

Check with any HVAC company (like the guys you would call to fix your central air) They should have it.

Oh no, the motor on my motorhome only has 5000 miles... sorry, I paid 2000 cndn for the full motorhome because hey fried the trany

Ahh... Neato...

Thanks Rlith

They should have a chat line in this forum

This is probably the one thing i agree with rlith on. As an A&P i do not jerry rig shit up on cars or planes that i work on. You have to always be prepaired for worst case senario. especially when your crusing at 32,000 feet. Replace it. it will probably be worth the extra effort. probably wouldnt go to a salvage yard for that part tho. most of them are in pretty bad shape unless its a well maintained car that came in a couple weeks ago w/ low miles. peace

"This frustrates me (only because of how I am) Unless you are stuck out in the middle of nowhere and you took a stome through the core, do it right! Replace the radiator or what ever is leaking instead of trying to bandaid it. Why would you even take the chance of either clogging your system"

again as i stated before.....the problem is not the radiator.....and im thinking of using the bars to stop the small leak at the CORE........
so why would i care if it clogs it.....
it would have to be replaced anyway....if the bars didnt work........
so to me i think it worth a shot.........
if it works...great...gets me another 40k miles and saves $300...great....
if it clogs......well then i have to replace it anyway.

again....what im looking for is someone thats actually used the bars....
not wether you would or wouldnt...use it..or somethin like it.

This is probably the one thing i agree with rlith on. As an A&P i do not jerry rig shit up on cars or planes that i work on. You have to always be prepaired for worst case senario. especially when your crusing at 32,000 feet. Replace it. it will probably be worth the extra effort. probably wouldnt go to a salvage yard for that part tho. most of them are in pretty bad shape unless its a well maintained car that came in a couple weeks ago w/ low miles. peace

For the most part I only like getting things like engines from the auto wreck if they look like they were recently re-built. Although this is still a risk since you just don't know whom did the job, and if they cheaped out.

I do sometimes buy used engines for just the core if I want to build one up.

"This frustrates me (only because of how I am) Unless you are stuck out in the middle of nowhere and you took a stome through the core, do it right! Replace the radiator or what ever is leaking instead of trying to bandaid it. Why would you even take the chance of either clogging your system"

again as i stated before.....the problem is not the radiator.....and im thinking of using the bars to stop the small leak at the CORE........
so why would i care if it clogs it.....
it would have to be replaced anyway....if the bars didnt work........
so to me i think it worth a shot.........
if it works...great...gets me another 40k miles and saves $300...great....
if it clogs......well then i have to replace it anyway.

again....what im looking for is someone thats actually used the bars....
not wether you would or wouldnt...use it..or somethin like it.

If you have a heater core leak Bars will probably plug it up, but I sure hope that you don't rely on your heater where you live.

I have used the product as a temp fix, and it does the job with small leaks. If it's a bigger leak you'll have to crimp all the leaking fin's then use the bars.

My advice to you is try fixxing the problem properly before the hot weather, then get your coolant system flushed. Otherwise you might have bigger problems with a severly overheated motor.

For the most part I only like getting things like engines from the auto wreck if they look like they were recently re-built. Although this is still a risk since you just don't know whom did the job, and if they cheaped out.

I do sometimes buy used engines for just the core if I want to build one up.

Right on. Yeah i wanna buy a used 4.3 and drop it in my truck. But i dont know they cylinder walls corrode really quickly in a yard where there exposed to moisture all the time.

It's because they pull the spark plugs... But usually if it's not too bad, simply spray WD-40 in the spark plug holes and use a breaker bar to rotate the engine back and forth a few times. It typically loosens them up without damage to the rest of everything.

I'd take out all the frost plugs, and coolant drains, and flush all the cooling system with fresh water, until everything is clean inside. Then replace the frost plugs with Brass ones.

They say to use sealant with new frost plugs. And I agree with this. And it's a good time to install a new block heater, ( even if you live in a warm climate since you never know when you'll do some winter travel )

Definatly agree with that... When I do motors, regardless if the freeze plugs are good or not, they get knocked out and replaced with brass. Use black RTV for sealing. (And a flush is always a good idea)