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Bars Leak?

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by outlaw5.9, Sep 1, 2009.

  1. outlaw5.9

    outlaw5.9 New Member

    I have antifreeze leaking down on my drivers side fire wall onto the floor board. I have heard that Bars Leak is bad to use in newer vehicles, but would it be okay to use it in the "63. What are the possible detrimental effects.
     
  2. DrDanteIII

    DrDanteIII Master Procrastinator

    Detrimental effects include radiator clogging, heater core clogging, and general crap-ification of your cooling system.

    In your case, you could bypass the heater core temporarily. But a heater core replacement or repair is the right way to do it.
     
  3. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    Don't do it. I've had good luck with Alumaseal in the past, but they changed it, and it doesn't work and it craps up the cooling system as well.
     
  4. iagmc

    iagmc Member

    stop leaks are great to use when selling not good to continue to use/own
     
  5. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    I personally wouldn't do that to an individual.

    Maybe if I was trading it in at a dealer.
     
  6. alex211

    alex211 Member

    Just get a new heater core, those stop leak products are real good at clogging up cooling systems.
     
  7. Hansh

    Hansh Going Mobile

    Isn't that the idea? :rofl:

    I agree get a new core.
     
  8. aallison

    aallison 74 cj6, 76 cj5. Has anyone seen my screwdriver?

    Ive never had any success with any of the those stop leak products: Bars, power steering with stop leak, etc. They are all crap.

    Just fix the leak........
     
  9. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    I've been pouring Alumaseal in my radiator trying to get it to hold until I can get a new one. It used to work somewhat, but like I said, the new stuff is crap.
     
  10. LarryD

    LarryD Member

    My Brother in Law swears by coarse ground black pepper, claims no detrimental effects and its organic so it can't be bad.
     
  11. Chilly

    Chilly Active Member

    Not sure whether the fact that something is organic is any indicator of whether a substance would be harmful to an engine. Chicken beaks and sea shells are organic too but I wouldn't put them in my engine.

    I suspected a leak in my heater core so I pulled it and hooked it up to the hoses out in the open where I could see it. It leaked. And it hardly got hot! Bought a new core from Autozone and the part number they attach to a 1973 CJ5 wasn't even close so it went back. Ordered one from 4WD for almost 2X the price and it is visually much higher quality, dimensionally correct, and got very hot. Makes me wonder how many CJ5 defrosters would actually work if the heater cores weren't clogged, perhaps by Bars Leak, AlumaSeal, coarse ground black pepper, or chicken beaks.

    Wish I could have found a core for around $50 but a $75 core that works, fits, doesn't leak out of the box...well, I'll just skip a case of beer some weekend. Not sure when that weekend will be, though.
     
  12. iagmc

    iagmc Member

    not all chicken beaks are organic.... Depends on how they were raised. And I would think that Organic chicken beaks would cost more and deter from the cheap fix.
    I have seen from 1st hand experience that antifreeze cheap fixes can and will cut a line in the head and block matting surfaces. I saw it on a cummins "B" in a dodge. Cut a nice line in the head (trash) and block had to be cut down. Your call though, Pepper does work (expands with water)
    And Just so we all know I have never used these products and never would. On my own stuff or customers, not worth the future problems.
     
  13. Pepper works for a short term trail fix but not a permanent repair. If it's the heater core just bypass it.
     
  14. sterlclan

    sterlclan Member 2024 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    an egg works in a pinch smells funny though
     
  15. blevisay

    blevisay Oh Noooooooooooooooo! Staff Member

    Water glass