Bar Radiator Stop Leak - yes or no?

Well, crap. My used replacement radiator has a small leak at top center, in the rows..

Thinking of using Bar's stop leak before a 3000 mile trip across the midsection.

Smart or Stupid?

Anyone with personal experience using Bar's?

All assuming I can't get a new radiator sourced and installed in times - this rad will be replaced.

The questions are will Bar's do more damage than good?

If OK to use from damage perspective, will it last for 3k miles?

TIA

Don

New one bought.

yes or no?

Click to expand...

Why?

We had a trip that needed to be taken but Murphy came visiting and left me with a serious hole in my radiator. Pulled the radiator, took it to a shop where they declared it unfixable by conventional means. Mr. Radiator Guy mixed a batch of Radiator Epoxy and injected it into the hole in the tube. Fixered just like that, immediate gratification. Rode like that with no noticeable issues on the temp gauge for years. Finally, 80k miles later I started to get an occasional drop and put in a used radiator from another Forumite and it is leak free.

Edit to note: Don appears to have had a fast acting IQ shot and seems to have done the right thing before a long trip

I sure would replace it. Radiator patches are pretty unpredictable. The last patch on a vehicle I owned was on my old truck, and the patch held for 20,000 miles before popping out during a particularly nasty winter storm. (I think the unusually low temperatures outside may have helped it work loose) On other occasions, I have seen these repairs just flat out not work.

Stop

Breaking

Shit!

audiowize said:

I sure would replace it. Radiator patches are pretty unpredictable. The last patch on a vehicle I owned was on my old truck, and the patch held for 20,000 miles before popping out during a particularly nasty winter storm. (I think the unusually low temperatures outside may have helped it work loose) On other occasions, I have seen these repairs just flat out not work.

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Some, (many? most?), radiator repair shops just stick a wad of epoxy over the broken or holed area. As good as modern epoxy is, eventually it will work loose and allow leakage. A more reliable and professional method requires actual welding, and few are capable of such fine work on aluminum.

Take a 2# bag of black pepper with you, or.....replace it. Personally, I prefer to replace the broken things, as opposed to putting a bandage on them. However, that usually means I'm pissing wifey off with expenditure requests.

rub yer balls on the hole.

Unfortunately, Stop Leak doesn't just stop the leak, it tends to collect in other small passages.

I have disassembled engines and motorcycle engines where stop leak has been used, the interior water passages can be a mess.

I would not use any of these products. They plug shit up, unintended shit!

Some of these fixes are good if you are caught out on tour but if you have the time before leaving home, replace it.

Which it looks like the OP has done.

The newer products only harden when in contact with air. the rest of it is supposed to stay in suspension and not clog up other passages. For short term I would give it a try. When you change the radiator I would do a good flush with a good cleaner and you ought to be good.

bigjohnsd said:

Unfortunately, Stop Leak doesn't just stop the leak, it tends to collect in other small passages. I have disassembled engines and motorcycle engines where stop leak has been used, the interior water passages can be a mess. I would not use any of these products. They plug shit up, unintended shit!

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Gunny!

If you have to use something might I suggest "liquid glass"?

HotRodZilla said:

Stop

Breaking

Shit!

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No crap, 'Zilla. The dirt road and my riding style..... :fuck: me..

Believe it or not, I once had a bike that the manufacturer recommended 2 packs of bars leak with every coolant change.

Best I remember it was a Suzuki V-4 circa 1988.

stealth1 said:

Believe it or not, I once had a bike that the manufacturer recommended 2 packs of bars leak with every coolant change.Best I remember it was a Suzuki V-4 circa 1988.

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Madura or a Cavalcade. My Madura shop manual lists that as part of the coolant change.

It was a Cavalcade.

Would have mentioned that, but it was too hard to spell.

HotRodZilla said:

Stop

Breaking

Shit!

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Ran outta likes...

It has been a long time, but I used to use solder to repair a bad radiator tube. Just pinch the tube off and solder the exposed ends to seal them off. You lose the cooling from that tube, but it doesn't come loose over time like epoxy.