Radiator Sealer

[Allan in NE]

Alright, you guys,

Since a lot of you boys are giving me such a hard time about my use of the radiator sealer, was wondering if anyone could give me an actual instance where it has in fact failed and/or not worked as it should?

I've been using the stuff since I was old enough to walk; don't know a mechanic under the sun that doesn't use it and can't ever remember it not doing the job as advertised to cure a "weep".

No, it won't work on water pumps and not on the newer plastic radiators. I'm talking about a 30-year-old copper radiator here.

And no, it doesn't plug the cores either, as it needs to hit the air to congel/seal.

Other than the poor-boy, "social stigma" can ya give me a real reason why not to use it?

Allan

 

[olivergreen]

Hi Allan, Had an old truck mech. sayit's not a cure but it can buy you 100 to 1,000,000 miles. For the price differance why not try it? He also said in model A ford days he used black pepper when he could afford or steal it & horse apples when he couldn't.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I`m with you use almost as a precautionary measure on the old iron I work on Only has failed me once need to pull the top tank on the W30 and what is going on

 

[Allan in NE]

I've sent a lot of radiators to the shop to be repaired too.

Trouble is, they always come back with portions of the core "blocked off" to cure the leak, effectively "downsizing" the radiator.

A re-core is certainly an option, but expensive.

Allan

 

[glennster]

i dont see a problem using it, the sealer i like is the powder that comes in a tube about the size of a roll of quarters. it will stop a weeper, but if ya got a tree limb thru the radiator, it aint a gonna help.!!lol. my buddies dad, an old i-h mechanic, he worked for i-h in melrose park il plant 30 yrs, also used sodium silicate to fix small cracks in engine block cooling jackets. i cant remember the exact method, but he put it in the cooling system and it would seal the crack. he used it on our old allis combine-6 cly continental, held for over 20 years, still going after combine was sold.

 

[bradk]

Many auto makers recommend sealers as normal maintenance in their vehicles.Especially in alum/cast or all alum engine combos.

I went for a tour through Gopher engine rebuilders and they threw a pellet in each freeze plug hole before installing plugs.


Now I admit that some products look like wet malt o meal and could clog.I use Bar's pellets or powder tube and have never had an ill effect.Totally sold on the stuff.

 

[Animal]

No, put the alumaseal to it!

 

[Brokenwrench]

I think where the stuff hurts is when a guy dumps about 5 bottles of the stuff in to try and cure a blown head gasket or a big crack or hole in the radiator. As with everything, there`s a common sense factor involved.

You seem to me to be well smart enough to know when to quit pouring the stuff in. Bottom line is, it`s easy to give the `fix it right `advice when it`s someone elses dime doin the fixin.

It`s your money, your machine, do it the way you want.

BTW, if ya ain`t busy and want to make a trip north, I have a sudden 700 epidemic around the shop here. I have 4 of the old girls here now, with probably a few more on the way. I`ll even have em R&R`d for ya. You can take your pick...

 

[Allan in NE]

Well, not trying to make a big deal over it or anything, but I just get the feeling that these fellas that are shakin' their finger at me have neither been there nor done that. :>(

Dunno, I've cured some real leakers with the stuff and never have known one to come unraveled yet.

Allan

 

[Anonymous-0]

I used to work in a radiator shop and I sometimes had to use a sealer the fix older rads. It was just to time consuming to get all the little seapers. A machine that is not being used much I would use a sealer. If the leak is a seam get it fixed. flexing will keep a sealer from working for very long. Gleaner had a lot of radiators that leaked on the seam where the tank and header sheet are sodered together. If you have a good crop and have to stop and get rad fixed I would fix it now.

 

[Anonymous-0]

morning Allen: Well I have used silver seal and copper seal a time or two because I could not afford to replace or fix the radiator. I have also used bars leak and it plugged up everything costing me a motor all I have learned is that short cuts cost more in the long run. if it was me I'd sell a horse and fix or replace the radiator while I could get at it easily. but its you'r machine so do it you'r way. the best to you this morning and have a good day Jer

 

[Anonymous-0]

Since you have it sitting on a trailer in your shop, why on earth don't you fix it right now while it is easy to get to. You are already spending the equivalent of a sandy land farm on this project, so why "choke on a gnat" and farmer fix the radiator? What if after all this work you get it in the combine and it runs hot because of some blocked areas in the core? May run so hot, you have to turn off the air conditioner!! I would have a raditor shop work it over. Tom

 

[Anonymous-0]

the tubes were blocked because they were cracked at the header and was nothing else do. Most rads you could block off 10%

 

[sd pete]

I use the stuff all the time and never had a problem with it.

 

[jim johnson]

The black pepper Is a temporary only fix but will get you home however it will plug a heater core. If it is a small leak use it, no problem.

Copper seal on a copper core, aluminum on an aluminum core.

Jim

 

[jim johnson]

Use it and forget it.

Glad you got it home Allan.

Jim

 

[bradk]

I hear ya Allan-

I think the key phrase is "use in moderation"

 

[toby]

I work with people that believe that every little thing must be fixed to perfection and I have great respect for them. For the rest of us, Bars leak keeps us running and to this point and several radiators later I have yet to have a problem. Allen pour some in and run the old girl.

 

[Allan in NE]

Oh heck, already did that. :>)

Plugged in the engine heater, completely covered the radiator with cardboard and ran the duffer for over an hour and a half yesterday.

Never could get the old hooter to really warm up, let alone get hot. :>)

I just kinda got tickled at all these guys saying, "Shame on you". Don't know if I'll ever be able to hold my head up in public again. :>)

Allan

 

[Anonymous-0]

Allan, you could solder it up and have another wet spot a week later. I'd put the stuff in and not look back. If ya fix it, you'll still put the stuff in as a precaution anyway. I would too.

 

[Bill(Wis)]

It worked great for me many years ago when something (probably a small rock thrown by fan) knocked a 1/4 inch hole in a side tank on a 1970 GM car. I'm pretty sure it was Bars Leak that I used and I don't know if it was one or two bottles that I used but it sure did plug up that hole. A little while later I noticed the engine was running hot enough to melt the grease off the sides of it but the radiator (full) was fairly cool. I let it cool down and removed the thermostat and it was pretty well filled up with what looked like aluminum sand. That's why I recommend inspecting the thermostat after some run time. By the way, that old cast iron engine ran for another 100k.

 

[Allan in NE]

The boss in at the AGCO dealership told me it would have taken him a good $5500 to make it field ready; I thought probably closer to $10K since I was now faced with the engine being gone.

Looks like it is going to shake out at somewhere around $7K when it is all over and done with. That includes buying back the machine with both heads plus the transport of the engine from Indiana.

Still gotta buy a few bearings, belts and chains tho, so it will be interesting to see how the chips add up when it's all done.

Allan

 

[M Nut]

For what it's worth, my dad has been a GM parts dept. assistant manager for 30 some years. One day he came over and radiator on my old HD6 Allis crawler was leaking and I mentioned not having the time to pull it out and get it fixed at the moment. He said to wait and he'd bring home some radiator "pills" from work the next day and problem would be solved. Sure enough, we tossed them in, fired it up and let her run for awhile, and the leaking soon stopped, never to deal with again. That was about four years ago, and I use it fairly often spring and fall in the barnyard and clearing pasture land.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I and my good mechanic friend all ways threw in that "silver sealer" or what ever it was called, when ever we over hauled an engine. Stopped seepage around head gaskets etc.

 

[Allan in NE]

Yeah,

This one wasn't even bad enough to "drip". Darned thing was just damp.

Probably should have pulled it tho. :>)

Allan

 

[fixerupper]

The only time I had it fail was when I was asking it to do a bigger job than it was designed for. Had a warped head and internally leaking head gasket on a JD A so I put a couple of cans of the silver stuff in it, and it did stop the leak until I put it under a hard load and suddenly it was blowing a cloud of steam out the muffler and the antifreeze
was raining down on me. It has worked great for some old seeping radiators I don't want to fix. Jim

 

[Anonymous-0]

eggs work real good in a pinch

 

[Mark - IN.]

Allen, I try not to use it. Radiator shop or cut the tube, pinch and solder it...which I've been known to do. But, many have used it, Alumaseal or Barsleaks very successfully after is up to temp. You can bet your rear end that if I'm out and about, and its sealer versus stranded, I may be stupid, but not stupid enough to be stranded if don't have to.

First time using Alumaseal was when working at a gas station when was like 15 or so. Someone came in late while was by myself with a leak, and sure was Alumaseal on the shelf, so Alumaseal I dumped in. Not peppered in, DUMPED in. It went straight down and globbed over the tubes like a pyramid. I ended up staying late to try and pick that pyramid out of there and clean the tube openings. At temperature, that Alumaseal globs real good if an idiot like me does it wrong...just like a pyramid.

 

[1936]

Any goop that is used to seal up a leak is giving you about six months more time to either repair or replace in my experience. Helps on the sleep factor when you keep wondering just when is it going to blow on a hot NE day in the wheat field to just replace. On line buying of radiators will save at least 100 bucks for vehicles. Moden car radiators are hard to beat. Seemed to run cooler in my experience. Old saying is a poor man has poor man ways! nuff said..

 

[Anonymous-0]

Here's my take on this subject; GM used some kind of sealer with the Texaco extended life antifreeze with engines where they bolted the intake manifold on with bolts torqued up to a mighty 20 in-lb of torque to keep everything from seeping. They still seeped, plugged radiators, and turned the anifreeze to mud. A lot of mechanics blamed all this on the Texaco extended life antifreeze (Dexcool). I have used the Dexcool since '96 in everthing from a '87 Buick LeSabre to a 4320 John Deere with absolutely no problems. I have used Barsleak (sp) and others over the years, but soon the leaks were back. Good luck on whatever you do.

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

Allan,I worked at a Ford Tractor dealership for several years.Back when i first starter i was very young and was learning from the older guys in the shop.One day we had a repo 3000 deisel come in.The farmer had lost his farm and just parked the equiptment and the tractor had no antifreeze so,the engine froze during the winter.I drew the cleanup and maintenance on the machine and the block was cracked behind the starter.A good sized crack i might add.The dealer decided to send the tractor to a salvage sale since the block was bad.Now back in those days here in the south we had a product called "RC BLOCK SEALER".One of the older hands in the shop told me to get some and get the engine good and warm and pour it in the engine.I kinda laughed and told him it would not seal with a crack that large in the block.He said pour it in there son and it will seal it off.I got it good and hot and put one tube in it.In a few minutes it sealed off and never leaked again while it was there.It sat out back and was used around the yard for several months until it went to the salvage sale.I commented about the sealer working to the older mechanic and he said "don't ever pour it in the Tennesee River" you'll stop barge traffic for months.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Read all the replies, you made the statment once upon a time, "Ask advice, but dont take it" just makes the guy giving advice feel good. You know what you were going to do, do your own thing.

 

[John M]

"Other than the poor-boy, "social stigma" can ya give me a real reason why not to use it?"

Because it doesnt fix the problem! You of all people should know better than to band aid something. While I understand in a pinch it can be ok, its not a proper repair. I have never, ever has that stuff work like its suppose to.

 

[Leland]

don't forget a box of black pepper with the eggs .

 

[DRL]

Just finished a conversation with a radiator repairman about this. He said that he thinks that the Bars Leak has changed formula. Anymore, he said that he can tell if it had been used before the rad came to his shop. After he has let the rad soak in the tank, he takes a pressure wand to flush it out. If the Bars Leak has been used, long strips of brown crap come shooting out. The Bars Leak has actually coated every tube on the inside. Said that the Bars Leak didn't used to do that. He uses a sealer that is made of ground cotton seeds and some other binders. Said it works like a charm and doesn't plug rad, heater core, etc. I've used about all the stop leak products with limited success. Not sure what I'd do in your situation. On one hand, would be easy to pull rad and get it fixed. But as others have said, could spring another seep by the time you get it hoisted up on the combine. On the other, even easier just to dump a bottle of your favorite potion in there and go on. Could just keep an extra bottle in the cab if needed again in the field.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Allen,
I've used lots of products (a fool and his money) but have yet to find anything that works as well as Water Glass. The stuff the old timers used to candle eggs. Looks like water, pour it in, it will seal almost any leak short of a cannon shot.

 

[georgeky]

Used black pepper for years with nary a problem. Let my SC freeze one night and the soft plug at the rear of block was leaking a steady stream out between it and the bell housing. Took 2 cans of pepper, but it hasn't leaked a drop. That was in 1996. I know I have 4 to 5000 hours on it since then. I have also used on several rads over the years with great results.

 

[georgeky]

Allan, you carry right on just like you are. Someone mentoined farmer fixes. Don't they know that farmers have kept their stuff as well as the country going since white folks have been here. I have never figured out ones reluctance to use the cheap fix. Maybe they need to farm for a living for a while, and they will soon learn what keeps things rolling. Throwing money around that one may or may not have isn't always the best solution. I venture to say you will have no problems at all.

 

[Tim in NB]

My old TD-5 had a weep at the tank two years ago. Added a can of bars leak and it hasn't leaked since. I believe in fixing stuff right the first time too, but the old girl just isn't worth a new rad.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Ever tried ground ginger, don't use it if you have cracked head and planning on fixing the head you wont find crack..might with magnaflux



MAY GOD BLESS THE USA

 

[Anonymous-0]

Not giving ya a hard time Allan...just figured it would be easier there on the ground than standing on your head in the machine.