Bar's Leak Products

[Noah930]

Bar's Products Line

Bar's Leak coolant products: Anyone use these? I realize this isn't really needed for the air-cooled 911s, but for the rest of the automotive world (and for modern 911s), is this stuff the bees knees? Or just more snake oil?

Bur's Rust Cooling System Conditioner
Bar's Rust, the year 'round inhibitor, contains "buffering" chemical inhibitors to insure against rust, corrosion and sludge in the cooling system. Since the advent of the high compression "square engines" with much higher internal temperatures, more metal surface area and thinner walls, it is more than ever necessary to keep these engine walls clean. By installing Bar's Rust Cooling System Conditioner with its built-in "buffing" action, you insure proper heat dissipation through the cooling system. Bar's Rust also sweetens anti-freeze and lubricates water pump seals.

[Zeke]

Good temporary fix to some problems. As with anything, YMMV.

[RWebb]

agree with milt - would use it in a mustang but not a 944 or 928...

I HOPE you are not considering using it on anything?! It is a band-aid when what is needed is exploratory surgery...

[Oh Haha]

Temporary fix but it does work.

The founder went to school with my dad and they just moved their corporate offices down the road frommy office.

[fastfredracing]

I got this little old lady that stops by about every week to ask me to help her pour another bottle of Bars leaks in her olds cierra. 2.2 litre, has an external head gasket leak. It has not slowed the leak down any, and by now , her heater core is probably clogged, as well as half of her rad. Her husband, god rest his soul , swore by the stuff. She has probably poured half of the $ of the head gasket repair down her coolant neck by now. She only drives about 2 miles per day to the store, and I always tell her just to top up with anti freeze, but .....
I have never seen any stop leak product work for any length of time. Plenty of my customers try the stuff, but they always end up back on the rack at some point
You gotta wonder, if it can clog leaks, what else will it clog?

[on2wheels52]

krikey, I haven't heard that word since the early '80's. A jobber with a Bowes truck came once a week to the Chevron station I worked and re-stocked 'stuff' for us. After straining my memory I think his name was Merle. I expect he's dead by now, he was old then and a heavy smoker.
Jim

[masraum]

I used to work in a retail parts store that was ubiquitous in Florida. Lots of folks came in specifically looking for the Bars-Leak stop leak product and swore by it.

I've never used it myself.

I don't think we ever had or sold the conditioner that you mention. Don't most antifreezes these days have the corrosion inhibitors?

[Noah930]

No, I have no plans on using the stuff on any of my vehicles. (Got no leaks.) But over on a motorcycle forum I frequent one of the administrators (crotchety old guy FWIW) swears by it. As in uses it on every vehicle he owns, year 'round. Swears by it. Just like those guys who preach the benefits of Marvel Mystery Oil, Lucas Octane Booster, etc.

I'm a comparatively young guy who's never had a coolant/radiator issue on any vehicle I've ever owned, so what do I know? Maybe I'm just not automotively adventurous/experienced enough. Like masraum notes, don't most anti-freezes today have corrosion inhibitors? Or does something like Bar's Leak follow the more-is-better approach to preventing rust/corrosion and overall water pumpy lubricity? Just wanted to check the PPOT consensus.

[Embraer]

waterpump seal was going on the BMW....put in the Barr's radiator stop leak, and have put another 15K (dry) miles on the the car since then. I didnt put much stock in it, but for a $400 car (that i've driven for over 2 years), i didnt want to even replace the waterpump. i think the stop leak cost me like $7. worked awesomely.

[TimT]

Not all additives are snake oil.... most are though...

We own a car that finished 3rd in class at LeMans in 2003....

The coolant was distilled water, and Redline "WaterWetter"

That is the cocktail we still use on water cooled track cars....

[foxpaws]

Having an early Northstar engine in the caddy -it has gotten Barrs since I have had it - I change out the coolant every two years. It has never had a leak, or even the whisper of one. I get the kind that is ground ginger root and walnut shells, crush it, put it into the lower radiator return hose after the coolant has been drained. Someone also told me not to have the system power flushed (they just recycle that stuff, who knows where it has been) so, a gentle flush with the hose is all it gets.

[Noah930]

Yes, Tim, but did you pour in some Bar's Leak in that car, too?

I don't think most would put Water Wetter in the same snake oil category.

[Oh Haha]

Water Wetter is a great product that works. We all used it in our drag cars. I put it into the Mazda and the Equinox.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Noah930

...

I'm a comparatively young guy who's never had a coolant/radiator issue on any vehicle ....

I thought you were a hand surgeon(?) --> which would mean if they have finally released you into the wild you couldn't be comparatively young...


anyway, back in ye olden days cars used to die from cooling system leaks all the time - one reason the better off people bought a new car every 3 to 5 years. I guess the rubber compounds and radiator solder (when did they stop soldering those thing?) would not last long.

I saw cars pooped out with big clouds of steam on every hwy grade in the west while exploring in my youth. So, I expect the quasi-religious devoltion to Bars and other automotive tonics started there.

Personally, I am devoted to "The Racer's Edge"!

(so I keep my modeling clay in an old STP can)

[Jim Bremner]

I have never needed Barsleak but I've kept it in the OH**** box in the racecar trailer when I was karting and dirtbiking.

Waterwetter would drop the mustang 20* from 260 down to 240 on Streets of Willow.

That was with a griffon aluminum raddiator that was rated at cooling 650hp! I had a direct drive 5 bladed fan and a shroud on it to keep it cool + the hood was lifted in the rear to let hot air out.

The Che'vette runs 260* on SOW and needs a BIGGER radiator.

[Zeke]

RE fastfreds post: I think Bar's needs air to coagulate. The head gasket is too tough a problem whereas a small leak in the heater core would probably seal up.

[rick-l]

Subaru has a required "cooling system conditioner" for my WRX that looks an awful lot like stop leak solution.

They want you to add it when you change anti freeze.

EDIT I'm pretty sure it is for the head gaskets.

[fastfredracing]

GM had something like that as well, it was called block sealer. I had seen a couple of cases where anti freeze was leaking right though the pores of an iron block.

[Superman]

I've used Bars Leak before, with good results.

On the topic of old fashioned gearhead bandaid fixes, I am reminded of Bardahl. Engine rebuild in a can. Get your old, tired, knocking, oil-burning V8 up to temperature. Remove the air cleaner. Rev the engine up to 4 or 5 grand and slowly pour the Bardahl can into the top of the carburetor, making sure the rpm's are kept high enough to avoid killing the engine. Off you go with a rebuilt engine. yeah, right!

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Bar's Leak coolant products: Anyone use these?

I have... with success. Several cars I've owned developed small leaks in the heater core, and of course the heater core was in an unreachable location.

Bar's to the rescue. I wouldn't hesitate to use it again. I followed the directions to the letter... wouldn't recommend any other method.