Cooling system Stop Leak products?

[te72]

Forgive me if this is in the wrong section. Anyway, wanting to know if anyone has had any good experience with this sort of thing? I was recommended Alumaseal or Bars Leak Stop Leak (for coolant systems).

Reason I ask, I discovered my heater core has a small leak in it. Not the end of the world, as that can be bypassed, but I do live where winter temperatures are frequently below 0* F. I've already driven one winter without a heater (my Mk2's isn't working), and I'd really rather not go through another like that.

Thoughts, oh wise SME's?

 

[jdub]

You are correct - wrong section - moved to General.

Concerning the coolant system stop-leak products - use them if you really want to trash all your coolant passages. Including the block.
How about forgetting a quick fix that will just induce other problems and fix or replace the heater core.

 

[Who]

 

[supraguy@aol]

I've seen new heater cores go for less than $20 on Ebay.

 

[iwannadie]

Just bypass your heater until you can fix it that way you are not using the stop leak junk.

 

[becauseican]

Dont do it, those should only be used in an emergency situation on a road trip. Like Jdub said, it will plug up the coolaing system and make a mess of it, esspecially with the turbo producing so much heat in the system. I used this stuff once on a raod trip in my F150, the shroud wore a small hole into the rad. I got a bottle of this from a gas station, I was able to make the next 2 hours dive to our desination without any leaks or problems. I then had the rad repaired and flushed the system thoroughly. I would never run this stuff as a perminant solution.

 

[te72]

Well fuck my life then. Suppose I should flush the coolant system out this weekend then. I put a tube of Alumaseal in it Sunday afternoon. I most definitely appreciate the input, but I do wonder how much damage that little tube could do in a cooling system with that much capacity? I mean, it takes ~3+ gallons of coolant just to fill the radiator alone (PWR)...

Is the damage already done then? I haven't had the best of luck with this car to begin with, but I don't want to intentionally do something stupid (like this), you know?

 

[jdub]

Flush it - right now, or stop running the motor and you might minimize the impact this crap will have.
Might want to check for an answer next time - it's not like it took days to get one. Geez.

 

[Sawbladz]

Why do people ask for advice AFTER they do things? I will never understand.

 

[te72]

Probably because forums hold 90% of the answers we seek, and experience teaches us the other 10% we need.

For whatever reason, I'm finding a few other threads in the "similar threads" thing at the bottom of the page, but didn't come across any when I searched for "stop leak". Perhaps this is a good idea for a sticky somewhere, so maybe others can avoid this headache.

 

[sparkplug619]

I know this thread is pretty old but wanted to share my experience with stop-leak. When I was younger, I got a big bottle of stop leak for my old celica. The radiator really did stop leaking but the temps increased alot. It wasnt alarming so I kept pushing the old thing until one day "BOOM" my radiator hose EXPLODED when I was a block away from home. Pushed it home, checked it out took it to a mechanic, needed a whole new head since mine cracked. The first question he asked me when he saw the car was, "Stop leak?"

 

[PCguylovesSupra]

Stop leak is crap. Most people don't realize it is not a solution just a band-aid. I had one truck that I bought 2 years old, then 8 years later had to replace the radiator and heater core because some idiot put stop leak in before I bought it, I had no idea. Cost me $1800.00 to fix.

 

[IJ.]

It's embarrasing that someone has bought this up, Stopleak is something people and used car salesmen use to get rid of a problem NOT a product you'd use on a car you wanted to keep... :nono:

 

[te72]

I promise I'll never be using it again!:slap: