I would like to get some feedback regarding the use of this product,While I agree that the long term repair should consist of a teardown and replacement of the defective/worn part,the enticement of saved labor and cost cannot be ignored.
This repair should only have to last for ~3 months or so.
The specific brand I am questioning is Bar’s.I have heard conflicting results on various brands both pro and con.
Is this a viable quick fix or will I see my hard earned dollars exit the tailpipe as a white fog?
This vehicle was purchased used,it has 78,000 miles and has had the transmission rebuilt.
I really do not want to replace the bad head gasket,never mind doing it right and replacing both.
Any advice would be welcome.
My opinion is that a stop leak product can possibly seal a head gasket that is leaking externally or possibly between a coolant passage and an engine oil passage.
Stopping leaks into the combustion chamber is a different kettle of fish and pretty much a waste of time but based on what you’ve stated I guess no harm, no foul. You’re not going to hurt it at this point.
Off the top of my head, do the intake manifold gaskets have coolant cross-over passages? If so, maybe the problem is nothing more than a leaking intake gasket which is allowing coolant to be drawn into the cylinders.
Dump a can of "stop leak’ into the radiator, cross you fingers, and sell the truck ASAP.
There are no guarantees.
You’re asking for a miracle.
No such thing.
If I was beside the road and trying to get home, I?d give it a shot. Trying to make it 3 months, no, it need to be fixed right.
My opinions are subject to change with new facts.
A quick look at the gaskets show what appears to be coolant cross-overs. Since pulling the intake should not be a major job why not yank it off and see if a leaking intake gasket is the cause; a la GM 3.1.
I’ve used sodium silicate on three vehicles that had head gasket leaks where the vehicle wasn’t worth the time or money to replace the head gasket(s). And in each case it stopped the head gasket leak. One vehicle has been on the road for over a year with no problems.
You can order a bottle of sodium silicate from a local pharmacy for about $20.00. You can read how sodium silicate works at stopping head gasket leaks here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_silicate#Automotive_repair
Tester
Just an update:I tried “Blue Devil head gasket sealant”.I recently used this with excellant results.I recently posted a video on youtube.I don’t know how long it’s going to last but keeping my fingers crossed.The video should be viewable in a day or so.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCrUb8AXLvY
Your follow up post is greatly appreciated. Too often nothing is heard back from people who post to these boards. I look forward to checking out the video too.
I can only offer a single anecdote. I had a small external water leak from a 4 cyl aluminum-on-iron engine. This is pretty much the easiest case, so far as head gasket leaks go.
I used the sealant the looks like big gold-colored tablets that you crumble and put in the radiator. About two weeks after I put it in, the leak stopped. Two weeks later I replaced the coolant to minimize the damage that the sealant would do.
It held for over a year before it started leaking again. When I pulled the head to replace the head gasket, I found a lot of sealant hardened in my cooling water passages in the head. I cleaned it out as best I could. The head gasket replacement was about 4 years ago. The car has never overheated so it did no serious damage.
While we’re sharing anecdotes, this is my favorite stop-leak story: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=3739
Never heard of Bar… its not even in my brand directory list… anyway, might as well check it again with the dealer. Sometimes they just imitate some of those brands? Im not so sure… You just have to be careful and wise in choosing every part… GoodLuck!
Is this a car you want to keep for only 3 months or a lot longer? If 3 months from the scrap yard by all means use this. If you want to fix it right later on then do it right.
6 year old thread Mr. Watkin.
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sounds like bearsleak may be a spammer, he seems to be promoting his own product and his own website
I’m not about to click on that link 
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