Date:         Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:28:05 -0500
Reply-To:     Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Bar's Leak (Was: My 2 cents on head leaks and rubber studs)
In-Reply-To:  <e2bea145c776.45dbd14c@optonline.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

I've used it for emergencies --- I was 3 hours into a 6 hour trip; stopped
for coffee and came out to a pool of coolant on the ground. I could see the
leak in the rad :-(   Put in some Barr's --- it got me to my destination
(BusFusion) and back again. Didn't leak a drop. Going against a lifetime of
"if it ain't broke, don't fix it" I wimped out and changed the rad. Must be
getting old.

Cheers,
Doug


On 2/20/07, Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@optonline.net> wrote:
>
> Carefully, Appropriatley used, Bars leak, pwedered sealants, pepper, eggs,
> etc, will work on many small leaks. Bars leak can be nasty due to the size
> and quantity of the pellets. If the raqiator and heater cores are getting
> restricted due to other neglect, these sealants will finish the job.
>
> My method is to use the small pill sized containers of sealant. Usually a
> silver or brown colored powder. Place it in the tank when the engine is
> cold, then strt it and run until just before the thrmostat opens. Then shut
> it down and let it sit for a few hours. If the gaskets are getting pushed
> open from corroision or the rubber is hard and cracking, this fix wonlt
> work, but for the small eaks from the sealant between the gasket and head
> failing or the rubber shrinking slighlty from cols weather, the sealants can
> often work for many years.
>
> Dennis
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Geza Polony
> Date: Friday, February 16, 2007 1:08 pm
> Subject: Bar's Leak (Was: My 2 cents on head leaks and rubber studs)
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
> > OK, purists: read no further.
> >
> > Bar's Leak either (a) does nothing or (b) clogs up your
> > radiator, heater
> > core, etc.
> >
> > However, I've had good luck with Bar's Leak over many years, and am
> > considering running it in my 1.9. All right, jump all over me,
> > but here's my
> > reasoning. It costs ten bucks and, in my experience, works.
> >
> > What I'm planning to do, when I finally get around to replacing
> > my water
> > pump, is run the Bar's Leak Head Gasket repair in the system
> > without the
> > radiator connected, ie. pinch off the hoses after putting the BL
> > in. You
> > have to drain out all the coolant to use this stuff, otherwise muchos
> > problemos. It's supposed to sit in there a while, then you drain
> > and refill
> > with antifreeze.
> >
> > Intuitively, you would think that BL clogs up "those tiny little
> > passages"here and there, as if you're pouring in tile adhesive.
> > However, intuition
> > also tells us the earth is flat. If it really clogged up the
> > pores, BL would
> > have been out of business years ago, and the major automakers
> > would not be
> > putting it, or versions of it, in all their new cars.
> >
> > Anybody tried what I'm talking about--and dare to come out of
> > the closet
> > about it?
> >
> > I'm saying this because these leaking heads are such a prevalent
> > problem on
> > the WBX's, and feel that if it's just a seal, who cares what the
> > seal is
> > made of, as long as it--well, it seals.
> >
> > Nicht?
> >
>



--
http://www.dougalcock.com