Thread: Coolant Leak

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Once again I'm chasing a pesky coolant leak. I thought I had it solved with a heater hose clamp that I found slightly loose, but this morning I have a couple of drops of coolant on the garage floor, I find a thin film of residue blown back along the block & pan after several WOT passes yesterday and my recovery "tank" (a tube 17"Lx1.5"D) is down about a cup or 1.5cups. I hate stop leak products but with this congested front end it is all but impossible to see the source and I'm frustrated. I know it's been addressed before, but a search for radiator sealer, stop leak, etc brings up any post with any word listed - painful at best. Anyone use the stop leak products? I'm also hampered by the radiator being layed back, so getting the product into the radiator will be difficult - probably have to mix it on the stove or something... Seems I heard at one time that some OEM's used to put Bar's Leak in at the factory?

I heard that they used Barr's leak on the Nautilus Nuke sub when it was new!!!!

It is possible that you just pushed it out because your recovery tank was too full or doesn't have enough capacity---a tube 17 x 1.5 (od?) doesn't have much room----

It is possible that you just pushed it out because your recovery tank was too full or doesn't have enough capacity---a tube 17 x 1.5 (od?) doesn't have much room----

Jerry may be right about the size of the recovery tank .
I had the same problem after a couple of WOT passes , the pressure at the upper rad hose with a double pass rad was enough
to push out about a quart of water . I put a 2 quart recovery tank in and the problem was solved .
Normal driving never never a problem , but that's no fun !

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

I heard that they used Barr's leak on the Nautilus Nuke sub when it was new!!!!

It is possible that you just pushed it out because your recovery tank was too full or doesn't have enough capacity---a tube 17 x 1.5 (od?) doesn't have much room----

The drain tube from the recovery tank seems to be dry, and the residue is mostly on the opposite side of the block. The "tank" is one of the standard overflow receivers sold at all the shows - polished tube, more like 1-3/4"ID I suppose, but not large by any means. I guess I'll wash everything down to get rid of the green tint, blow it dry and start it up on some jack stands and watch it for a bit to see if I can find the leak point.

Roger - that's something like my @#$% transmission leak. First it was a porous aluminum pan, then the next pan had no flat where there is a transmission pan surface cut out, then a pan gasket with the next new pan, then the bolts wicked fluid, next was the fill tube - everything is new - and in a couple of cases, several times new. The DAMN thing still leaves an occasional drop on the floor from somewhere. Maybe, this winter....... but then I said that last winter

If it's only a drop or two - keep the pets away, and forget it .... until winter

I have used Barrs with great sucess and not stoping up the heater core.

Go to your local Gm parts dept. and ask for Cadillac pills. They are easy to use and they work for leaks.

i have some rebuilder pills buy them by the box only can get them that way . work good older builder told me so i pick up some on my last shop order .i used the alum dust in the tube for wet head studs as they can weep some time it works good but pills work better .if you want to try the pills i have.. PM me and i send you two

Bar's leak tablets manufacturer part # 87066 Napa's part # NDC. I understand that G.M.puts a tablet in each side of the block before the freeze plugs go in ?
In any case any cooling system service we do gets 2 tablets. Never had problems with clogged heater cores or such from using them.

Originally Posted by HWORRELL

Bar's leak tablets manufacturer part # 87066 Napa's part # NDC. I understand that G.M.puts a tablet in each side of the block before the freeze plugs go in ?
In any case any cooling system service we do gets 2 tablets. Never had problems with clogged heater cores or such from using them.

That's good info to have for the future. I've used Bar's Leaks "goop" in the bottle, the brown liquid that has a handful of rabbit pellets in the bottom, but it seems like too much at one time to me. Pills sound like a good approach. Thanks.

I used some stop leak [maybe Barrs Leak, but can't recall for sure] in my 2000 F150 because I could smell a touch of coolant at start up. At 140,000 thought heater core seeping a little. Not wanting to deal with it then, I used some stop leak. What a mistake. Four flushes, three myself one with a machine, and the orange crap is still building up in the coolant recovery tank. What a mess. Never again. No smell anymore though.

If you use the pills, best thing is to crush them up to a powder. Then mix in some coolant and make a soupy mix. Then add that to the radiator. The mix will more readily distribute the sealant then just throwing the pills in and letting them dissolve.

When my son bought his first project a `68 dart it had a 273 in it, right away he decided to install a built 360, we knew the rad had leaked when he bought it, no big deal but we decided to back flush everything before he put in motor and rad, opened the petcock and it just oozed out for the first entire day even when water was added it just oozed out, took three days to flush til clear water flowed with prestone back flush. I`m just not a fan of using the stuff myself...

About 13 years ago I was trying to get some more time out of my radiator in the 27 and dumped in some Barrs Leaks. Later on when I tore the engine down there was this cement like goop in the heads and intake manifold cooling passages that I had to chisel out with a screwdriver. In defense, I had put in two cans of the stuff, but I shy away from that one now. I have used Alumaseal, both in the powdered and liquid form and it seemed to be ok. Also, I had my radiator cleaned and fixed after I tore the car down and the radiator guy asked what the h*** I had used in there. He said he had a hard time getting it out.

Don

Similar experience to Don - Chevelle that I dumped a couple cans of Barrs Leaks in -stopped the little bitty leak in the heater core but a couple years later when I finally removed it to fix it was a solid block inside and was beyond repair. Gave me a couple more years but I always knew it wasn't right - kinda like having diarrhea and just praying you don't sneeze - sooner or later you'll have a bit of a mess to deal with..