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MG MGA - Bars Leaks - or similar products.

Hi All,

This is not a MG specific query but is prompted by some issues with my ancient Austin before taking out the engine. As a rule I'd not used this stuff (or similar preparations) since my, 'running on a shoestring' days in the distant past. However, on the run up to fitting a replacement engine in my old Austin I was losing water and decided to use some 'Bars Leaks' in the car, rather than have two cars in the workshop at one time.
I'd be interested to hear of the experience of others with these preparations (Bars Leaks has been going for years so there must be a following somewhere?!) I'd appreciate observations as to efficacy in particular but also if anyone has advice following use. For example is there any special procedure for flushing the radiator afterwards etc. I've replace my engine but the radiator was new only last year and before I put that back in the car I'd be interested in any information gleaned by other Members.

Kind Regards,
Phil
T Gee

Hello Phil,

Some years back, my mother's Toyota Cressida had a moderate coolant leak from the head gasket. The cost of having it replaced was a bit heavy given the age of the car. On the advice of her mechanic we tried the Bars Leak. As I recall, it held for about three years or so before the leak returned and the car overheated.

We sold it to a friend of the mechanic, and he installed a twin turbo Supra engine in it to make the perfect sleeper.

I can't speak to flushing it later. Maybe you could send that question to Bars Leak?

Charley
C R Huff

Thanks Charley, I much appreciate you taking the trouble to reply. It is so much more useful to have information on first hand experience with these things.
Kind Regards,
Phil.
T Gee

Holts did a rad sealer that I used on an Austin Westminster many years ago - it had a leak in the heater rad and the sealer did a good job of sealing it off, though I had to re-treat it each year when I flushed the coolant for the annual antifreeze change. Never had any issues on flushing it out.
Chris at Octarine Services

Apart from the Gold seal exchange engines BL did they also did a silver seal exchange engine, which most times came with a bar seal stuck down the thermostat housing,(this was done by the people that reconditioned these engines) I think this was a belt and braces job,
Andy Tilney

Phil,
early in May this year (2018) my wife and I joined a small group of 5 MGAs on a trip to tour the Outer Hebrides, a group of islands 60 miles of the North West Coast of Scotland.

The journey was not without its problems, when we arrived at Ullapool, the MGA of Roger Martin (the trips organiser) began to show wisps of white smoke from the exhaust.

We decided to catch the morning 60 mile ferry across to Stornaway and have a look at his car after we arrived.

Roger had in his car a tin of something similar to Radweld which was claimed to seal radiator leaks and also minor head gasket leaks.

After breakfast the next morning we decided to give Rogers "potion" a try in the hotel car park, we added it to the coolant and ran it for around 30 minutes or so to see if it worked as claimed!
His engine had developed a definite misfire by this time.

If you click on the following YouTube link you will see exactly how successful this was and what we did next. :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY5MCWAZz6s

Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

Great video Colyn. You should have included some of Tom's jokes!LOL.
Gary Lock

Colyn
Yes good video with a nice happy ending.

Graham V

I have always been of the opinion that those additives are designed to "fill" an unwanted cavity. Given that theory, what are they doing to the tiny cavities in your radiator? They must be reducing the efficiency. I call it clogging!

Barry.
Barry Gannon

Barry - no they don't fill any cavity - they only fill the hole and solidify on contact with air. That is why you need to run the engine up to temperature with the rad cap off, so the system is not under pressure and the resin has a chance to harden.
Chris at Octarine Services

Thanks Gary,
fortunately, we managed to avoid most of Toms jokes, but Roger and he are great company and it made changing the head gasket a lot of fun.

On the YouTube video I said it took over 4 hours but that did include a 30 minute break for tea and sandwiches in the hotel, so overall it was a very civilised experience.

Barry, I tend to agree with you about the possible "clogging" effect of these additives and I probably would not have tried it. But Roger had had the stuff in his car for years and thought it was worth a try.

It did however make for a great YouTube "tutorial" about how to convert your MGA into a really effective fog-making making machine. :-)

Cheers
Colyn



Colyn Firth

Hi again to you all,
Many, many thanks for taking the time and trouble to share your experiences with me. In particular Colyn for his super video, what a super trip, irrespective of the unfortunate need for a gasket change!
I have to say - thus far, the Bar's leaks would appear not to have clogged anything in my system.
My thanks again for all your replies.

Kind Regards,
Phil


T Gee

This thread was discussed between 06/10/2018 and 09/10/2018

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.