Bars leak duration
 

Hi all,

Apparently I have cracked blocked-go figure. I would lose water when I went on tours but noticed some rust water in the ports when I swapped gaskets. So on a chance I added bars leak. On my latest trip to half moon bay and back I did not lose any water. I felt the radiator when I got there and it was really cool to the touch, same when I got home.

My question is how long does bars leak last? I know it is just a temp fix until I can get the block fixed.

Thanks,

Mike

Re: Bars leak duration
 

It will last until removed or the crack expands more.

Re: Bars leak duration
 

Exactly

Re: Bars leak duration
 

Thanks guys. I will watch it and them later this year decide what to do about fixing the problem.

Mike

Re: Bars leak duration
 

I used Bars Leak to temporally fix some nasty cracks under the valve seats of a 9n ford tractor in 1986. It has been used hard ever since and not leaked a drop. The answer is Bars Leak will last at least 31yrs ☺

Re: Bars leak duration
 

On the strength of George D's response, why not keep driving. Seems to me that the only way you would run into trouble is if the crack grew (if it is a crack). Even then, you'd get home by adding more bars leaks, most likely. For peace of mind, maybe have a contingency plan but why put the $$$$ into another motor you may not need.
BTW, If water is finding its way into the inlet ports through a crack. I wouldn't try fixing that block. If your car is a matching numbers car, I understand the agony of having to change engines but........
A fellow in our club had a new motor built and installed and on the first run, the contents of the radiator found its way into the engine. You never saw so much steam and vapour!! The cause was not a crack, rather the block they rebuilt had extensive corrosion in the water jacket. A small hole developed through the thin cast iron into the inlet port and the vacuum from the running motor soon sucked the water in. Your problem may be not a crack at all which would mean that it is unlikely to grow so long as you keep an anticorrosion additive in the water. My friend was able to transfer all of the new rebuild components, rods, pistons etc to another block so it didn't cost all that much for the workshop that did the job. They stood behind him.
Did you inspect inside the port and see a crack or is a crack only an assumption? You might get "lucky" and have a hole, not a crack in which case, yur Bars Leaks fix will be good indefinitely.

Re: Bars leak duration
 

Synchro,

I just remember seeing rust water in the 2/3 exhaust ports when I swapped gaskets one day. And I have rust water staining the side of the block under the center and rear half of the engine. So with the fact I did not lose any wager on this last trip I was assuming a crack was there.

The next engine I would like to get is one from Tod. Then I would be fairly certain of there being no cracks from age.

Mike

Re: Bars leak duration
 

If you are running anti-freeze, suggest you dump it and switch to water / rust inhibitor / Bars Leak.

If antifreeze gets into the oil, it will destroy your babbitt !

Re: Bars leak duration
 

Nope no antifreeze. Just rust water.

Mike

Re: Bars leak duration
 

I have a crack in a 2001 ford intake manifold. Rather than replace it, I added Barrs leak in the antifreeze and am still driving it today. That was four years and 50,000 miles ago. It has water glass in it and it did the trick! JB

Re: Bars leak duration
 

I think water will pretty much destroy your Babbitt as well. ?

Re: Bars leak duration
 

Well, water will cause the ferrous parts to corrode after a while, and the resulting rough surfaces will abrade the babbitt, but ethylene glycol reacts chemically with the babbitt, causing it to crystallize and disintegrate, rather rapidly.

In the crankcase, neither one is "good", but antifreeze is far worse. :eek: