mjb240z Posted December 29, 2003 Share Posted December 29, 2003 I have checked the search feature but I dont see anybody asking this question so I wonder if anybody has done this with sucess. I have a 2001 Outback wagon with 65000 miles & have the cronic external left rear head gasket leak. It is kind of like a pin hole leak that goes away once the car is warm, but still annoying none the less. I was wondering if anybody has tried that radiator leak headgasket leak that you pour into the radiator. Bars Leak I believe it is called. It "might" work since the leak is so small. Its not the ideal thing to do, but if it works for a long time & saves the big $$$ on having a new gasket installed (that will probably leak too) then it seams to be a viable option. Anyone ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted December 29, 2003 Share Posted December 29, 2003 Bars leak can get you home in an emergency or you can use it in a car you are about to junk. It is full of large globs that block up your radiator and internal cooling holes in your engine block. Save it for junkers and fix that 2001 right or keep the radiator fluid up. By the way I had the latest gasket put in my 99 last year and no leak at all. Over six months and two trips and I have added nothing. With a 2001 I would talk to Subaru about fixing it. Even if you are a bit over the warranty. I was the second owner and was near 100,000 so I got to pay for mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacific_import_auto Posted January 1, 2004 Share Posted January 1, 2004 I did head gaskets on a 2001 Outback Limited about 3 week ago. The vehicle had over 122,000 on the ODO, and was leaking coolant externally. We found that Subaru has redesigned the head gaskets for the Phase 2 engine so I don't think another leak will be an issue. It's the coating on the gasket that fails and not the metal gasket itself. IF you want, I will post pictures of what the gaskets looked like after they came out of the car (you will notice that they are missing pieces of the coating (Which was not stuck on the head) and you can see right where the coating has fallen off and eroded enough that it will leak coolant from t he water jacket. As for your answer about Stop Leak, yes, it will work, BUT it is only temporary. I had a customer put stop leak into his 00 Outback and it didn't leak one drop for about a month, and then about a month later, he had the same leak in a different spot. The thing that worries me about stopleak is the damage it can or will do to your radiator and/or heater core. If you put stopleak in it, and it doesn't solve your problem, and then you do go ahead and do head gaskets to it, what happens if the stop leak that you put into the radiator somehow blocked the radiator, and overheated your engine again? I know Head Gaskets are spendy to do, but if you're having a problem, you might as well fix it right rather than have to worry about it down the road. That just my $0.02 Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrxsubaru Posted January 1, 2004 Share Posted January 1, 2004 I have used stop leak with partial succes on head gaskets but has worked on a heater core multiple times, and have taken apart engines that have used stop leak. I really dont see how it will clog a radiator. It seems to coat the whole radiator system with a very thin layer of it self, i have never seen it build up, and have never seen a chunky stop leak. If there is a chunky stop leak use a diffrent brand. It really is only a temporay solution if it even works, but you can keep on putting more stop leak in it when the leak comes back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacific_import_auto Posted January 1, 2004 Share Posted January 1, 2004 The brand of stopleak that I am referring to is "Silver Seal, or Aluma Seal. My customers have had bad luck with those particular products clogging up places they're not supposed to. That's just what I've seen from experience. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccrinc Posted January 1, 2004 Share Posted January 1, 2004 If you want to temporarily seal a small leak, use table pepper. (about a MacDonalds pack worth) OK, it sounds weird, but the stuff works! Ask any old timer who's been around cars for years. And it will NOT hurt any of the components either. It flows to the point of least resistance (the leak), gets stuck there and swells up, temporarily sealing the leak. Also, if you think about it, it's totally bio-friendly, and sure a lot cheaper than any stuff you buy for this. ps: Bars and most of that stuff can definitely screw up the entire cooling system on a Subaru. May be ok for an old Ford or Chevy, but not a Sube. Emily http://www.ccrengines.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Farco Posted January 1, 2004 Share Posted January 1, 2004 As it was mentioned above, the earlier H/gaskets must have been inferior. I just had my Phase1 2.5 motor out for a top end rebuild due to a snapped timing belt tensioner mounting bolt. The temp gauge previously moved up and down like a windshield wiper. I looked at the old H/gaskets and didn't find any "breaks" in the metal, but the coating was missing and blotchy around the coolant openings. She's all back together now with the updated Subaru Gaskets and rebuilt heads and purrs like a kitten with a steady mid-range temp. indicated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjb240z Posted February 27, 2004 Author Share Posted February 27, 2004 I thought I would give an update on my experience with Bars Leak thus far. It has been 2 months & it is working great. I have not seen any adverse effects. The engine is still running strong & there are no signs of a temperature increase either. I also live near a huge grade which must be climed almost daily & the needle holds steady. I am thinking this product is similiar to what Subaru is using to assist with the problem. I did not use any other product like Alumiseal because that stuff just looks like playing with fire. Small aluminum fragments that stick to everything. Thats a clog waiting to happen. I am hoping this Bars Leak will last a very long time. The Subaru product states to use theirs for every 30000 miles so I am hoping for the same. We will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9Leader Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 MJB240Z: Let's say that the Bars Stop Leak is essentially the same as the coolant conditioner being used by Subaru, does the same job, works equally well, has the same effects (whether beneficial or detrimental), etc. Bars, though, does not extend the warranty for the head gaskets to 8 years/100K miles. Using the Subaru coolant conditioner does. You indicated when you first posted several months ago that you were at 65K, so you probably still have 20 - 25K before you hit the 100K point. A flush and refill with the Subaru stuff added in would be worth it to extend the coverage. Just my $.02. --K9Leader Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjb240z Posted February 27, 2004 Author Share Posted February 27, 2004 Thats an excellent point. I have been advised though not confirmed that certain warrantys are not transferrable to a second owner (which I am). Can anyone confirm this ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 and Subaru has invited me to have goop against my better judgement, and has offered to pay for the head gasket job I had last year. I did do things with the dealer and by the book however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9Leader Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 I am the second owner of my OB. It's a 2000 that I bought in March 2003 with 32K on it. I did report the ownership change to Subaru and registered on My.Subaru.com. The 3 year/36K miles b2b warranty was up but the 5 year/60K powertrain is still in effect. If you contact Subaru of America customer service (1-800-Subaru3) and report the HG issue, they should cover you for the 8 year/100K extended coverage. Good luck! --K9Leader Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9Leader Posted February 29, 2004 Share Posted February 29, 2004 MJB: Is the "240Z" part of your name a reference to a certain legendary Japanese sports car? I had a 1975 280Z -- wonderful car, but I sold it in 1987 when my first child was on the way (no room for the car seat). Plus it needed a new transmission, new rear end, and the driver's side floor pan was just a memory. --K9Leader Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjb240z Posted February 29, 2004 Author Share Posted February 29, 2004 "Is the "240Z" part of your name a reference to a certain legendary Japanese sports car?" Yes it is actually. I have a very nice 73 that is my never ending project car. I have practically rebuilt/refurbished from the ground up with many personal mods. Its a great toy to have as #3 in the fleet. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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