Took my 86 Brat for a spin today, needed heat for the first time.

Owe the smell of hot antifreeze waiffed through the cockpit

Heater core must have gone south while I stayed north.

 

Now we all know replacing it is a PITA or we can use the McBrat hack and whack the air box trick

but my hair brained idea is going to be tried first

I have a positive displacemnet gear pump, a hot plate and some spare heater hose.

We also all know that the use of Barr's stop leak and other rad "miricles in a can" will lead to plugged rad passages,

BUT

 

If I mix the "miricle" chemical in a pot on the hot plate then pump it through the heater core only

I stand a chance of sealing the leak, I will throttle the output hose to create some (5 psi or so) pressure in the core and force the fix into the leak.

 

I am looking for recco's on the miricle I use,

Barr's, Alumiseal, others?

 

I know I can remove and inline connect the heater hoses thus bypassing the core, then light the passenger chair on fire for heating the cabin, but I'd rather NOT

 

Thanks in advance for any comments or suggs

Nice idea, might work.

It'll only be a temporary fix though, sooner or later it'll give again. Hopefully it'll last till warm weather.

Never noticed much difference in stop leaks.

I forget the manufacturer, but there is a common "block sealer" out there that you are supposed to put in , run, drain, and let sit for 24 hours to dry. It's supposed to seal everything. Might give that a shot.

dont use alumaseal

i have had no luck with this shi%

I used to run purple ice $10, GM supplement $4, and brass eagle? sealant, the $2 stuff, no problms

Any luck with that?

I'm getting that smell, also.

I checked out some stop leaks today.

The main difference I noticed was most were compatible with antifreeze, and one wasn't.

It was the copper flakes in a fluid. They also had the aluminum flakes in fluid, but you could leave it in. With the copper, you have to flush first, then run it, drain it, and leave it sit for 12 hours, then flush again before adding the antifreeze, like snotrocket said.

I like the idea of that better than leaving it in, if it'll work.

nudge

Sorry Ed, been to busy with my newest winter ride "Gramps" .

I have not made the time to fool with her.

Do you have a suitable pump yet?

i dont like bars leak because if you blow a head gasket and it gets in your cylinders it totally screws stuff up sorda like sand.....what ive used in the past (and had SOME luck with) is large unground black pepper....ive never used it for the heater core but it should work the same way just make sure you use alot of it

Are you sure it's the heater core? My wife's Jetta (99) has that smell when I turn the heat on, but I really don't think it's the HC. It's not losing fluid or anything. Years ago, this happened to someone's car (I forget who) and it was something little. What else could it be?

Dont laugh Skip. You already know i sometimes happen to have some bizarre ideas.

What would happen if one cut through the fire wall just where the core is, replace it and epoxy or weld everything back.

Just a crazy idea that came to me lately when the same thing happed to a friend and that made me think of all the options if it ever happened to me.

Maybe someone could try it on a parts car...

OK, OK,

I'm not laughing Gilles, that is almost the famous McBrat fix. He showed us how to cut the side of the heater box, slide the core out/in and glue on a patch. Alittle easier than cutting the metal bulkhead, so you're not crazy. I am hoping it doesn't come to this. Thanks for the idea.