Different antifreezes seem to have different levels of antileak additives. A couple of years ago I flushed out the cooling system on my 86 F250 truck and put in a antifreeze called Permflow in a 50/50 mixture with water and I had leaks at every hose-metal joint. There wasn't a single joint that did not leak. I had to put in three GM seal-tabs to stop all the leaks.
Anti- leak properties of different antifreezes
- Thread starter George7941
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JHZR2
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Thats just plain odd.
Are you sure it didnt induce severe rot, or dissolve rotting ends of your hoses?
I cant see how anti freeze, which has no solids in it, could have anti-leak properties. Most anti leak stuff is either solids for metallic parts, or swelling agents for rubber parts. Ive never heard of anything that would actually swell rubber in a cooling system, as this seems undesirable.
As far as I know, antifreeze is water, a heat transfer fluid with different freezing and boiling points, some lubricity additive, wetting additive, and buffering agents.
Of course I may be way wrong.
JMH
Are you sure it didnt induce severe rot, or dissolve rotting ends of your hoses?
I cant see how anti freeze, which has no solids in it, could have anti-leak properties. Most anti leak stuff is either solids for metallic parts, or swelling agents for rubber parts. Ive never heard of anything that would actually swell rubber in a cooling system, as this seems undesirable.
As far as I know, antifreeze is water, a heat transfer fluid with different freezing and boiling points, some lubricity additive, wetting additive, and buffering agents.
Of course I may be way wrong.
JMH
Anti-Freeze/Coolant does not have any anti-leak aditives in it! The aluminum,copper and plant fiber anti-leak additives are not routinely added any more by most OEM's! GM has had to use them for years becasue they use the cheapest most porous(sp)aluminum casting known to man. GM recently got into trouble with the CTS when it first came out due to their silly stop leak additive. THe CTS uses an ultra high efficeny Denso heater core. The diameter of the tubes is so tight that the additive plugged them up and some of the first CTS owners had no heat. The cores could not be un plugged in most cases so they had to be replaced. This meant pulling from production as their were no service parts available yet!
The anti-leak additives are primarely focused on keeping intake manifolds and other casting that are fresh and uncoroded from leaking. They will also slow a small radiator leak down but they are not designed to take the place of a proper gasket.
The old school bar leaks brand is primarily plant fiber and it will clean silicates off of the water pump as well.
The anti-leak additives are primarely focused on keeping intake manifolds and other casting that are fresh and uncoroded from leaking. They will also slow a small radiator leak down but they are not designed to take the place of a proper gasket.
The old school bar leaks brand is primarily plant fiber and it will clean silicates off of the water pump as well.
I don't think it was rotting hose ends that caused the leaks because I change the rad hoses and the heater hoses about every five years and when I take the old ones off they are in pretty good shape. Other than antileak additives I don't have an explanation as to why I sprung so many leaks after a coolant flush. Needless to say I haven't used that antifreeze since. On my last flush I put in Esso HD Fully Formulated antifreeze and did not develop any leaks.
I would think that a lack of proper ads could corrode the alumium parts causing a leak, but nothing like that. For the record I have never replaced a radiator hose in my older Buicks, and never had a leaky one either.
On my 87, I replaced a ssmall coolant hose by the throttle body, but that's it.
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