Opinions on Bar's Engine Oil Stop Leak

[Familyguy]

I've never tried this or their Main Seal Repair product. My recently acquired winter beater ('96 2.0L Jetta with about 100k miles on it) has a slight oil weep from the rear main seal. I'd say it loses maybe an ounce of oil every 4-5 days. Enough to be a nuisance because of the small spot it leaves on the driveway, but nothing serious...and certainly not worth pulling the transmission and clutch just to replace the seal. Was thinking of trying a "seal conditioner" and I saw both of these available at my local Wallymart. Current oil fill is Valvoline 15W-40 dino which I'll be changing to Rotella Synthetic 5W-40 on the next go 'round in about 2500 miles.

Or is the collective wisdom to just use a "high mileage" oil on the next change? Comments welcome.

http://www.barsproducts.com/E10L.htm
http://www.barsproducts.com/1050.htm

Best,

 

[c3po]

I would give the HM Oil a try first.

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

I second that. Valvoline High mileage Synthetic would be my first choice. Before you dump your current fill of 15-40, I'd add 16 oz of MMO (Marvel Mystery Oil) and run it for 500 miles to clean the engine, then change to HM oil. Rotella is great oil, but it does have not seal conditioners, like HM oils do.

 

[Jason8691]

Good product if you are about to sell it to some poor unsuspecting person.

 

[BearZDefect]

Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
... Rotella is great oil, but it does have not seal conditioners, like HM oils do.
Regular engine oils do have seal conditioners. I suspect HM oils have more than the regular.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: c3po
I would give the HM Oil a try first.
+1

Try Valvoline Maxlife first.

 

[ADFD1]

I'd go with an HM oil myself. Bar's does make some good products though and might be worth trying as a last resort if the HM oil doesn't work!

 

[Familyguy]

Originally Posted By: Jason8691
Good product if you are about to sell it to some poor unsuspecting person.


*yawn*

Thanks for the complete lack of information in your reply.

 

[Familyguy]

Thanks to everyone else for your replies. I'll try changing to HM oil next time 'round and see if that improves things. I'll save the Rotella synth for next time.

 

[fito]

Maxlife HM 10W40 semi syn. Now only $14 for 5 quarts at Wally world... Works great.

 

[chevrofreak]

Maxlife is $13 at my local Walmart.

 

[Jason8691]

Originally Posted By: Familyguy
Originally Posted By: Jason8691
Good product if you are about to sell it to some poor unsuspecting person.


*yawn*

Thanks for the complete lack of information in your reply.


You're welcome. Here's what my first response said between the lines: It is a great product for masking symptoms that need to be profesionally repaired, as no product can fix worn parts.

 

[Familyguy]

Originally Posted By: Jason8691
Originally Posted By: Familyguy
Originally Posted By: Jason8691
Good product if you are about to sell it to some poor unsuspecting person.


*yawn*

Thanks for the complete lack of information in your reply.


You're welcome. Here's what my first response said between the lines: It is a great product for masking symptoms that need to be profesionally repaired, as no product can fix worn parts.


Thanks, Sherlock. Glad you're on the case.

 

[Gary Allan]

Well, if it's a $300 beater ..and it's a $200-$500 seal repair ...

DID YOU PUT THE STUFF IN YOUR ENGINE???

YOU'RE DARN RIGHT I DID!!!!!

 

[Familyguy]

LOL!

 

[Jason8691]

Originally Posted By: Familyguy
Originally Posted By: Jason8691
Originally Posted By: Familyguy
Originally Posted By: Jason8691
Good product if you are about to sell it to some poor unsuspecting person.


*yawn*

Thanks for the complete lack of information in your reply.


You're welcome. Here's what my first response said between the lines: It is a great product for masking symptoms that need to be profesionally repaired, as no product can fix worn parts.


Thanks, Sherlock. Glad you're on the case.


Glad to be of assistance

 

[Familyguy]

Update: For what it's worth, I posed the question to the people at Bar's and they sent me an email saying that the "Rear Main Seal Repair" product would be more suitable for this particular application than the more generic "Engine Oil Stop Leak."

 

[ionbeam22]

Originally Posted By: Familyguy
Update: For what it's worth, I posed the question to the people at Bar's and they sent me an email saying that the "Rear Main Seal Repair" product would be more suitable for this particular application than the more generic "Engine Oil Stop Leak."


That makes sense, try it and report back to us.

 

[Pman]

I have a 95 240sx. Love the car. When I aquired the car it had a front main leak. Maybe a couple of ounces a day. I didn't want to tear into it so I tried Bars.

Well after a few hundred miles it stoped just like the bottle said.

wohoo!!

A few hundred miles later it started pouring out, much more than before. So I guess the fix it temporary. I replaced the seal and took the opportunity to throw on an aluminum power pully.


Yea, NOW the front tentioner starts rattling, after I already had it exposed. Well, it'll rattle until it dies.

 

[chevrofreak]

My car has "consumed" oil for as long as I have had it (has 140K on it now, bought it with 90K). I've done an Auto RX clean and rinse, and even used Mobil 1 10W-30 High Mileage in it. The side of my block under both heads, the rear "hump" of the oil pan, and the front of the transmission bellhousing have always had a fresh looking coat of oil on them. When wiped off, it always returns. Typical "consumption" has been anywhere from 1 quart in 1,100 miles to 1 in quart 1,500 miles. About 50 miles after my last oil change, I decided to try this Bar's Leak Engine Oil Stop Leak. It has only been in there with the Quaker State Horse Power 5W-20 for about 250 miles so far, which makes it somewhat difficult to tell if the level on the dipstick is moving, but so far it doesn't appear to have moved nearly as much as it normally would. The way I rack up miles on that car, it won't be long before I know for sure if the leak has stopped.

The product has a pretty cool almost neon blue color to it when it's running down the fill hole. It looks brownish in the bottle.