Pepper, home remedy or hoax?

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I've heard of an old shade tree trick today for stopping coolant leaks similar to Bar's, the balls, the silver stuff, etc..

Has anyone ever heard of adding varying amounts of plain ole pepper like from a salt & pepper shaker to the cooling system to stop a leak? I didn't believe it but hey I didn't know about ground up walnut shells used as a stop leak either.

Bueller? Bueller?
 
yes it works,black pepper is basically "wood chips/flakes" and when wet they expand,therefore sealing the leak when forced into the hole during circulation.Never use BARSLEAK,that stuff is more trouble then it could possibly fix.
 
quote:

Originally posted by W.T.McGlynn:
Bar's Leak:
Don't tell the "Big Three" that
Bar's Leak is no good.
They all us it on the line at factory fill.
So,before you pass your expert opinon check it out first.


Are you referring to the pellets that GM put in our cars that clog up the heater cores?
 
quote:

Originally posted by EmbarkChief:

quote:

Originally posted by W.T.McGlynn:
Bar's Leak:
Don't tell the "Big Three" that
Bar's Leak is no good.
They all us it on the line at factory fill.
So,before you pass your expert opinon check it out first.


Are you referring to the pellets that GM put in our cars that clog up the heater cores?


Those would be the ones. The ones that GM has issued service bulletins for some cars saying don't use them.
 
Actually, I have used the Bars leak Fibrous stuff, not the aluminum sand, with good success on head gasket leaks that only would occur when the temp dropped below freezing and the small cracks in the gasket permitted coolant into the cylinders.

So, as a last resort sometimes they work. No different then using RX etc as a last resort for a sludged engine etc.
 
Bar's Leak:
Don't tell the "Big Three" that
Bar's Leak is no good.
They all us it on the line at factory fill.
So,before you pass your expert opinon check it out first.
 
If its so good let'em put some in their coffee,that stuff is worse then a half pound a cheese in a quarter pound mouse.

SS/LS


quote:

Originally posted by W.T.McGlynn:
Bar's Leak:
Don't tell the "Big Three" that
Bar's Leak is no good.
They all us it on the line at factory fill.
So,before you pass your expert opinon check it out first.


 
My friend kept pouring it into his 1989 3/4 ton Chevy. It fixed the leaks but after putting in a box (he had a lot of leaks in different spots) his heater core plugged up. He backflushed it and piles of pepper came out. He still uses pepper and he gets a leak in the middle of the night he should be able to find a diner to get more.
smile.gif


Steve
 
I've used the GM fiber pellet sealer on small water leaks which I assume were due to porous aluminum parts. It worked well.
 
I have a 4.1L ElDorado, and I have to use the Bars's leak with coolant changes. Instead of the pellets, I use 2 tubes of the ground Bars Leak. I am to lazy to go to the GM dealer and get their stop leak. This engine requires the Stop Leak by GM in a Service Bulletin. I don't have a leak that I know of.
smile.gif


[ January 03, 2005, 02:20 AM: Message edited by: 59 Vetteman ]
 
Lubro-Moly, the German company made a truly effective radiator leak fixer, this one worked and worked well for truly pesky leaks that would re-occur time to time on fixed radiators. Wonder if it is still available.
 
Just used bar's leaks on the beater prizm... 15 year old factory radiator getting seepy near the bottom. I didn't even follow the directions very well: You're supposed to start the car right afterwards; I let it sit for a day.

This was the cheapest bar's leaks grey powder available in that quarter-roll-sized-tube from walmart. Just a vote against the negative opinions; will dig this thread up and update if I ever get grief from this stuff.
wink.gif
 
You guys aren't worried about what all these "band-aid fixes" can do to the water pump bearing or the cooling system in the long run? Why not just fix whatever is causing the leak and be done with it?
dunno.gif


For the record, way back in the day I used Bars and pepper-neither stopped my leak.
lol.gif
 
quote:

Originally posted by 99:
You guys aren't worried about what all these "band-aid fixes" can do to the water pump bearing or the cooling system in the long run? Why not just fix whatever is causing the leak and be done with it?
dunno.gif


For the record, way back in the day I used Bars and pepper-neither stopped my leak.
lol.gif


If it's a head gasket on an old beater worth all of about $2 on the used car market, you don't want to spend anymore money than you absolutely need to. On a newer car, though, I completely agree with you.
 
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