Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

[Oliver B.]

Hi.
Right after driving, there is a little coolant dripping from my 77's radiator (no idea where from exactly - it's dripping from the lower support frame). It's not much and it stops after around an hour, so not too much to worry about. Still (and of course) I'd like to address it.
Before pulling the whole system, draining and looking for the leak, I was thinking about adding some "sealing agent" to the coolant.
What are your comments to this - what may be the adverse effects? Are there any?
Thanks for sharing your experience...
Oliver

[Michael D.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Skip the snake oil; determine the source of the leak. Could the system be slightly over filled?

[Jim D.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Before you tear it apart, check the hoses and especially the clamps.

[Oliver B.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

I only filled some water into the overflow tank - at best... And it didn't leak in the past (last year) - so I have my doubts about overfill... But where exactly would the overflow come out then? That would be a good starting point to look for, then... Together with the hoses and clamps - thanks for that hint, too!

So better avoid snake oil or sealant!?

[William C.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

They are a band aid, and have no guaranteed life. Murphy, the famed philosopher says it will go bad, and at the worst possible time...

[Greg L.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Curiosity often gets the best of me so I would try and see where the leak is coming from for peace of mine if nothing else, it might be a simple fix. If your time or funds are limited right now I've never had a problem using Bars Leak for minor external leaks. It works great and in fact GM used to put a small amount of a coolant sealant in every new system. I'm not sure which years but my 69 AIM lists it.

[John H.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

I've never had a problem using Bars Leak for minor external leaks. It works great and in fact GM used to put a small amount of a coolant sealant in every new system.

Greg -

Two Bar's Leaks pellets have gone in the radiator filler neck in every assembly plant on the planet for the last 50 years; ginger root has been a very successful commodity product.

[Dan A.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Another good reason to deal with it is that even a small radiator leak can lead to corrosion of the core support. That is not a fun (or inexpensive) job.

[Jim T.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Greg -

Two Bar's Leaks pellets have gone in the radiator filler neck in every assembly plant on the planet for the last 50 years; ginger root has been a very successful commodity product.

MY 96 LT4 Corvette and 96 Monte Carlo owners manuals specify to use the same pellets with every coolant change.

[Oliver B.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Thanks - I will tackle that (hopefully over the weekend)...

[Oliver B.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Hm, I currently don't have it before my eye how the system works, but could it be that the hose to the overflow tank is blocked one-way? So when the cooling liquid expands when warm and cannot flow into the tank, it gets pressed out of "some other overflow valve" (is there sth like that?) - when cooling and contracting "spare water" gets sucked from the overflow tank...
Possible?

[Paul J.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Hm, I currently don't have it before my eye how the system works, but could it be that the hose to the overflow tank is blocked one-way? So when the cooling liquid expands when warm and cannot flow into the tank, it gets pressed out of "some other overflow valve" (is there sth like that?) - when cooling and contracting "spare water" gets sucked from the overflow tank...
Possible?

It is very doubtful that that could happen. There are smaller openings in the system that would plug first, and the expansion tank flow is inconsistent and goes both ways, which should keep the line relatively clean.

Half of the time when you have a minor leak it is a loose clamp or bad hose. The other half it is a bad water pump, radiator, heater core, gasket (intake or head), or block.

You need to find the source of the leak and address it. If it is not a clamp (or if it is one that won't tighten properly), then add the tablets as previously mentioned. If it is something like a shaft seal on a water pump, I would repair it immediately.

Paul

[Oliver B.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Thanks!
I didn't have much time for checking a lot over the weekend, but... The radiator cap (with its spring loaded valve) works just fine and the overflow hose isn't blocked (there was a little green "goo" coming out, but no real "obstruction").
The coolant level in the radiator was just fine almost to the top... (Obviously the back-flow from the overflow container into the radiator is working properly.)

I did not find leaks at the hoses from the engine to the radiator, or at the oil cooler hoses. (But I might have overlooked a hose...)
As the fluid is/was (it only did when hot and under pressure) dripping from the lower radiator support frame, the leak must be somewhere at the radiator itself and definitely not the water pump...

I am not fully sure about the position of the radiator cap - maybe the arrows on it did not align with the overflow hose before!?!? (Might that be a possible reason?)

I still have to do more investigation...

[George W.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Greg -

Two Bar's Leaks pellets have gone in the radiator filler neck in every assembly plant on the planet for the last 50 years; ginger root has been a very successful commodity product.

Greg,

My 2 cents worth is, grind up one Bars Leak tablet dissolve it in 4 oz. of water and ad the solution when engine is warm to hot and let it run to completely circulate this solution; if it still leaks, do same thing one more time. After that I would not add more Bars Leak as it may gum up radiator and you will have a new problem. If this effort works you still must find and fix the leak for a long term solution. Good luck and have fun.

[Oliver B.]

Re: Dripping cooling liquid - how about adding some "sealing agent"

Thanks for the advice - guess that will be the next bend I will take (if I cannot pinpoint any leak on a closer inspection)...