Radiator stop-leak?

[Kneale Brownson]

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I've used that flaked aluminum stuff for things like radiator pinhole leaks
and found it effective as a temporary fix,  Doyt.  Never had it cause any
problems.  Stay away from the dark, gummy fluid leak stopper
stuff.  That'll plug up things if it doesn't get melted properly and
circulated completely.

At 11:53 PM 09/29/2002 -0400, Doyt W. Echelberger wrote:

>I can't explain where about a pint of coolant goes every week.  No external
>drips or puddles or wet spots.  After about 200 miles of driving, I have to
>top up the overflow reservoir.
>
>I know the answer is  "Find the leak and fix it."  But that doesn't seem to
>be happening. I've been following the "coolant system gases-saga"  thread,
>and I too may have a head gasket leak.  My cabin floor isn't wet.  My next
>move is to get my mechanic to run a test on my coolant, for exhaust gases.
>If that returns positive, I do a head gasket.  But if that returns
>negative, I'll consider some kind of stop-leak. I've heard that car
>manufacturers use it routinely in new cars, because they all leak.
>(Probably a myth.)
>
>Anyhow......Did anybody ever try that dry aluminum flake material in a
>tube, that claims it will never harm anything in the coolant system?  Every
>gas station carries it and it has been around for 50 years.
>
>I figure the coolant is going somewhere that is hot enough to evaporate it,
>and it only leaks out when the engine is running, and it gets blown away in
>the stream of air that whips through the engine compartment. Maybe it gets
>spread out on the surface of the hot engine, and gets evaporated that way.
>And maybe it is getting pulled into a combustion chamber and becomes part
>of the exhaust gases.
>
>Anyhow, maybe some stop-leak will plug up whatever tiny channels are
>causing this loss. But I'm not sure what else will get plugged up with this
>powdered aluminum stuff. Channels in the heater core?  Opening in the
>thermostat? Lines to the turbo?
>
>Any bad experiences with stop-leak?
>
>Doyt Echelberger
>87 5ktq at 255k miles, in Ohio   USA
>
>
>
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