Let’s Talk About Chemical Additive Myths

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: a chemical additive (stop leak) doesn’t work, it clogs up your cooling system, and it actually makes your problem worse. It’s a waste of money.

Sound familiar?

Every day, we talk to customers who are reluctant to use another chemical fix because they’ve been burned in the past. They have every reason to doubt: many chemical fix products are more marketing than engineering. Too often, they don’t work as promised.

What’s a company who makes products that have been working since 1947 to do?

The hard truth is that the market for chemical fixes is not unlike other markets: there are good products, products you’d describe as mediocre, and products that do little or nothing to help the customer.

Unfortunately, the reputation of good products gets taken along for the ride when lesser products prove to be disappointments.

Our products have been around since 1947 and have since become the premium brand of chemical stop-leaks solutions and engine/oil/fuel treatments. Our formulations get used in fleet, military, industrial and dozens of other specialty  applications. Today, many automakers use our products in their assembly operations as OEM treatments. In August of 1958, Bar’s Leaks even helped William R. Anderson’s famous USS Nautilus nuclear submarine complete its historic journey under the North Pole arctic ice when it developed an internal powertrain leak.

Here are some common chemical fix myths dispelled:

I’ve been told stop leak products will clog up my radiator and cooling system, and could even make my problem worse.

Regarding claims that stop leak products will ‘clog up’ your system or exacerbate the problem, they’re positively not true – for our products. However, the reality is that many folks use other brands and encounter problems, and we suffer their reputation. If you check out our product testimonials, you’ll realize our products are of a much higher grade than some of the others in the market. Our Bar’s Leaks Liquid Aluminum Cooling System Stop Leak (p/n 1186), Radiator Stop Leak 2X Concentrate (p/n 1194) and Liquid Copper Block Seal (p/n 1109), represent the very best and safest chemical solutions for your cooling system. Our engineering guarantees it.

I’ve been told chemical fixes can’t seal my leak and that I need a hard repair.

No chemical solution can repair all leaks. In some cases, the leak may be severe and require a hard fix by an authorized mechanic. Still, we invite our customers to contact us if they have any doubt about our products’ performance or need help in choosing what product will work best for them. You can use our simple 3 Minute Mechanic if you want help in finding the right product for you, or find us on Facebook if you have more specific questions. We’re always happy to help.

Can a chemical fix really repair a blown head gasket?

Yes and no. Let’s take the no side first: if you have a severely warped head, broken head bolts, or a large leak, then no chemical solution will be able to solve your problem. Unfortunately, you need a hard fix.

For mild to moderate leaks – including minor head warping issues – yes, we can help. Our award-winning head gasket repair product is formulated with various fiber types (carbon fiber, aramid, refractory, etc.) which we grind and engineer to exact specifications in our labs. Fibers of the correct type and length are critical to repair high-pressure leaks. If you were building a bridge, you wouldn’t dream of doing it without using rebar. In chemical head gasket repair products, fibers are the rebar.

If your vehicle has its cooling system at proper level and the vehicle can run 15 minutes or more without overheating, Bar’s Leaks can help seal your head gasket leak.

Bar’s Leaks. The fastest, safest way to get the show back on the road. Guaranteed.

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