GM supposedly recommends using some sort of a sealant any time the coolant is replaced. Reading up on what I could Google, mainly on Cadillac forums, the sealant is just plain old Bar's Leak tablets. Anyone use these when replacing coolant, or have any thoughts?
I don't actually have any leaks, knock on wood, I just replaced my coolant and I was just curious. It says it in the Haynes manual that GM recommends it, and I've read in the Cadillac forums that GM cars came from the factory with sealant in the coolant, some GM part # that is in actuality just plain old Bar's leak. Just curious if anyone out there does this as a matter of practice. From what I understand the Bar's leak tabs are just powdered ginger or something, and help seal the irregular/porous mating surfaces on aluminum engines, and really pose no threat to harm the engine. Those sealants that look like metal shavings are another matter.....
I keep hearing about the so called tablets by a bunch of old time mechanics, but I believe, if it needs to have a sealant, it should just get replaced correctly.
Its crushed almond shells and a few other things. Dont waste your time with it. Ever look in a cooling system of a GM 3x00 engine and see a nasty brown crud build up? That is the coolant tabs making a huge mess of things.
Yep it will block up a radiator and heater core and reduce flow.
